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Lola the Abyssinian
The name Lola evokes feminine beauty and is derived from the Amharic word ‘ሎላ,’ meaning ‘flower’ or ‘beautiful girl.’
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The name Lola evokes feminine beauty and is derived from the Amharic word ‘ሎላ,’ meaning ‘flower’ or ‘beautiful girl.’ However, the same name is transformed into a tragic embodiment of repressed femininity and volatile passion when it is used during the Zār ritual. According to local folktales, Lola is a tragic spirit that is both seductive and vengeful. She reflects society’s contradicting view of strong women as a threat that must be tamed through rituals.
In Ethiopia: The Angry Princess
Folk tales describe Lola as an Abyssinian princess from the ancient kingdom of Damot in western Ethiopia, who was endowed with supernatural powers through which she could command nature. However, when Lola died as a result of a treacherous murder committed by a secret lover or a jealous spirit, she was transformed into a raging being that wrought disease and madness.
In another tale, Lola was an Ethiopian noblewoman taken captive and brought to Sudan, where she became a symbol for the struggle between mortals and spirits. She also shares the traits of protection and retribution with the Ethiopian legend of Adbar, the female spirit and guardian of forests. In 2017, a manuscript that was discovered in Ethiopia’s Tigray region written in the Ge‘ez language, talks of ‘rituals for summoning feminine spirits,’ although it does not explicitly mention Lola by name.
In Eritrea: A Symbol of Resistance
In Eritrea’s Hamasien region, the story is told of Lola, a woman from the Bilen tribe who was torn from her homeland and cast into exile in Sudan during at the time of the slave trade. Her spirit thus became a symbol of resistance against enslavement, appearing in the dreams of the displaced, calling them homeward to the land of their ancestors.
In Sudan: The Enigmatic Stranger
In the Nubian context, the word Lola means ‘girl’ but it also evokes the idea of an ‘outsider’ who possesses hidden powers. She reflects the complex entanglement of fear and the lure of the mysterious unknown which African peoples believe in. Lola the Abyssinian is classified among the spirits of Punt, in southern Ethiopia. In a 2015 study, Mohamed Omar Bashir points out that nearly 20 percent of Zār spirits in Sudan can be traced back to Ethiopia or Eritrea such as the exotic Zār themes that emulate journeys taken by Menelik, the King of Abyssinia and Princess Lola the Abyssinian. On these ritual journeys cigarettes and whiskey are on offer and women taking part dress in full male attire including brand new suits, leather shoes and a hat or crown. During the ceremony those who follow the journey of Lola the Abyssinian can also wear the traditional Ethiopian women’s attire, the zuria, and style their hair in an Ethiopian fashion. The women dance with such vigorous intensity that they lose consciousness and do not awaken until the demands of the royal Ethiopian spirits who have taken over their bodies are met.
Lola’s spirit is summoned in Zār ceremonies through distinctive rituals. She appears dressed in red and speaks in an Ethiopian accent, requesting ritual offerings such as Ethiopian coffee bunna, or embellished fabrics.
Fertility Offerings
In the Ethiopian city of Gondar, red sorghum is offered to Lola as a symbol of fertility during the ‘Rain Songs’ rituals. According to the Eritrean Heritage Organization (2020), maritime symbols such as seashells are offered to Lola in the country’s Gash-Baraka region. Another suggestion is made by Dr. Ahmed Zakaria of Addis Ababa University who states that Lola may be a spirit woven from the threads of cultural exchange between Abyssinia and Egypt. Meanwhile, Dr. Mona Abdel-Fattah interprets Lola as the ‘dark ego’ of society – a manifestation of the collective subconsciousness onto which women project their forbidden desires. Lola here becomes a screen for this projection. For women burdened by heavy social constraints, she embodies a figure that is beautiful, powerful, demanding and liberated. Through her, they channel their suppressed longings for authority, beauty and rebellion. Lola thus becomes the dark shadow of society, taking on all that is at once desired and forbidden.
Memories of Enslavement
The legend may be an expression of a repressed memory, echoes of a history marked by slavery and racial discrimination, inspired by tales of Abyssinian concubines who, over time, were transformed into symbolic figures within the collective imagination.
