ANTH-2108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Clyde Kluckhohn
22 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Witchcraft & Sorcery December - lectures from 5-6.
The expression of a malign power in a person’s body, or the
use of thought and emotion to bring about a negative
end. [A power belonging to persons which are able to
kill, harm, or inflict sickness on those whom they intend
to weaken]!
The use of a magical craft or knowledge, together with some
ritual object(s) to harm or benefit others. [Destroying a
victims life-force through inflicting sickness via magical
means]
-E.E. Evans-Pritchard: Believes that Witchcraft is a means of explaining misfortunes
that are difficult to explain otherwise. They also utilize these to settle suspicions and
tensions between people. However he accounts sorcery as performances of rituals,
the uttering of spells, and the manipulation of organic substances such as herbs,
with the conscious intent of causing harm. "
-Victor Turner: Makes sense of witchcraft through framing it as a social processes that
feeds off the moral imagination of people and their search for explanations and order."
-Clyde Kluckhohn: Warns that sometimes witchcraft can be an oppressive force
which is used to serve as a channel for projecting blame and emotions of guilt,
desire and aggression. Ultimately they become a scapegoat for hostile impulses for
those under stressful conditions."
-Psychologically: To explain why bad things happen and to suggest courses of action to
restore order
-Sociologically: Accusations allow for the release of tensions in times of stress; when
people succeed other fail so witchcraft is obviously involved.
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