Witchcraft Among The Azande Summary

Witches and Witchcraft Among the Azande

What is true is not mention, but what is a lie is acceptable. This view is exercise by tribal communities, such as those of the Azande, in order to maintain the stability for its people. The Zande people have turn toward witchcrafts and oracles to reach an answer in a dispute. The oracles never lie.

The Azande are an ethnic group located in North Central Africa (Azande, Countries and Their Cultures). They are dated back to the mid nineteenth century, but start to become well known around 1950s to anthropologists through the work of British anthropologist Sir Edward E. Evans-Pritchard: Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande. The Zande people practice Animism, defined by anthropologist Edward

There is a 50-50 chance that the benge oracle will kill the chicks. Many outsiders, including Evan-Pritchard, remark that witches cannot exist (Evans-Pritchard, 1937, pg. 63), but it is very believable in the eyes of Zande people. It is important that the audience actual believe in the magic, because the common knowledge bring a sense of community. The chief of the tribe will say, while referring to the oracle, whatever is best for the community regardless if the result is the truth or not. According to Tylor’s 1871 “Primitive Culture”, striving for “uniformity” was manifest in culture. Uniformity is a form of stability, where people are with the same knowledge, lifestyles, and culture. There is not much different to how the Azande see their culture to how the industrialized people see their own. As British Philosopher Peter Winch puts, Zande beliefs in witchcraft and oracles will not make senses to people are bounded by technologies, but will satisfy the Azande themselves (Winch, Understanding a Primitive Society, American Philosophical Quarterly,

Hence, when there exists social phenomenon that cannot be explain by chief of the group, witchcraft fills the gap. French sociologist Emile Durkheim published in 1912 his book The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, in which he describes the concept of the sacred objects leading to the ascription of human sentiments and superhuman powers toward these objects (pg. 88). Among the Azande, oracles are part of this sacred classification, which explains why people choice to believe in the answers giving by the oracles. Chief Zorro has access to powerful oracles, such as the benge oracles, which allows him to have authority of the rest of the tribe. He, therefore, will continue to give people an impression that they must trust the oracles by deciding the outcome of a dispute. Chief Zorro is able to maintain his position as chief as well as maintain the comfortableness of the society for members to continue to put faith in the