Zār: A Shared Origin Across Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia
The Ethiopian narrative, supported by scholars such as Germa Tadesse of Ardhi University, traces the word Zār to the Kushite god Djar, once worshipped by groups that migrated from southern Egypt to Ethiopia. After the spread of Christianity, this practice was driven underground, evolving into clandestine ritual dances. Meanwhile the Egyptian and Sudanese narratives suggest that Zār is a pagan ritual that migrated northward from Ethiopia, though it lacks the historical support found in Ethiopian accounts.
Lola in the arts
In the 1975 poem “Lola’s Call,” poet Tesfaye Ghebrey portrays the spirit as a symbol of lost freedom: “O Abyssinian veiled in mystery, Are you a flame or a shadow? Or a mirror we break to avoid seeing our reflection?” Meanwhile, the 1982 film “Lola: Spirit of the Highlands”, directed by Haile Gerima, portrays her as a rebel leader rising up against the feudal system. In her 2019 painting ‘Zār: Dancing with the Devil,’ artist Julie Mehretu depicts Lola as a naked woman engulfed by flames, a metaphor for purification through suffering. Furthermore, Eritrean youth groups have used Lola in women’s rights campaigns under the slogan ‘Lola does not wait for offerings.’
Lola is therefore not merely a vengeful spirit. She is a mirror reflecting the contradictions of societies and their dark histories. She is both victim and avenger, stranger and insider; the embodiment of humankind’s struggle with its memory and its fate.
Cover picture generated using Ai by the author of the article
References
- Zakaria, A., Addis Ababa University. Unpublished commentary on Lola and cultural exchange.
- Abdel-Fattah, M. (2018). Zār and the Collective Unconscious. [Study].
- Bashir, M.O. (2015). Ethnographic Study on Zār Spirits in Sudan.
- Eritrean Heritage Organisation. (2020). Cultural Symbols in Gash-Barka Rituals.
- Anonymous. (2017). Ge’ez Manuscript on Feminine Spirit Rituals. Discovered in Tigray, Ethiopia.
- Oral traditions from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan. Collected narratives and folk accounts.
The name Lola evokes feminine beauty and is derived from the Amharic word ‘ሎላ,’ meaning ‘flower’ or ‘beautiful girl.’ However, the same name is transformed into a tragic embodiment of repressed femininity and volatile passion when it is used during the Zār ritual. According to local folktales, Lola is a tragic spirit that is both seductive and vengeful. She reflects society’s contradicting view of strong women as a threat that must be tamed through rituals.
In Ethiopia: The Angry Princess
Folk tales describe Lola as an Abyssinian princess from the ancient kingdom of Damot in western Ethiopia, who was endowed with supernatural powers through which she could command nature. However, when Lola died as a result of a treacherous murder committed by a secret lover or a jealous spirit, she was transformed into a raging being that wrought disease and madness.
In another tale, Lola was an Ethiopian noblewoman taken captive and brought to Sudan, where she became a symbol for the struggle between mortals and spirits. She also shares the traits of protection and retribution with the Ethiopian legend of Adbar, the female spirit and guardian of forests. In 2017, a manuscript that was discovered in Ethiopia’s Tigray region written in the Ge‘ez language, talks of ‘rituals for summoning feminine spirits,’ although it does not explicitly mention Lola by name.
In Eritrea: A Symbol of Resistance
In Eritrea’s Hamasien region, the story is told of Lola, a woman from the Bilen tribe who was torn from her homeland and cast into exile in Sudan during at the time of the slave trade. Her spirit thus became a symbol of resistance against enslavement, appearing in the dreams of the displaced, calling them homeward to the land of their ancestors.
