The Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft

Chapter 10: Witchcraft, Sorcery and Wizardry 

Chapter Summary

Multiple Choice Questions 

Trials carried out by the Roman Catholic Church beginning in the 13th century to root out heresy were referred to as:

Wizardry is associated with all of the following except:

Which of the following terms best describes the manipulation of physical objects to bring about harm to a person or a group?

Mangu is:

Wiccan is best categorized as what type of religion?

Case Studies 

Video Case Study Activity on Witches 

  1. View the National Geographic clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nPsyZJBTeQ  
  • What is the purpose of Wiccan practices? 
  • Based on the clip, would you describe Wiccan practices as generally accepted, highly suspect, or somewhere in the middle? Why?  
  • What is Beltane and how is it observed in the coven versus in public? 
  • What material elements are used in the practice of Beltane? 
  1. Why do you think witchcraft practice, including groups such as Wicca, are growing part of the religious landscape today? 

Study Questions

  1. The word, “witchcraft” is an ambiguous term with various meanings. Why do you think this term is difficult to define across cultures? Identify some of the ways that this term has been used. 
  1. Compare and contrast “witchcraft” and “sorcery.” How does the term “wizardry” bridge these concepts? When have you heard these terms used in your society? 
  1. Discuss some of the social attributes of wizardry, according to Child and Child. How might wizardry be an adaptive mechanism? 
  1. What are the differences between witchcraft beliefs among Azandes and Zunis? How does the concept of witchcraft aid individuals in coping with the stresses of their lives? 
  1. Magic and witchcraft are popular subjects in US pop culture today. How do depictions of magic and witchcraft in literature and movies differ from anthropological descriptions? 
  1. How does the modern-day Wiccan movement conform (or not) to the concept of witchcraft? 

Suggested Readings 

Brooks, James F. Mesa of Sorrows. A History of the Awat’ovi Massacre (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2016). This award-winning book investigates sorcery accusations and other theories behind the Hopi massacre of its own village on Antelope Mesa in 1700. 

Cussans, Thomas, John Farndon, Ann Kay, and Philip Parker. A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult (New York: DK Publishing, 2020). A richly illustrated coffee table book examining the history of magic, witchcraft and the occult around the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x0m93nRCmU A brief video provides an overview of the book. 

Fortune, Reo F. Sorcerers of Dobu (New York: Dutton, 1932). An ethnography of the Tewara Islanders, with accounts of male sorcery, the “black art.” 

Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman. Witchcraft in Colonial New England (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1987). An historical analysis that examines the sexual, economic, and religious tensions underlying the witch hysteria of late seventeenth century New England. 

Simmons, Marc. Witchcraft in the Southwest. Spanish and Indian Supernaturalism on the Rio Grande (Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Press, 1974). An historical overview of wizardry among Spaniards, Pueblos, Navajos, and Apaches in the American Southwest. 

Trevor-Roper, H.R. The European Witch-Craze of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries and Other Essays (New York: Harper & Row, 1969). A collection of historical essays investigating the underlying social and religious conditions contributing to the witch mania in European society. 

Suggested Websites  

https://libguides.cmich.edu/c.php?g=213864&p=1411290 – witchcraft, Magic and Occult (Dr. Zwissler): Internet Resources. A Central Michigan University database of articles, books, and internet sources about witchcraft. 

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/early-modern-witch-trials/ – website from the National Archives (UK) with small case presentations of accused witches. 

https://salemwitchmuseum.com/student-resources/ – Salem Witch Museum website with various links and resources. 

Suggested Video 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rHSu2oDZXE

Yale historian Keith Wrightson talks about witchcraft, magic, and the “cunning folk” in Early Modern England. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQD1MTqioTs

The rise of witchcraft: why the magic of the past still enchants us. This brief YouTube video discusses the rise and popularity of Wicca and witches since the 1960s.e rise of witchcraft: why the magic of the past still enchants us 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxl70A9ArF8

Witchcraft in the Modern World. University of Bristol historian discusses his studies of Wicca in England. 

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