Untitled Document

[Woman possessed during Zar ceremony. Used with permission.]

Historical content in Zar Possession Cults

Zar Possession Cults are a form of resistance to foreign influences. Spirit host relationships represent the apparent powerlessness of society. They are not only a commentary on gender discourse within Hofriyat but one on ethnicity between other cultures as well. (Boddy, 1989) The spirits themselves are non-Hofriyati, comprised of other ethnicities such as Arabic, West African, European/Western, and Ethiopian. These ethnicities have great significance to Hofriyat individuals in such a way that, "the spirit world comprises an ethnography from which history cannot be disengaged" (Boddy, 1989, p. 302).

During possession women are embodied by spirits such as Baggara, an Arabic zayran who represent troubled times in Hofriyat history. He is the counterpart to the people who came to Northern Sudan and dominated it in the late 1800's leaving people suffering without basic life necessities. (Boddy, 1989) When he appears during a possession ceremony people do not just see a woman possessed, they see the embodiment of this historical enemy. The mediation that takes place during possession by Baggara (and other Arabic zayran) "evoke issues of discipline and physical restraint in their several forms: that of warfare and domination" (Boddy, 1989, p. 288).

Habish zayran are the counterpart to Ethiopian Christians. They exude political power and hereditary authority. Unlike many other zayran there are both male and female Habish. Female Habish embody their hosts in ways that disturb the thoughts of those around them. For instance, during a marriage ceremony a female Habish may descend upon its host and act as a non-possessed woman would. Once her presence is discovered it is evident to those around her that she was addressing cultural attitudes by raising issues with sexuality, fertility, virginity, and womanhood ideals within Hofriyat culture. Male Habish on the other hand portray masculine power in society and therefore, "gender complementary as it exists in Hofriyat, is thus raised as an issue not only in the contrast between Hofriyat women and their male spirits, but also in the differences between female and male Habish " (Boddy, 1989, p. 284). These types of embodied historical connections allow Hofriyat women to constantly reassess their social situations in a culture where gender complementarity is said to exist but seems to be twisted, if its there at all.

Additional Group of Zayran

Possession by Bashawat zayran, a type of Khawajat spirit that parallels Europeans, allows society to address issues associated with power from outside forces. Like Baggara they are counterparts of historical enemies such as military officers and aristocrats from the early 1800's and government officials from the 20 th century. They represent foreign domination and warn the Hofriyat people about the dangers of technology, suggesting a simplistic life like the Vodou spirit Kouzen Azaka does. (Boddy, 1989)

Website designed by Abigail Franklin, Anthropology 5450, Spring 2007