In Sudan: The Enigmatic Stranger
In the Nubian context, the word Lola means ‘girl’ but it also evokes the idea of an ‘outsider’ who possesses hidden powers. She reflects the complex entanglement of fear and the lure of the mysterious unknown which African peoples believe in. Lola the Abyssinian is classified among the spirits of Punt, in southern Ethiopia. In a 2015 study, Mohamed Omar Bashir points out that nearly 20 percent of Zār spirits in Sudan can be traced back to Ethiopia or Eritrea such as the exotic Zār themes that emulate journeys taken by Menelik, the King of Abyssinia and Princess Lola the Abyssinian. On these ritual journeys cigarettes and whiskey are on offer and women taking part dress in full male attire including brand new suits, leather shoes and a hat or crown. During the ceremony those who follow the journey of Lola the Abyssinian can also wear the traditional Ethiopian women’s attire, the zuria, and style their hair in an Ethiopian fashion. The women dance with such vigorous intensity that they lose consciousness and do not awaken until the demands of the royal Ethiopian spirits who have taken over their bodies are met.
Lola’s spirit is summoned in Zār ceremonies through distinctive rituals. She appears dressed in red and speaks in an Ethiopian accent, requesting ritual offerings such as Ethiopian coffee bunna, or embellished fabrics.
Fertility Offerings
In the Ethiopian city of Gondar, red sorghum is offered to Lola as a symbol of fertility during the ‘Rain Songs’ rituals. According to the Eritrean Heritage Organization (2020), maritime symbols such as seashells are offered to Lola in the country’s Gash-Baraka region. Another suggestion is made by Dr. Ahmed Zakaria of Addis Ababa University who states that Lola may be a spirit woven from the threads of cultural exchange between Abyssinia and Egypt. Meanwhile, Dr. Mona Abdel-Fattah interprets Lola as the ‘dark ego’ of society – a manifestation of the collective subconsciousness onto which women project their forbidden desires. Lola here becomes a screen for this projection. For women burdened by heavy social constraints, she embodies a figure that is beautiful, powerful, demanding and liberated. Through her, they channel their suppressed longings for authority, beauty and rebellion. Lola thus becomes the dark shadow of society, taking on all that is at once desired and forbidden.
Memories of Enslavement
The legend may be an expression of a repressed memory, echoes of a history marked by slavery and racial discrimination, inspired by tales of Abyssinian concubines who, over time, were transformed into symbolic figures within the collective imagination.
Zār: A Shared Origin Across Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia
The Ethiopian narrative, supported by scholars such as Germa Tadesse of Ardhi University, traces the word Zār to the Kushite god Djar, once worshipped by groups that migrated from southern Egypt to Ethiopia. After the spread of Christianity, this practice was driven underground, evolving into clandestine ritual dances. Meanwhile the Egyptian and Sudanese narratives suggest that Zār is a pagan ritual that migrated northward from Ethiopia, though it lacks the historical support found in Ethiopian accounts.
Lola in the arts
In the 1975 poem “Lola’s Call,” poet Tesfaye Ghebrey portrays the spirit as a symbol of lost freedom: “O Abyssinian veiled in mystery, Are you a flame or a shadow? Or a mirror we break to avoid seeing our reflection?” Meanwhile, the 1982 film “Lola: Spirit of the Highlands”, directed by Haile Gerima, portrays her as a rebel leader rising up against the feudal system. In her 2019 painting ‘Zār: Dancing with the Devil,’ artist Julie Mehretu depicts Lola as a naked woman engulfed by flames, a metaphor for purification through suffering. Furthermore, Eritrean youth groups have used Lola in women’s rights campaigns under the slogan ‘Lola does not wait for offerings.’
Lola is therefore not merely a vengeful spirit. She is a mirror reflecting the contradictions of societies and their dark histories. She is both victim and avenger, stranger and insider; the embodiment of humankind’s struggle with its memory and its fate.
Cover picture generated using Ai by the author of the article
References
- Zakaria, A., Addis Ababa University. Unpublished commentary on Lola and cultural exchange.
- Abdel-Fattah, M. (2018). Zār and the Collective Unconscious. [Study].
- Bashir, M.O. (2015). Ethnographic Study on Zār Spirits in Sudan.
- Eritrean Heritage Organisation. (2020). Cultural Symbols in Gash-Barka Rituals.
- Anonymous. (2017). Ge’ez Manuscript on Feminine Spirit Rituals. Discovered in Tigray, Ethiopia.
- Oral traditions from Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan. Collected narratives and folk accounts.
