نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
The Zār ritual is a therapeutic musical ritual that originated in enslaved Africans centuries ago and was brought from East Africa to the coasts of Arabia and southern Iran. This ritualistic practice is rooted in a deep-seated belief system wherein supernatural entities are thought to exist alongside humans. According to the followers of the Zār, these non-material beings can inhabit the body and soul of a person, transforming them into a vessel, which leads to physical and psychological disorders. The afflicted may exhibit a wide range of symptoms, including but not limited to insanity, hallucinations, self-harm, withdrawal from social life, persistent headaches, back pain, eye pain, and various other diseases. In southern Iran, when an individual is believed to have fallen victim to a Zār spirit, the surrounding community organizes a healing ritual known as the “Zār ritual.” The primary purpose of this ritual is to cure the patient, a task undertaken by indigenous healers. If the healer is a woman, she is called Mama Zār; if a man, he is known as Baba Zār.
Additionally, individuals called Ahl-e Hava, those who had previously suffered from Zār possession but have been healed, are invited to participate. Their lifelong obligation is to attend and assist in all Zār ceremonies they are summoned to, serving as living witnesses of the ritual’s efficacy. The Ahl-e Hava play a crucial role in the Zār ritual, not only as participants but also as living proof of the ritual’s effectiveness. Their presence adds a communal aspect to the ritual, reinforcing the belief in its healing power. The ritual also includes a group of drummers whose rhythmic performances are essential to the proceedings. Their rhythmic music induces a trance in the patient and initiates the treatment. Other integral components of the Zār ritual include dancing, recitation of poems and supplications, creating an atmosphere, performance, offerings, and sacrifice. Collectively, these elements contribute not only to the healing purpose of the ritual but also imbue it with a performative, almost theatrical quality, rendering the ritual visually compelling and aesthetically rich.
Meanwhile, in his book “Critique of the Power of Judgment,” Immanuel Kant analyzes the notion of a judgment of beauty through four distinct moments: quality, quantity, relation, and modality. In these four moments, he presents definitions of beauty that complement each other. The third moment, which is the central focus of this research, deals with the relation of beauty to purposiveness. According to Kant, a purpose is tied to a concept to the extent that the concept is regarded as its cause. Thus, purposiveness implies the causality of a concept concerning its object. Kant asserts that the sole foundation for a judgment of taste is the perceived form of purposiveness in an object without reference to any external or internal purpose. Aesthetic judgment, distinct from cognitive or moral judgments, concerns itself with the interplay of the faculties of imagination and understanding, devoid of considering the object’s practical or intrinsic nature. Consequently, only subjective purposiveness without objective purpose can underpin a genuine aesthetic judgment.
Building upon this philosophical framework, the present study analyzes the aesthetic dimensions of the Zār ritual practiced on Qeshm Island, emphasizing Kant’s third moment of beauty and the concept of purposiveness. This research employs a qualitative methodology, with data gathered through library research, field observation, and interviews with knowledgeable locals on the island. The findings reveal that the Zār ritual, beyond its primary therapeutic function, encompasses several aesthetic elements, such as dance, music, singing and poetry, performance, and environmental staging. Significantly, the nature and degree of beauty and the type of purposiveness associated with each element differ depending on the perspective—whether that of the patient or the observer. For example, the ritual dance, while vital to the healing process, may not be perceived as beautiful by an external audience due to its often erratic and unstructured movements, which do not conform to conventional standards of coordinated dance. However, from the patient’s perspective, the dance is experienced as beautiful because it facilitates surrender to the music, entry into a trance state, and the achievement of emotional release and spiritual lightness. This subjective experience, characterized by surrender, trance, emotional release, and spiritual lightness, engenders a unique form of beauty intimately connected to the ritual’s therapeutic aim.
On the other hand, music stands out as an element generally perceived as beautiful by the patient and the audience. The rhythmic drumming and melodies have a universal appeal, evoking a sense of ecstasy and self-transcendence. For the audience, the music represents an instance of ‘free beauty’, a subjective purposiveness without an objective goal, aligning perfectly with Kant’s description of pure aesthetic experience. ‘Free beauty’ refers to the aesthetic experience not tied to any specific purpose or goal but is appreciated for its own sake. For the patient, however, the music is more than merely pleasurable; it is instrumental to the healing process. Therefore, it constitutes ‘dependent beauty,’ linked directly to the therapeutic purpose of the ritual.
‘Dependent beauty’ is the aesthetic experience tied to a specific purpose or goal, such as the healing process. The recitation of poems and invocations, performed by the Baba or Mama Zār and echoed by the Ahl-e Hava, also possesses significant aesthetic value. For the audience, these recitations, especially when accompanied by rhythmic drumming, offer a compelling auditory experience characterized by dynamism and depth. In Kantian terms, these recitations exhibit dependent beauty for the audience, as their aesthetic appeal is intertwined with their ritualistic context. For the patient, the recitations contribute to the emotional experience and the healing process, reinforcing their status as purposive aesthetic phenomena. In examining the Zaar ritual, it seems that its aesthetic value, apart from musical elements, is dependent on its ritualistic environment. Detached from the ceremonial environment, the performance may lose much of its aesthetic resonance. Thus, the performance embodies dependent beauty within the ritual context. For the patient, every aspect of the performance is deeply connected to the healing process, further emphasizing its purposive aesthetic nature.
One can distinguish between the objective (material) and subjective (mental) dimensions in environmental staging. Subjective staging, mental or emotional preparation, does not seem to generate an aesthetic experience for the audience or the patient. However, objective staging creates a visually stunning environment with its elaborate use of colorful embroidered fabrics, intricately decorated silver or copper vessels, vibrant ceremonial spreads laden with local foods and fruits, aromatic wooden instruments, and gold or silver inlaid bamboo sticks. This carefully selected setting enhances the ritual’s therapeutic efficacy and provides an aesthetic experience. For the audience, the beauty of the setting constitutes free beauty—subjective purposiveness without a specific goal. For the patient, however, it remains dependent on beauty, closely tied to the healing purpose of the ritual.
In conclusion, according to Kantian aesthetics, only the musical and environmental aspects of the Zār ritual, as perceived by the audience, embody free beauty, characterized by subjective purposiveness without an external aim. From the audience’s perspective, dance does not meet the beauty criteria. Conversely, from the patient’s viewpoint, all aesthetic elements of the Zār ritual, such as dance, music, chants, performance, and staging, represent dependent beauty— as they collectively contribute toward the therapeutic goal. This duality underscores the richness and complexity of the Zār ritual as both a healing practice and an aesthetic phenomenon.
کلیدواژهها English
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