Exam 3 Notes: Witchcraft, Religion, Myths, Taboos, and the Internet

Flashcards about Witchcraft, Religion, Myths, Taboos, and the Internet.

What did the Catholic Church associate black magic and witchcraft with?

Satan

In the Salem witch trials, how were witches killed?

Hanged

What is WICCA?

A new age movement involving supernatural crystals and manifestation

According to the traditional anthropological definition, what is witchcraft?

The belief that some people can harm others by mystical means

What is E.E. Evans-Pritchard known for in relation to witchcraft?

Challenging common notions of witchcraft and sorcery

What is the Azande term for witchcraft?

Mangu

According to the Azande, how is 'mangu' acquired?

It is an innate, psychic power inherited from parents

What triggers 'mangu' according to the Azande?

Negative thoughts and emotions like jealousy or resentment

How accurate did the Azande believe the poison oracle (benge) was?

The most accurate method for determining answers

What kind of questions could the Azande ask the poison oracle?

Yes/No questions

Whom did the Azande consider the most dangerous people?

The people closest to them

How is witchcraft belief used as 'social control'?

By accusing those who deviate from social norms

According to the lecture notes, what does 'religare' mean?

To bind

According to Anthony Wallace, what does religion concern?

Beliefs & rituals concerned with supernatural beings, powers, and forces

What is monotheism?

Belief in one God

What is polytheism?

Belief in multiple gods

What is hendotheism?

Devotion to a particular deity without denying other related forms of divinity

In Chinese tradition, who is the Jade Emperor?

The creator and ruler of heaven

What is 'ling' in Longyan, China?

Divine efficacy, how much people benefit from gods' blessings

What is Karma?

The idea that our actions in past lives have consequences in our future lives

What is Emile Durkheim's view on religion?

Religion exists because it has a function

According to Durkheim, what distinction does religion maintain?

The Sacred vs the Profane

What is animism?

The belief in spirits associated with animals and other natural phenomena

What is a totem?

A spirit being, represented in nature, that serves as an emblem for a social group

According to the lecture notes, is being spiritual equal to being religious?

No

What are rituals?

Events in which symbols are often used and some sort of preparation is involved

What are the three stages of Rites of Passage?

Separation, Liminality, Incorporation

Who coined the term 'rites of passage'?

Arnold van Gennep

What does 'liminal' mean?

Relating to a transitional stage of a process

Who studied ritual liminality?

Victor Turner

What is 'communitas'?

Feelings of intense solidarity and equality among ritual actors

What is the Hajj?

A pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia

In Islam, what is the sacred, liminal state pilgrims enter called?

Ihram

What is magic?

The use of certain actions or objects to compel a desired outcome, where the methods include a supernatural or nonrational dimension.

Where did Malinowski study the magic of the Trobrianders?

Trobriand Islands (Melanesia, South Pacific)

What is 'Kaygu' in the Trobriand Islands?

Magic of the Mist - protects sailors from hidden threats

How did Captain James Cook die?

He was killed by natives in Hawaii when he tried to take their King hostage.

What god was Captain James Cook associated with?

Lono, the god of fertility

Who is Marshall Sahlins?

An anthropologist who believed Cook's death was part of the mythical cycle

Who is Gananath Obeyseskere?

He believed it was wrong to think natives thought Europeans were gods, stating that natives would not have mistaken Cook for a god.

What is a myth?

Traditional, sacred stories about primordial events

Who are the Mapuche people?

Largest indigenous group in Chile, known for political activism and indigenous rights

Who are the Kai-Kai and Trengtreng serpents?

Serpents of the sea and earth, locked in an eternal battle

What is it called when Mapuche recognize cosmic themes and principles recurring in time?

Mythohistory/ Shamanic Historical Consciousness

What is a shaman?

A ritual specialist who interacts with spirit beings and magical forces on behalf of ordinary people

What is structuralism?

A theory that cultural forms and behaviors reflect an essential human tendency to perceive/represent reality based on structural patterns

Who is Mary Douglas?

She was interested in religious and prohibitions surrounding bodily functions

According to Mary Douglas, what is 'dirt'?

Matter out of place

What is Neoliberalism?

An economic philosophy that privileges 'free-market' capitalism.

What does Ilana Gershon mean by “the Neoliberal self”?

The idea that social media pushes us to think of ourselves as products