WitchcraftChapter 10

Introduction Generally, witches are thought of as doing

evil But this is not true. Witchcraft can be

good or bad Remember, sorcery uses items and is evil

and witchcraft uses psychic power and can be good or evil

Introduction Witchcraft accusation reflects social

tensions It has also been connected to the idea

of heresy

Witchcraft in Small-Scale Societies Witchcraft is found around the world,

but very commonly in small-scale, rural societies

In these societies witchcraft is evil and is explains unfortunate events

Witchcraft in Small-Scale Societies Witches are the opposite of a moral

person: Cannibalism, incest, human sacrifice, Hatred, lust, greed, jealousy

Accused witches are those who do not follow social rules or norms

Azande Witchcraft Live in DRC Witchcraft is a common occurrence They call it mangu and it is a physical

substance that can be passed down to child of same sex (momdaughter and dadson)

A person can have mangu and not act on it, or they can have it and not know they are performing witchcraft

Azande Mangu is psychic and leaves the witch

at night during sleep to enter a victim’s body

Witchcraft is how the Azande explain unfortunate events

Azande Example Accusations are based upon social

tensions For example, in a polygynous marriage,

if the 1st wife becomes sick, the 2nd wife may be accused of witchcraft

The husband would use the oracles (chapter 7) to accuse her Rubbing-board Chicken poison

Azande Example When using an oracle to see if someone

is a witch, the person singled out usually has antisocial behavior They have 50/50 chance of being found

guilty

Azande Example The person can claim she did not know

she had mangu, and she can perform a ritual to get rid of it

Witchcraft accusations promote social reform and social control

Azande Beliefs Witchcraft explains events Westerners

would call “bad luck” Example: if the granary falls, it is not

due to termites; the people underneath it had witchcraft against them

No such thing as coincidence in Azande culture

Azande Beliefs However, witchcraft does not excuse

incompetence, lack of skill, bad behavior, or adultery

These are seen as things the person could control or change

Witchcraft and AIDS Sorcery and witchcraft help explain

health and disease in many cultures with no modern medical knowledge

In Haiti, they call HIV sida and believed that jealousy caused a rival to pay a Vodou priest to inflict this disease

Witchcraft helped them explain a complex disease they had never seen before

Euro-American Witchcraft Also sees witches as

evil, but has been influenced by Christian ideas about evil

It is hard to explain why bad things happen when there is an all-powerful, benevolent God

The answer is Satan, and his demons

Paganism Witchcraft and sorcery became

entangled with invoking spirits In addition to being antisocial, witchcraft

is also seen as an act hostile to God The only magic performed should be by

Jesus, so others doing magic are committing heresy

Catholic Church and Heresy The Catholic Church

took on heresy with severe punishments

Burning was a common one, as was torture

Inquisitions involved bishops actively looking for heretics (specifically witches) and torturing them to confession

Witchcraze: Europe Middle Ages Both men and women accused of

making a pact with the Devil (but women more common)

Accusations included orgies, sacrificing infants, cannibalism, and desecrating holy objects like the crucifix

Lasted around 200 years

Witchcraze: Europe Was aided by the printing press Malleus Maleficarum, or Hammer

Against Witches, was published in 1458 by the Catholic Church and explained ways to identify witches Can change shapes, fly, make magical

potions Torture was used to get confessions Lasted until the 1700s

Witchcraze: England No Inquisition, no Malleus Maleficarum Was focused on witches harming

livestock, causing diseases, and hurting children

1500-1600s English Civil War brought about anxiety

and social unrest, which spurred witchcraze

Witchcraze: US 1600s Salem Began with two girls accusing women of

being witches after a physician suggested they may be under a spell

Girls had convulsions, hallucinations 19 people were executed and more than

100 jailed

Witchcraze: US The entire thing could have been a

prank Or they could have been acting under

the power of suggestion Or they could have had ergot poisoning

(bacteria on grain) Those accused were on the fringes of

society

Witchcraze: US

Witchcraze: US Witches are immoral and outcasts of

society Witchcraze helped define rules of

Christianity and make the community more cohesive

Scapegoats also help fulfill the need to blame someone for misfortunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzMhU_4m-g

Women as Witches While both males and females were

tried and executed as witches, the Witchcraze focused more on women

One reason is the cultural belief (Malleus Maleficarum) that said women were stupider, weaker, and more superstitious than men

Women were also more sensual and would more easily succumb to the Devil’s advances

Women as Witches Additionally, the

Plague wiped out more men than women, leaving many women living alone, which put them in a weaker social position

Midwives were commonly targeted and blamed if an infant died, was deformed, or was ill

Satanism There is a difference between people

labeled as worshipping Satan and those who label themselves as such

Most do not see Satan as evil or as a fallen angel

Most do not believe in the concept of hell

Satanism In contrast to Judeo-Christian beliefs

that make people suppress their feelings, Satanism focuses on hedonism and says that each person is responsible for his or her own life

“Sins” are stupidity and conformity Rituals involve sex magic, healing, and

destruction (for enemies)

ICA Watch the video on Salem and complete

the worksheet

Your HW is on website (“Searching for the Truth: The Poison Oracle”

Group Presentations due next class Quiz #3 (last one) next class