Prague photographer filmed an exorcism ceremony in Ethiopia

Prague photographer David Tesinsky went to Ethiopia to shoot the exorcism ceremony. To do this, he had to get up at 4 a.m. for several days and go to church in the hope that the right "client" would be there, who would also allow himself to be photographed.

Czech photographer David Tesinski travels the world and makes reports about the life of representatives of various subcultures, telling about simple stories of the inhabitants of the planet. He has spent the last seven years traveling in Asia, Europe, America and Africa.

To film the ceremony, he had to get up at 4 a.m. for several days and go to church in the hope that the right "client" would be there, who would also allow himself to be photographed.

After a few weeks of his stay in Ethiopia, he found a town near Addis Ababa, where a mass exorcism ceremony was held.

According to the Ethiopian myth, Eve tried to hide her children from God. Some were forgiven and remained human, others were turned into animals, and the rest were punished and became servants of the devil. The descendants of the latter group are known as "Buda".

Crowds of people gather near the main church. Exorcism rites are usually performed on Sunday morning, before the start of the main liturgical service for all parishioners.

About 150 people came to the ceremony, who were waiting for their turn to get to the priest Memehir.

Many believe that holy water cures various diseases, including HIV and cancer.

These rituals are attended by all age groups. Their popularity is growing, partly due to the frequent publications about them in the media and in The Internet.

Exorcism rituals may be associated with tribal religions that preceded the spread of Christianity in Ethiopia.

In the 18th century, the Zar cult gradually spread from Ethiopia throughout Eastern and Northeastern Africa, emerging from the fusion of Islam and various local beliefs. Zar is almost entirely built on one obsession or another, voluntary or not.

Priest Memehir charges at least one hundred dollars for an exorcism session, although for many people this money is the amount they earn for a whole month.

Memehir was kicked out of all the churches because he earns more money than the church itself.