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Illness, therapy, and change in Ethiopian possession cults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2011

Norbert L. Vecchiato
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Résumé

Cet article examine des examples de continuité et de changement dans les phénomènes de possession par les esprits parmi les Sidamo de l'Ethiopie du Sud. Les rituels traditionnels de possession semblent perdre leur importance culturelle par suite de la popularité croissante des manifestations de possession et de guerisons par exorcisme pratiquées dans le contexte rituel de mouvements religieux indépendants. De tels mouvements ont émergé dans la région, en réponse à un phénomene étendu de conversion au christianisme et à l'islam dans les années 1950 et 60. Des exemples de guerison de possession dans les nouveaux cultes sont examinés à la lumière de la définition holistique qui prévaut en matière de santé et du rôle attribué à des agents surnaturels dans la maladie et son étiologie. En même temps qu'il souligne les points de convergence et de divergence dans la recodification des rituels, l'article met en relief leurs objectifs thérapeutiques et la focalisation sur la guériso n de ces cultes nouvellement émergés. Certains avancent que le modéle à la fois politique et fondé sur l'antagonisme des sexes qui est proposé par les “théories de la dépossession” est inadéquat à expliquer le changement des modalités de la possession par les esprits et sa persistance sur la scene africaine. Les mouvements indépendants de guérison doivent être reconnus comme un facteur important de guéŕison, là où les Africains des villes et des campagnes recherchent un soulagement à un gamine étendue de maladies organiques et mentales, de déboires personnels, et de conditions de vie stressantes.

Type
Foci for fresh powers?
Information
Africa , Volume 63 , Issue 2 , April 1993 , pp. 176 - 196
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1993

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