... functions zar initiation zar leader zar pantheon zar possession zar ritual zar sacrificial rite zar spirit dance zar dance generosity God music zar music path tariq of zar prophets purity saint sincerity ikhlas song zar song trance zar experience Cairo cemetery class related issues...

..., and the collection and analysis of more than 300 zar songs, allowing 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....

...This chapter examines saint and spirit songs as “acts of transfer” as well as the most popular zar spirits in Cairo and the different ways through which they are placated in ritual. It first provides an overview of zar songs as “acts of transfer” before discussing...