Evans-Pritchard - WitchcraftOracles & Magic - Chs 1&2
Page 1: Introduction to Azande Witchcraft
Key Concepts
Witchcraft as Organic and Hereditary:
Azande people believe witchcraft is an inherent quality that allows some individuals to cause harm.
A witch does not perform rites or use medicines; witchcraft is seen as a psychic act.
Distinction Between Witches and Sorcerers:
Witches are thought to have innate abilities, while sorcerers actively perform magic rites with potions or medicines.
Diviners and oracles are employed to combat both witches and sorcerers.
Role of Beliefs and Practices:
Understanding witchcraft is vital to comprehend other Azande beliefs.
Consulting oracles and diviners typically revolves around witch-related inquiries.
Cultural Authority:
Every Azande person possesses knowledge about witchcraft, and it's openly discussed in social contexts.
Observations made by outsiders reveal the everyday significance of witchcraft in Azande life.
Witchcraft Substance
Physical Attributes:
Witches are believed to possess a physical 'witchcraft substance' that varies in description across individuals.
It is humorously referred to as an ugly physical trait, often associated with bizarre physical descriptions by the Azande.
Observational Insights
Author finds the Azande's beliefs in witchcraft pervasive and vivid, frequently encountered throughout daily social interactions.
Page 2: The Nature of Witchcraft Substance
Description and Location
Attributes of Witchcraft Substance:
Generally described as an oval, dark mass located near the liver or in the small intestine.
Cultural Context:
Witchcraft is considered inherited, with male witches passing their abilities to sons and female witches to their daughters.
Solidifies the notion of inherited traits and the significance of lineage in Azande society.
Psychical Heredity
Duality of Souls:
Azande believe in two types of souls: body-soul and spirit-soul, linking witchcraft abilities and inheritance intricately with gender implications.
Witchcraft Denial:
Sons of witches are occasionally viewed as unthreatening if their witchcraft does not manifest.
Page 3: Dynamics of Witchcraft and Revenge
Social Interactions
Collective Responsibility vs Individual Trait:
Though witchcraft is hereditary, social practices dictate that only immediate kin are held responsible.
Avenging Deaths:
Witchcraft as a motive for vengeance; death caused by witchcraft must be avenged.
Historically, witches were often executed for severe offenses, leading to a cycle of revenge within communities.
Limitations of Beliefs
Denying Kinship:
When facing claims of witchcraft, kin may distance themselves from accused members by claiming illegitimacy.
Cultural Reassurance:
Autopsies may confirm or refute witchcraft involvement, highlighting cultural practices surrounding witchcraft.
Page 4: Witchcraft as a Cause of Illness and Death
Perceptions of Witchcraft
Evolution and Resistance:
Recognition of witchcraft's role in illness and its connection to death necessitates vengeance or compensation claims.
Silencing Vengeance:
Society carefully circumscribes discussions about deaths resulting from witchcraft, protecting the sanctity of community ties.
Autopsies and Witchcraft Verification
Ritual Practices:
Discusses the ritualistic openness of revealing witchcraft through autopsy, reflecting societal values.
Page 5: Interaction of Witchcraft with Aging
Connection Between Age and Power
Emphasis on Older Individuals:
Older individuals are viewed with suspicion as their powers potentially become more potent.
Childhood Innocence:
Children generally lack accusations of witchcraft given their limited experiences in malevolent social interactions.
Witchery in Social Context
Interrelations of Relationships:
The dynamics of witchcraft in Azande society imply men generally bewitched by men, while women by their own gender, denoting gender norms.
Page 6: Prince and Witchcraft Dynamics
Noble Class Interactions
Exemption of Nobility from Accusations:
Royal family members are usually immune from witchcraft accusations, safeguarding their community status.
Social Hierarchical Implications:
Examines how status influences vulnerability and accusations about witchcraft among the Azande.
Page 7: Mechanism of Witchcraft
The Soul of Witchcraft
Psychic Interactions:
The conceptualization of the witchcraft soul engaging in astral moves emphasizes personal agency.
Visibility and Detection:
The illumination from the witchcraft soul illustrates the distinctions in perception between witches and their victims.
Observational Anecdotes
Narration Around Witchcraft Events:
Details the author's personal experience witnessing supposed witchcraft activity, reinforcing the reality of witchcraft in Zande society.
Page 8: Nature and Time of Witchcraft Action
Temporal Dynamics of Witchcraft
Slow Infliction of Illness:
Illnesses resulting from witchcraft unfold gradually, stressing the complexity in understanding maladies in context.
Group Dynamics:
United action among witches illustrates societal structures and cooperative malevolence in Zande culture.
Conclusion About Witchcraft Actions
Consolidation of Understandings:
Leaves an impression on how belief systems can be interpreted against societal functionality, amplifying notions of kin allegiance and vengeance.
Page 9: Witchcraft's Mystical Dimension
Emanation from the Witch
Localizing of Actions:
Witchcraft's impact necessitates conscious intention and spatial limitations, portraying a controlled cultural response.
Underlying Beliefs
Nature of Witchcraft:
Explains collective beliefs on witchcraft acting specifically within defined proximities.
Page 10: Witchcraft as an Explanatory Framework
Cultural Implications of Witchcraft
Dual Social Functions:
Witchcraft serves as both a social norm and moral guideline among Azande, affecting various aspects from agriculture to interpersonal relationships.
Delves into how witchcraft mediates social interactions in misfortune contexts.
Page 11: Cultural Influence of Witchcraft
Examples of Misfortunes
Application of Witchcraft Beliefs:
Illustrates varied instances where daily mishaps are intrinsically attributed to witchcraft rather than rational causes.
Asserts the notable blend of their experiences with universal recognition of unfortunate events.
Page 12: Understanding Witchcraft From Experience
Common-Sense and Conflicting Beliefs
Practical Insight:
Explains how the Azande navigate complex interactions of competence, magic, and ordinary occurrences in everyday life.
Page 13: Reality of Witchcraft in Context
Commentary on Witchcraft Existence
Perceptions of Causation:
Describes societal perceptions that react to modern notions of causality in juxtaposition with traditional beliefs.
Page 14: Plurality of Causation in Witchcraft
Cultural Rationalization
Second Spear Metaphor:
Witchcraft is viewed as an additional cause for failures represented as a second spear, providing insight into cultural values around causation.
Page 15: Constraints of Witchcraft at Legal and Moral Levels
Tensions Between Systems
Legal Implications:
Explains the boundaries placed on invoking witchcraft in legal matters, mirroring sentiments towards justice and moral accountability.
Page 16: Witchcraft as Part of Everyday Life
Balancing Different Beliefs
Human Agency and Natural Realities:
Affirmative stance that witchcraft doesn't negate natural causation but supplements Azande's understanding of their environment.
Page 17: Insights Into Zande Philosophy
Interface Between Witchcraft and Nature
Cognitive Limits in Describing Witchcraft:
Suggests that the Azande's perception and cultural handling of witchcraft is inherently experiential rather than abstract.