ANTHROP 2R03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Mound-Building Termites, Witch Doctor, Granary
15 Nov 2013
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Mangu: physical substances witches allegedly have in them. Used to do autopies in the abdomen to find mangu : grows in the abdomen of witches, unbeknownst to them. Oval, blackish swelling attached to end of liver: causes witches to roam at night and feed on victims" internal organs. The witchcraft essence travels at night, not the physical body of the witch itself. Eventually victim depleted of energy and dies. May not be aware of the harm that they do. Bewitchment: one of the central notions of zande witchcraft is that bewitchment occurs when people are in close physical proximity to one another. British settlements put the zande in more densely populated settlements than their previous homesteads. Closer proximity = more likely for witchcraft to happen. Led to an increased reliance on witch doctors and oracles: witch doctors. Ritual specialists who heal those who are bewitched: oracles.
