It Was Fire: a play about Zaar
Ahlan wa sahlan to all. Layla here with a bit of context to open and honor this piece we are excited to share today. Below, you will read a play written by Fatemeh Madani about the Zaar.
I met Fatemeh through a close friend named Nia who was her teacher at ASU. It was at the onset of my Homeward Healing journeys in 2016, during which I had the blessing of staying with Fatemeh’s family in Bandar Abbas and visiting Hormuz Island where they are originally from. During that time, many interviews and sharing occurred regarding the traditional practice of the Zaar on their island, including this beautiful meeting with her uncle (Allah Yir7amo), who was an animated storyteller and a Zaar musician. He shared with us many memories about the Zaar as well as some songs, including the one in the recording above (a bonus to complement this beautiful play you will read). We are so honored to be able to remember and honor Fatemeh and her family’s work, rooted in her ancestor’s relationship to this lineage of ritual healing practices deeply significant (and slowly diminishing) throughout our region. Blessings to her and her family and the magical lands they come from.
Zaar/Zar is an Afro-Arab ceremonial practice which involves polyrhythmic music and dance to evoke trance states for spiritual healing, under the guidance and mediumship of an initiated priestess. It is practiced in various North African, East African, and SWANA communities. It’s roots are from East Africa, Ethiopia and/or Sudan regions to be specific.
[ Photo of Hormuz Island, taken by Layla K. Feghali. Shows hills of sand with layers of natural colors from purples to yellows to pinks and reds and grays a blue sky with white clouds above.]
IT WAS FIRE
SCENE 1
The stage is a round one with audience sitting around. There is a hooka, Kondoor brazier, a Kheyzaran, a fan and white shirt and scarf on the stage. The women plays with them during her monologue.
WOMAN
It was air, it was water, it was soil, it was fire. All at once in her hubble-bubble. It had such an interesting and calming sound. Like mom’s lullaby. When I looked at the fire it took me away to the red desert, the red seashore with people sitting around the fire, staring at the blue, yellow, and red. Her arms were warm like the fire. Like those hot summer nights in the island when we the electricity was out. My father lying down naked. Men can be naked but not us.
She fans the cloth.
I fanned my father with my small Gowzen till the morning. “Sleep my hero. I’m awake. I will take care of you.” The night was dark. The palm trees were dancing like a mad woman in Zaar. Isn’t that scary? It was when you were not with me. It’s not scary when you are sleeping beside me. I am safe. My hero is sleeping. Then I put my head on his pillow. I smelled him. Ahhh! Such a warm and nice smell. I used to smell his clothes.
She took the cloth and smells it
Ahhh! They made me relax.
The male actor enters and and they dance like in a battle.
Then it came a day when I was becoming a woman and you didn’t love me anymore. You hated me. You killed my voice.
FATHER
Khafa ba, You big mouth! You naughty girl.
WOMAN
Mom said, “This is not fair. Why do you hate this girl? Gonah dare. Be Khoda. She used to fan you. She loved you more than others.”
Mom remembers everything. Mom never talked to him like that. She was afraid.
Husband comes first. Always. They come first. He was an angry man. He broke everything with his big hands. Those scary hands.
One night I was watching an Arab woman singing on TV with my sister. She was my only friend. We are very close.
Father enters and punches on the TV.
We had that broken TV for a long time. Whenever I looked at it, it scared me. His strong hands possessed me. I am still scared of those big hands. Those big brown hands. When he was running after me to beat me I ran to grandma. She opened her arms and I jumped into her skirt and my father left. I was safe.
She takes the brazier and stares at it.
I escaped from you, from the house. And I begged fire to be my shelter. It accepted me. Embraced me with open arms in those cold nights. I was looking for warm arms. Like grandmother’s, like her hubble-bubble. And she used to tell me “don’t go to the desert, Jinns will come and get you, possess you.
JINN enters and she follows him with the fire in her hands. He exits. While she is saying the following sentences and dances.
Jinns are afraid of fire. They flow into your body, your soul, and suddenly you become pale and shake like the palm trees in the summer nights. Then you need Zaar. You need to drink blood, feel the smoke, the scent of Kondor. You dance, dance, dance faster and faster. The fire will save you. Jinns are afraid of fire.”
SCENE 2
FATHER enters.
