Encounters With Witchcraft

Author : Norman N. Miller
Publisher : State University of New York Press
Page : 243 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2012-04-26
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781438443591

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Encounters with Witchcraft by Norman N. Miller Pdf

Encounters with Witchcraft is a personal story of a young man's fascination with African witchcraft discovered first in a trek across East Africa and the Congo. The story unfolds over four decades during the author's long residence in and many trips to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. As a field researcher he learns from villagers what it is like to live with witches, and how witches are seen through African eyes. His teachers are healers, cult leaders, witch-hunters and self-proclaimed "witches" as well as policemen, politicians and judges. A key figure is Mohammadi Lupanda, a frail village woman whose only child has died years before. In her dreams, however, she believes the little girl is not dead, but only lost in the fields. Mohammadi is discovered wandering at night, wailing and calling out for the child. Her neighbors are terror-stricken and she is quickly brought to a village trial and banished as a witch. The author is able to watch and listen to the proceedings and later investigate the deeper story. He discovers mysteries about Mohammadi that are only solved when he returns to the village three decades later. Today, witch-hunting and witchcraft-related crimes are found in more than seventy developing countries. Epidemics of violence against alleged witches, mainly women, but including elders of both genders, and even children is on the increase in some parts of the world. Witchcraft beliefs may lie behind vigilante murders, political assassinations, revenge killings and commercial murders for human body parts. Through African voices the author addresses key questions. Do witchcraft powers exist? Why does witchcraft persist? What are its historic roots? Why is witchcraft-based violence so often found within families? Does witchcraft serve as a hidden legal and political system, a mafia-like under-government? The author holds up a mirror for us to think about religious beliefs in our own experience that rely heavily on myth and superstition.

Author : Norman N. Miller
Publisher : SUNY Press
Page : 243 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2012-01-30
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781438443577

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Encounters with Witchcraft by Norman N. Miller Pdf

A renowned authority on East Africa examines the effects of witchcraft beliefs on African culture, politics, and family life.

Author : Hans Holzer
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Witchcraft
ISBN : OCLC:1412550195

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Witches by Hans Holzer Pdf

Author : Alex Mar
Publisher : Sarah Crichton Books
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2015-10-20
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780374709112

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Witches of America by Alex Mar Pdf

"Witches are gathering." When most people hear the word "witches," they think of horror films and Halloween, but to the nearly one million Americans who practice Paganism today, witchcraft is a nature-worshipping, polytheistic, and very real religion. So Alex Mar discovers when she sets out to film a documentary and finds herself drawn deep into the world of present-day magic. Witches of America follows Mar on her immersive five-year trip into the occult, charting modern Paganism from its roots in 1950s England to its current American mecca in the San Francisco Bay Area; from a gathering of more than a thousand witches in the Illinois woods to the New Orleans branch of one of the world's most influential magical societies. Along the way she takes part in dozens of rituals and becomes involved with a wild array of characters: a government employee who founds a California priesthood dedicated to a Celtic goddess of war; American disciples of Aleister Crowley, whose elaborate ceremonies turn the Catholic mass on its head; second-wave feminist Wiccans who practice a radical separatist witchcraft; a growing "mystery cult" whose initiates trace their rites back to a blind shaman in rural Oregon. This sprawling magical community compels Mar to confront what she believes is possible-or hopes might be. With keen intelligence and wit, Mar illuminates the world of witchcraft while grappling in fresh and unexpected ways with the question underlying every faith: Why do we choose to believe in anything at all? Whether evangelical Christian, Pagan priestess, or atheist, each of us craves a system of meaning to give structure to our lives. Sometimes we just find it in unexpected places.

