Overview

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why did the granary collapse on my brother and not yours? Science says “termites” or “chance.” Witchcraft says “malice.” E.E. Evans-Pritchard’s study of the Azande people (1937) showed that witchcraft is a rational way to explain the coincidence of misfortune. It answers the “Why me?” question.

Core Idea

The core idea is Social Tension. Witchcraft accusations rarely happen between strangers. They happen between neighbors, co-wives, or rivals. When you get sick, you ask: “Who hates me?” The accusation brings hidden social conflicts into the open so they can be resolved.

Formal Definition

The use of psychic power (often innate and inherited) to cause harm. Distinguished from Sorcery, which involves the use of spells, medicines, and rituals. (A witch is evil; a sorcerer does evil things).

Intuition

Imagine you trip and break your leg.

  • Physics: “Gravity + weak bone = break.”
  • Witchcraft: “I know gravity made me fall. But why did I fall today? Why here? It must be because my neighbor is jealous of my new car and ‘witched’ me.” It provides a social cause for a physical event.

Examples

  • The Azande: They believe witchcraft is a physical substance (mangu) in the belly. A witch might not even know they are a witch. If they get angry, the mangu flies out and hurts someone. The solution is to perform an oracle (poison a chicken) to find the witch, then ask them to cool down.
  • Salem Witch Trials: A case where social tension (land disputes, religious anxiety) in a small community exploded into mass hysteria and accusations.
  • Modern Africa: In some cities, “witchcraft” is used to explain the inequality of capitalism. If someone gets rich overnight, people suspect they used “zombie” workers or occult means.

Common Misconceptions

  • It’s fake: To the believer, it is as real as a virus. It causes real fear and real death.
  • It’s devil worship: This is a Christian projection. In most traditional societies, witchcraft has nothing to do with Satan; it is just a part of human nature (jealousy weaponized).
  • The Evil Eye: A widespread belief (Mediterranean, Middle East) that a gaze of envy can cause harm. It is a mild form of witchcraft.
  • Scapegoating: Blaming a vulnerable person (often an older woman) for the problems of the community.
  • Functionalism: Witchcraft functions as a “leveling mechanism.” It stops people from hoarding wealth, because if you get too rich, people will think you are a witch.

Applications

  • Law: In some countries, courts have to deal with people who kill “witches” in self-defense. How does a secular law deal with a magical crime?
  • Health: Understanding that a patient might believe their AIDS is caused by witchcraft, not just a virus, changes how you treat them.

Criticism / Limitations

  • Rationality Debate: Can we say witchcraft is “rational”? Yes, it is internally consistent. But it is empirically false. This tension (between respecting the culture and acknowledging reality) is a key debate in anthropology.
  • Gender: Witchcraft accusations are overwhelmingly directed at women, serving as a tool of patriarchal control.

Further Reading

  • Evans-Pritchard, E.E. Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic among the Azande. 1937. (The masterpiece of the genre).
  • Geschiere, Peter. The Modernity of Witchcraft. 1997.
  • Favret-Saada, Jeanne. Deadly Words: Witchcraft in the Bocage. 1980.