FATHER
When I was a kid I was possessed.
WOMAN
How was that, bava?
FATHER
I shook and fainted. The foam came out my mouth. My hands and legs turned backward.
WOMAN
What did you do then?
FATHER
My mom took me to a mullah. He was an expert in exorcising Jinns. People held my hands and legs. Then the mullah ironed my forehead with nails. In three spots. He said Jinns are afraid of fire and when they see fire they leave the body. It took one day to take it out of my body.
WOMAN
Did it leave you?
He exits.
SCENE 3
While she is talking about the mythical characters we can show them on the screen or use puppets on stage.
WOMAN
Grandfather said: “Don’t go to the seashore in the night. Bap Derya will get you. I saw him with my own eyes. He is a tall huge man with four big fingers. He does not have any nails. He puts his hands on your skirt and takes you. He takes you to the the sea and kills you. I wore a long when he caught me and I opened my long and escaped. Other people saw him too. He is real. People tell different stories. About Mahdisma, whohas long legs and huge testicles. He is scary. You see him at night. If you are brave you can pass under his legs. The courageous person who can pass under his legs points to his testicles and says: You have a lot of balls! And he says: you have a lot of heart! Melmedas! The fairy steals handsome men. Melmedas is a very beautiful woman with a nice scent. She sings in the nights and that makes the sailors crazy, they go to touch her. And she embraces them. She puts her legs around men and cuts them with the sickle she has between her legs. Believe me. She exists. People saw her. Look at that old blind man. His name is Malik. You know what happened to him? He was walking by the seashore and a fairy took him with her. Fairies do that. They steal handsome men. Fairy and Malik had sex and the fairy became pregnant. The man missed his family and asked fairy to let him go. Fairy said it is dangerous. You cannot mention anything about us, fairies. The handsome man promised her and went to the town. Then he forgot his promise and told his story. He is now blind. He is still alive. These stories are true. The sea is scary!”
Grandfather knows everything. He is a wise man. He never lies. The sea was scary. I wouldn't go there alone.
SCENE 4
The only place I was safe was my grandmother’s arms. I went to her house every night and slept under her blanket. Until one night I saw that creepy face on the ceiling. A big round black face with green eyes was staring at me. I blinked several times but he was still there. On top of my grandmothers’ bed. Then I closed my eyes and ran to my grandfather’s bed and closed my eyes again. They never slept in one bed.
We hear the Zaar music. Grandma, NANE, enters.
I could hear the drum. I opened my eyes. It was night. My grandmother, Nane, was leaving. Where are you going, Nane?
NANE
To Zaar.
WOMAN
Can I come with you?
NANE
No! It’s dangerous. You are naughty. You laugh too much. Zaar possesses everybody who laughs.
Beside, your father doesn't like it. I do not want to answer to your father.
WOMAN
Why he does not like Zaar? It’s fun. people dance and clap. Beside, it is for healing.
NANE
I do not know. He believes Zaar is against Islam.
WOMAN
Why?
NANE
You ask too many questions. Because they dance and play drums and it is forbidden in Islam. He is a strict man. Like we are perfect Muslims and music will send us to hell.
WOMAN
You know what? I won’t tell father. I promise. I will not laugh. I will stay quiet.
NANE
I said NO! You are too young to see Zaar.
WOMAN
Then she left me alone. This house is scary too. Jinns surround us. They jump on the floor and walk. I could hear them. They have hooves. They walk like goats. Their eyes are like cats’. My grandfather, Yusef, put Halva on the roof for them. In the morning Halva was gone. They ate it all. It is scary here too. TAKE ME WITH YOU!
SCENE 5
ZAAR enters and holds her. WOMAN has an attack.
Ooof! I have headache. I have headache. Somebody is pressing my head from both sides. Help. Help. I want to scream. I scream. Aaaa! Why is nobody listening to me? Aaaa! Free me from theses hands. My breath. It is not coming. I cannot breath. I need air. Somebody open the window! I cannot breath. My mouth is wide open. My eyes are turning white. I cannot blink. Give me air! Please! My body freezes. My hands are locked. Help. Help. Suddenly air flew into my body and opens it. And I breath fast and faster. Tears burst from my eyes. My body is shaking like the palm trees. And I collapse.
ZAAR exits.
