Witchcraft Confessions and Accusations

412 Pages·2013·17.48 MB·English

by  Douglas

Routledge Libr?7rY Editions
WITCHCRAFT CONFESSIONS
AND ACCUSATIONS
ANTHROPOLOGY AND ETHNOGRAPHY
Routledge Library Editions
Anthropology and Ethnography
WITCHCRAFT, FOLKLORE AND MYTHOLOGY
In 6 Volumes
I Japanese Rainmaking BOWlldJ
II Witchcraft Confessions and Accusations DougldJ
III The Life-Giving Myth /locdrt
IV The Structural Study of Myth and Totemism Ledch
V Witchcraft and Sorcery in East Africa Middleton &
Wimer
VI The Witch Figure Newdll
WITCHCRAFT CONFESSIONS
AND ACCUSATIONS
EDITED BY MARY DOUGLAS
I~ ~~~:~;n~~~up
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published in 1970
Reprinted in 2004 by
Routledge
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270 Madison Avenue, New York NY 10016
Rotltledge iJ an imprillt of the 7~tylor & FrallciJ Group
First issued in paperback 20lO
© 1970 Association of Social Anthtopologists of the
Commonwealth
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or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
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holders of the works reprinted in l?olltledp,e Library Editio1lJ
Anthropology and Ethnography. This has not been possible in every case,
however, and we would welcome correspondence from those
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BritiJh Library Cataloglling ill PubliCcltion Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Witchcraft Confessions and Accusations
ISBN 13: 978-0-415-33070-1 (hbk)
ISBN 13: 978-0-415-61161-9 (pbk)
Miniset: Witchcraft:, Folklore and Mythology
Series: Routledge Library Ed itions - Anthropology and Ethnography
WITCHCRAFT
CONFESSIONS & ACCUSATIONS
Edited by Mary Douglas
TAVISTOCK PUBLICATIONS
London· New York· Sydney. Toronto· Wellington
First published in 1970
by Tavistock Publications Limited
11 New Fetter Lane, London E04
This book has been set in Modern Series 7
and was printed by T. & A. Oonstable Limited,
Edinburgh
© Association of Social Anthropologists of the Oommonwealth
1970
SBN 422 73200 1
This volume derives mainly from papers presented at the annual
conference of the Association of Social Anthropologists of the
Oommonwealth on the theme of witchcraft. The conference was
held at King's Oollege, Oambridge, 3-6 April 1968, and the
Association wishes to record its gratitude to the Provost and
Fellows of King's Oollege for their hospitality on that occasion.
Distributed in the U.S.A.
by Barnes & Noble, Inc.
The papers included in this volume
are offered as a tribute to
Professor E. E. Evans-Pritchard
Founder and First President of the
Association of Social Anthropologists
Contents
page
Editor's Preface xi
MARY DOUGLAS
Introduction: Thirty Years after Witchcraft, Oracles
and Magic xiii
Part I The Context of Witchcraft in Europe
1 NORMAN COHN
The Myth of Satan and his Human Servants 3
2 PETER BROWN
Sorcery, Demons, and the Rise of Christianity from
Late Antiquity into the Middle Ages 17
3 KEITH THOMAS
The Relevance of Social Anthropology to the
Historical Study of English Witchcraft 47
4 ALAN MACFARLANE
Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart Essex 81
Part II Cleansing and Confession of Witches
5 ALISON REDMAYNE
Chikanga: An African Diviner with an International
Reputation 103
6 R. G. WILLIS
Instant Millennium: The Sociology of African Witch-
cleansing Cults 129
7 EDWIN ARDENER
Witchcraft, Economics, and the Continuity of Belief 141
8 ROBERT BRAIN
Child -witches 161
vii
Oontent8
Part III Idioms of Power
9 JULIAN PITT-RIVERS
Spiritual Power in Central America: The Naguals of
Chiapas 183
10 ESTHER GOODY
Legitimate and Illegitimate Aggression III a West
African State 207
11 PETER RIVIERE
Factions and Exclusions in Two South American
Village Systems 245
12 ANTHONY FORGE
Prestige, Influence, and Sorcery: A New Guinea
Example 257
Part IV Alternative Interpretations of Misfortune
13 GODFREY LIENHARDT
The Situation of Death: An Aspect of Anuak
Philosophy 279
14 I. M. LEWIS
A Structural Approach to Witchcraft and Spirit-
possession 293
15 BRIAN SPOONER
The Evil Eye in the Middle East 311
16 G. I. JONES
A Boundary to Accusations 321
17 MALCOLM RUEL
Were-animals and the Introverted Witch 333
18 T. o. BEIDELMAN
Towards More Open Theoretical Interpretations 351
Notes on Contributors 357
Author Index 363
Subject Index 367
viii