parallel sufis » parallel stories (Expand Search)
sufis based » studies based (Expand Search), sirius based (Expand Search), sothis based (Expand Search)
based using » based coping (Expand Search), sacred using (Expand Search)
Zar : spirit possession, music, and healing rituals in Egypt /
:
"Zar is both a possessing spirit and a set of reconciliation rites between the spirits and their human hosts: living in a parallel yet invisible world, the capricious spirits manifest their anger by causing ailments for their hosts, which require ritual reconciliation, a private sacrificial rite practiced routinely by the afflicted devotees. Originally spread from Ethiopia to the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf through the nineteenth-century slave trade, in Egypt zar has incorporated elements from popular Islamic Sufi practices, including devotion to Christian and Muslim saints. The ceremonies initiate devotees-the majority of whom are Muslim women-into a community centered on a cult leader, a membership that provides them with moral orientation, social support, and a sense of belonging. Practicing zar rituals, dancing to zar songs, and experiencing trance restore their well-being, which had been compromised by gender asymmetry and globalization.This new ethnographic study of zar in Egypt is based on the author's two years of multi-sited fieldwork and firsthand knowledge as a participant, and her collection and analysis of more than three hundred zar songs, allowing her to access levels of meaning that had previously been overlooked. The result is a comprehensive and accessible exposition of the history, culture, and waning practice of zar in a modernizing world"--Front flap of book jacket.
:
xi, 180 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations ; 24 cm. :
Includes bibliographical references (pages 161-171) and index. :
9789774166976
Jews and India : Mutual Influences over Two Millennia /
:
The entire set of sixteen essays in Jews and India explore a particular interaction and mutual influence between Jews and India over the past two millennia. Collectively, we discover a pattern of uniquely symmetrical relations between Jews and their host culture. Unlike in the Christian and Islamic countries, Jews were always honored and treated in India like respected guests. We all come to know ourselves through our reflections in the eyes of others, and rather than hostility and a condescending attitude, in India, Jews always enjoyed respect, hospitality, and affection. These chapters seek to answer the theoretical question as to what Jews and Judaism looked like when viewed with a 'good eye'. Conversely, we also learn how the world sees Jews who have always enjoyed respect and were made welcome. The first section of the book analyzes Jewish communities in Kochi, especially, but also the Bene Israelis and Baghdadis. Following is a section of stories about individual Jewish lives in India - mystics, merchants, and soldiers. The book concludes with a section about inter-religious dialogues between Jews and Indic faiths like Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Based on two thousand years of cohabitation, these old/new friendships reveal old surprises and new insights.
:
1 online resource (416 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004753709