I feel relaxed. So calm. No tension. No pressure. I can breathe. I am still alive.
I got that from my father. He used to have that when I was a kid. My grandmother rushed and held his hands. Hands. Hand. My father’s Hand. That scary hand!!! Which crushes everything. He still has that sometimes.
Grandma, have you ever tried to heal father’s panic attack?
MA ZEYNAB
Yes. I took to him Mama Balghis and they had a ritual.
WOMAN
But he still has it.
MA ZEYNAB
You have to repeat the ceremony until Zaar leaves you forever. Besides, it was not a complete ceremony. No music. No dance. Mama Zaar just beat on his shoulders by a Kheyzaran and threatened Zaar to leave his body. He is better now. Alhamdollelah.
WOMAN
What kind of spirit was that?
NANE
It was Baboor.
MA ZEYNAB
You know they are different spirits which we call air or wind which possess your body. When somebody is possessed by Matoori air he/she has heart attack. Dingomaroo gives you a headache. Boomaryam gives women back pain. When somebody is depressed they are probably possessed by Day Katoo and Metrovarzhy. Sometimes people have a stomachache and feel they have something in their stomach. They have Taghroori. Papakoo air makes you have fever and cough. Chinyasah lives in the forest and possesses you when you have fear. But Omgaarah is a spirit which makes you anxious and nervous. Some people eat and move a lot. Some people leave the house and cannot find their way back. They are wanderers. I have Omgaarah.
SCENE 6
I escaped from that house. I was 18. I went to a place far away to study. I had an attack when I was in the class. My friends told me I should see a doctor. Oh! Those medication. They made me sleep all the time. So I couldn’t feel anything.
She lies down.
No anxiety, no depression, nothing. I was a walking dead. like a robot. Couldn’t feel anything that people said. I stared at them with dead eyes. They were talking and laughing. I was counting their teeth. How many teeth? 8 on top 6 on the bottom. How many clothes they wear? 2,4,6,8! How many steps I have to take to the next floor? 10!
DOCTOR
Take your medication on time.
WOMAN
For how long? It has been years.
DOCTOR
Until you feel better. I will let you know when the time comes.
WOMAN
The time is not coming. I am still taking them and it is not working. I am always the same. No real laughing. No real crying. Nothing. Like a robot. If this time somebody asks me what happened that your mood changed I will tell her “ My mom thinks I have Zaar. Do you know what is Zaar? Zaar is a spirit that possesses your body and mind. It doesn’t leave you until you satisfy him. My father does not like me to do such things. Because he is a strict Muslim.” Or maybe I tell him “shut up! mind your business.” I hate that question. Why bother explaining those things to Western people. They do not understand.
SCENE 7
I have a headache. Ahh. I cannot breath. It’s coming. It’s coming. Somebody! Air! Air! Please.
ZAAR enters and approaches her.
Leave me alone. Leave me alone. Please. What do you want? Jewelry? Clothes? Blood ? OF WHAT? A goat? A cow? What?
She has panic attack and then releases. She sleeps. After a while the phone rings. She woke up and picks up the phone.
WOMAN
Allo.
FATHER
Allo. Girl, are you ok? We were worried. you haven’t called for a long time.
WOMAN
I have been sick, bava.
FATHER
What is wrong?
WOMAN
I have a headache. I am not good. This medicine is not helping anymore.
FATHER
What are you taking medicine for?
WOMAN
I am depressed. I have panic attacks just like you.
FATHER
Do not take any medicine. I have been taking them for a long time. They are not helpful.
WOMAN
Bava, they are not working. I need something else. I want to try spiritual healing. I need Zaar.
Please?
FATHER
(Pause) Do that if that is what you want. If that is helpful. Do that my daughter.
ZAAR enters and they dance Zaar. Ritual starts. Music. Kondor, She is covered by a white scarf. Mama Zaar beat her by a Kheyzaran on her shoulders.
WOMAN
I was afraid of the sea. The sea was scary. But I am not scared of anything as long as I have fire. Because spirits are afraid of fire. I smell the fire and my body feels it. My body feels it and I rest. I sleep in the hot summer night. And this time, this is me who needs the air. Needs someone to fan me, needs grandmother’s arms, the charming and calming lullaby of her hubble-bubble. It is air, it is water, it is soil, it is fire, all at once.
END.
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