The spirit possession practice of Zār in southern Iran is associated with African immigration – forced or free – (cf. Sā’edi 1966; Riyāhi 1977) and has been either ignored or regarded as a regional phenomenon. During the last two decades, however, the practice gains increasing attention within Iran and among the Iranian diaspora. Though it is widely acknowledged that localized variations of Zār are prevalent in a wide range of places in the Gulf, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean rim, the cross connections and interrelations between these possession locations remain less exposed.
As seems to be consensus in ritual studies, Zār is about cultural contact (cf. Kenyon 2015; Larsen 2004). In rituals, well-travelled spirits from around the world are invited to come down. They speak various languages (Arabic, Baluchi, Swahili, …) and have outspoken ethnic identities. Some human participants of the rituals are well-travelled, as well. Slaves, sailors and migrant workers attended familiar rituals in far away places. Professional practitioners as spiritual experts or musicians were invited to perform at other locales. In the context of the Gulf, interpersonal connections between spirit communities were fueled by proximity and family relations and to some extend still continue due to Iranian nationals living abroad. Within the fabric of Islam as an integrative structure, spirit possession rituals functioned as an ordering framework for communication and social cohesion. A connecting arena where the newly arrived could participate, where the Other was discoursively integrated.
With the renewed interest in Zār, processes of folklorization take place on both sides of the water. Practitioners have entered greater public spaces by performing in films, on festivals and for paying tourist audiences. In the same time, we observe the reformulation of the practice as national heritage, a practice that is transnational in essence and an inherent element of khaliji-bandari culture.
Kenyon, Susan (2015) Spirits and slaves in central Sudan: The Red Winds of Sennar. New York: Palgrave.
Larsen, Kjersti (2004). Multiculturalism through Spirit Possession. In: International
Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM)-Newsletter. 14, p. 14-15.
Riyāhi, Ali (1977) Zār wa Bād wa Baluch. Tehran: Ketābkhane-e Tahuri.
Sā’edi, Gholam-Hossein (1966) Ahl-e Hawā. Tehran: Enteshārāt-e Amir Kabir.
