ANT 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Cave Painting, Animism, Polytheism
7 Jun 2020
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Document Summary
Aspect of ritual practices in the belief that supernatural powers can be compelled to act in certain ways for good or evil purposes. Non western and peasant people tend to endow their world quite freely with magical properties but same with highly educated western pl. Magical practices often are part of religious rituals. Imitative magic: like produces like . Eg. early cave art depicting animals with arrows in them has been interpreted as imitative magic in that by drawing such images they would come true. Contagious magic: magic based on the principle that beings once in contact can influence one another after separation. Eg. permanent relationship bt an ind and any part of his or her body such as hair or teeth. Western people treasuring objects that have been touched by special people. Witchcraft an explanation of events based on the belief that certain ind possess an innate psychic power capable of causing harm, including sickness and death.
