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How Does Witchcraft Affect Our Society

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CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter reviews relevant literature on the subject matter of witchcraft. The literature review concentrates on the general studies on witchcraft and the effects the practice has on accused women banished in to these witch camps.
2.2 GENERAL STUDIES ON WITCHCRAFT ACCUSATION AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE. Schnoebelen (2009) gave a historical account of witch-hunt and also dealt with the global picture of the phenomenon. To him, witchcraft belief and its attendant witch hunt is not related to Africa but abound everywhere in the world. He however said that much of the information on witchcraft and witch-hunt comes from Africa. Witchcraft beliefs according to Schnoebelen(2009), …show more content…
Pritchard identified misfortunes such as sickness, lack of good harvest, inability to catch a game during hunting expedient as forces that move people to witchcraft issues and its accusations. For the Azandes, misfortunes are synonymous to witchcraft. He made analysis as to whether witches are conscious agents. For the azandes a witch cannot operate unconsciously. “They belief that the witches live a secret life and share their confidence with other witches laughing about the bad deeds and boasting of their exploit against those whom they hate” (Pritchard 1976 p: …show more content…
However, women are mostly accused of killing a co-wife’s child or attack. According to Susan, witchcraft beliefs reflect an idealized pattern of gender relations in which women are denied legitimate expression of aggressive emotion. Also, he argued further that political aspect of gender relations are reflected in Mamprusi witchcraft belief. According to the study, the king, chiefs and powerful household heads were regarded as able to see witches and to protect their dependent from attack. Witches attack at night, invisibly devouring the touches of their victims causing illness and death. Susan maintained that a victim would often see the witch or witches attack and accusations might be made by the victim himself or herself during illness. He observed further that, in the past post-mortem examination were done to reveal witchcraft substance in a witch body which was describe as a cotton-like residue in the intestinal

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