The Zar

For centuries women in Africa and the Middle East have used this music to cure pain in times of stress or illness. Followers of the Zar cult believe that sometimes their illnesses are caused by "red spirits" - the Zar - who use human bodies as hosts. These spirits attract attention to themselves by making their hosts sick. Only after acknowledging a spirit's presence and meeting its demands can a woman hope to attain a symbiotic relationship with her possessor --- and she discovers the identity of this intruder through a dance-induced trance. Music from this piece is from Sands of Time: The Zar (www.sandsoftimemusic.com) and the end performance piece: Rapture Rumi by Steven Flynn (www.stevenflynnmusic.com) ©1995 Wild Child Music BMI

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• zar
• zaar
• trance
• dancing
• belly
• dance
• Egypt
• danse
• du
• ventre
• religieuse

[sunmanpatoo]

the easiest way 2 get possessed is 2 get drunk.

[SerpentineVideo]

@sunmanpatoo

Alcohol is forbidden by the Quran.

[70steps2nazretskuul]

zar is also common in northern ethiopia where it was found and brought unt egypt and india by ethiopian slaves it still in ethiopia but slightly different in every ethnic group with ranging from possesing hyenas ( very common) to eating fire and drinking perfume to putting butter on trees and worshiping it.....my grandmother was a victim and a host

[WomenFrameDrumming]

Thank you!

[Zabatsion]

first no ethiopian had been enslaved, slaves passed from present day soputh sudan to arbia or else where throu ethiopia, secondly, zar is more comen in south ethiopia, putting butter is waq an oromo relgion not zar

[silverbatwing]

@shtookatz Well, women are/were considered very powerful in some cultures. in some cultures, it is still the practice to separate the women during their menses, for reasons of cleanliness, and the idea that she has too much power at that time. In this day and age, it is the unfortunate belief that women are considered weak and chattel... and some women believe it.

[noaidie]

What ??? How arogant. . . People turn to Zar When Modern Medicine has failed ??? This IS the original form of healing !!! There is no comparison.

[molarmama5]

@sunmanpatoo;

Becomming drunk through alclhol is a good way to block true spirit possession.

[ZarBud]

Very much so. Nice vid!

[ZenAuraRaks]

ZAR - Overstand this is an African tradition and dance and culture have always been a mechanism for healing, expression and communion with the Divine and Ancestors etc. Yes some form of it is found in every indigenous culture...for instance...Native Hoop Dance...very similar...etc. Had nothing to do with not being able to get to a "medcial person" Heal Thyself!

[bbarror]

There is much more to it than dance and trance read about it in Anthropology and Sociology. I've been to at least a dozen during grad school in Cairo. It's not exorcism, it is more about placating the djinn that has inhabited a woman, and the occasional male. Illegal and most Muslims say it is "Haram"! -forbidden. BB