Oromos, Slaves, and the Zar Spirits: A Contribution to the History of the Zar Cult

Abstract

The zar cult is a spirit possession cult found in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Arabia, south and south-west Iran, Egypt, and the Sudan.l It is not a uniform phenomenon throughout this vast region, where it occurs among Christians, Muslims, Falashas, and among adherents of tribal religions. There are ceremonial and cosmological differences, and the socio-sexual catchment areas as well as the consequences of participating in the cult vary from place to place. The aim of the cult, however, is the same: the curing of illnesses or misfortunes caused by possession by a species of spirit called zar. Since the zar cult became known in the West in the latter part of the nineteenth century, scholars from several fields and with different concerns have turned their attention to it. Concern with the issue of origins is characteristic of the early scholars, such as M. J. de Goeje and Th. Noldeke, but this question has continued to capture the interest of scholars since it has not as yet been satisfactorily answered.2 There is little controversy among the scholars today about the zar cult having been introduced into the Middle East during the last century by slaves from Ethiopia, where it is thought to have originated. However, this lack of controversy seems to be based on an unsubstantiated consensus rather than on evidence.