Suffering Bodies, Relieved Souls

Abstract

Laṭmiyeh is a commemorative Shia women ritual, which is practiced by Iranian-Arab-Shia women from the southwestern- Iranian province of Khuzestan. This mourning ritual is combined with metrical singing, body movements and self-flagellation. Despite its sad lyrics and context, laṭmiyeh has an energetic sound atmosphere, one that resembles joyful celebrations from the region. Powerful flagellations in this vocal performance replace percussion and strengthen the rhythmic ambience of the songs, even though they are unpleasant and painful acts for their practitioners. This article investigates the sonic elements and the body role in laṭmiyeh in the twenty-first century Khorramshahr, Iran.