The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ethnography, Religion, Cultural Studies, Indigenous, [Non-Fiction], Academic, Occult, Anthropology, Reference
ISBN: 9781003438762
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2024-07-16T00:00:00+00:00

Figure 7.4 Sage bundles are medicine for many North American Indigenous peoples.

Source: Wikimedia

The thousands of available medicines can be placed in a series of categories based on their purposes. There are those that control nature, such as rain; one is used to delay sunset so that the person will have time to reach home before dark, and many medicines are associated with horticulture and hunting. For example, medicines can be used to direct the flight of a spear or an arrow into the prey and to protect the hunter from dangerous animals. Other medicines are directed to humans: craftsmen, such as blacksmiths, have their own magic to aid in their tasks, and some medicines are used against witches and sorcerers. Magic is also used to bring about success in love, guarantee a safe journey, or to avenge murder, theft, and adultery. Finally, diseases are cured by using specific medicines.

There are several ways in which the medicine can be used. For example, plant material may be burned and, using oils, made into a paste that can be rubbed into incisions made on the face or torso, or the medicine may be made into an infusion to drink. A man may make a whistle out of a particular variety of wood and keep this whistle tied around his waist. He blows it in the morning soon after waking up as a protection against misfortune. This very simple type of ritual is very common. Some key rituals may be performed privately so that an enemy will not know that they are being performed and use other magic to interfere with the intended effects of the ritual. In some cases, a man might not want others to know that he owns a particular medicine because he does not want to be pestered by people to perform the magic for them.

Zande magic rites are not very formal and standardized, nor are they usually public. Although there are some public rituals, such as war magic performed by a chief, most magic is performed by a single individual for their immediate need, and the order of their performance will vary.

The magic rites are usually quite simple and involve manipulating the medicine and reciting a spell to the medicine to tell it what needs to be done. Unlike magical spells in other societies, the Azande power does not reside in the spell itself but in the medicine. The spell serves simply as a way of waking up the power and giving it clear instructions. If the medicine is handled correctly and the instructions are clear, the magic will work. Another requirement is the observation of a number of tabus. Commonly, they include abstention from sexual activity and the avoidance of certain foods. If the tabu is not observed, the magic will fail.

Whether or not a particular medicine is good or bad often depends on context. For example, magic that is worked to kill someone out of spite is bad. It is often worked in secret at night. If a person who works bad magic is discovered, he or she will be killed.

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