Kut in Korea VS Zar in Egypt (굿과 자르)
Today I wanted to share the similarity between the Kut ritual of Korea and the Zar ritual of Egypt. Both aim to get rid of bad luck and protect people from evil spirits. Zar usually takes place in a big room; participants will often rent a house for the purpose. Similarly, Kut takes place in a Shaman's shrine or the possessed/case's home. A Zar altar (a round tray placed on a tall bench in the center of the room covered with white cloth and laden with piles of nuts and dried fruits) is important. The leader of the ritual is usually a female who has inherited the skills from her mother. She is titled "Kodia" and plays a vital role in the ritual performance and the contacting of Jinn. Men can contribute to the ritual by playing music, just like in Kut. The possessed woman/case in Zar wears a white jalabiya – and this may be a point of difference, as I don't know whether in Kut the subject should wear white or not. The musical instruments used during Zar are the T