why Amhara get <i>kureynya</i>: sickness and possession in an Ethiopian <i>zar</i> cult¹

Abstract

Most accounts of spirit possession cults treat illnesses caused by spirits as an ancillary concern, interesting mainly as events through which people join such cults. However, in the Amhara zar cult, sicknesses caused by spirits remain an important focus for relations between cult members and cult spirits even after initiation. Further, it is by participating in recurrent sickness episodes that members gain access to the adaptive strategies offered by the cult.