Nubian Zar Ceremonies as Psychotherapy

Abstract

The term zar, referring both to a ceremony and a class of spirits, is usually associated with Ethiopia and may be of Amharic origin. However, the zar is also found the length of the Nile, from Alexandria to at least Khartoum in the Sudan. In Egytian Nubia, the purpose of a zar ceremony is to cure mental illnesses through contact with the possessing spirits which cause such maladies. The evidence indicates that though the Nubians possess several methods for dealing with psychological disturbance, the zar is a last resort which has powerful therapeutic effects for several kinds of ailments. It seems particularly tailored for alleviation of the hysterias and anxiety-produced illnesses which seem to be related to the life conditions of Old Nubia. However, the technique also has been used in treatment of depressions and some obvious psychoses. This paper examines the form and content of the zar ceremony in an attempt to account for this therapeutic effectiveness. The analysis suggests that the concentration and combination of symbolic and emotional elements in such prolonged dramatic ceremonies might be studied for possible applications to the often fragmented, intellectualized therapeutic techniques of Western Society.