Author : Hans Holzer
Publisher : Black Dog & Leventhal
Page : 672 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2015-10-27
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 9780316393294

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Witches by Hans Holzer Pdf

A history of witchcraft plus deeply personal accounts of a famed researcher/expert's interviews with leading practitioners, Witches is an essential compendium from the late Professor Hans Holzer. Professor Hans Holzer draws on his own first-hand research from the 1960s and 1970s in Witches, a companion to his bestselling Ghosts. Including many photographs from the author's collection, this entertaining and eye-opening volume explores the myriad forms and factions of witchcraft, taking readers inside the covens and cults where the ancient rituals are practiced. Experience the secrets of the craft, learn spells and incantations, and read interviews and personal testimony from the foremost practitioners. Holzer not only provides the reader with the history of witchcraft, he documents the lives and practices of actual witches pursuing the world's oldest religion. Hundreds of photographs from the author's own collection illuminate the subject and bring the rituals and rites of "the Craft" to life.

Author : Alison Games
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Page : 233 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2010-10-16
Category : History
ISBN : 9781442203594

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Witchcraft in Early North America by Alison Games Pdf

Witchcraft in Early North America investigates European, African, and Indian witchcraft beliefs and their expression in colonial America. Alison Games's engaging book takes us beyond the infamous outbreak at Salem, Massachusetts, to look at how witchcraft was a central feature of colonial societies in North America. Her substantial and lively introduction orients readers to the subject and to the rich selection of documents that follows. The documents begin with first encounters between European missionaries and Native Americans in New France and New Mexico, and they conclude with witch hunts among Native Americans in the years of the early American republic. The documents—some of which have never been published previously—include excerpts from trials in Virginia, New Mexico, and Massachusetts; accounts of outbreaks in Salem, Abiquiu (New Mexico), and among the Delaware Indians; descriptions of possession; legal codes; and allegations of poisoning by slaves. The documents raise issues central to legal, cultural, social, religious, and gender history. This fascinating topic and the book’s broad geographic and chronological coverage make this book ideally suited for readers interested in new approaches to colonial history and the history of witchcraft.

Author : Rachel Lynette
Publisher : KidHaven Publishing
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Witchcraft
ISBN : 0737736437

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Witches by Rachel Lynette Pdf

An introduction to history of witches and witchcraft.

Author : Emma Wilby
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 344 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : IND:30000107527958

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Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits by Emma Wilby Pdf

In the hundreds of confessions relating to witchcraft and sorcery trials from early modern Britain we frequently find detailed descriptions of intimate working relationships between popular magical practitioners and familiar spirits of either human or animal form. Until recently historians often dismissed these descriptions as elaborate fictions created by judicial interrogators eager to find evidence of stereotypical pacts with the Devil. Although this paradigm is now routinely questioned, and most historians acknowledge that there was a folkloric component to familiar lore in the period, these beliefs and the experiences reportedly associated with them, remain substantially unexamined. Cunning-Folk and Familiar Spirits examines the folkloric roots of familiar lore from historical, anthropological and comparative religious perspectives. It argues that beliefs about witches' familiars were rooted in beliefs surrounding the use of fairy familiars by beneficent magical practitioners or 'cunning folk', and corroborates this through a comparative analysis of familiar beliefs found in traditional native American and Siberian shamanism. The author explores the experiential dimension of familiar lore by drawing parallels between early modern familiar encounters and visionary mysticism as it appears in both tribal shamanism and medieval European contemplative traditions. These perspectives challenge the reductionist view of popular magic in early modern British often presented by historians.

Author : Mensah Adinkrah
Publisher : Berghahn Books
Page : 338 pages
File Size : 49,6 Mb
Release : 2015-08-01
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781782385615

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Witchcraft, Witches, and Violence in Ghana by Mensah Adinkrah Pdf

Witchcraft violence is a feature of many contemporary African societies. In Ghana, belief in witchcraft and the malignant activities of putative witches is prevalent. Purported witches are blamed for all manner of adversities including inexplicable illnesses and untimely deaths. As in other historical periods and other societies, in contemporary Ghana, alleged witches are typically female, elderly, poor, and marginalized. Childhood socialization in homes and schools, exposure to mass media, and other institutional mechanisms ensure that witchcraft beliefs are transmitted across generations and entrenched over time. This book provides a detailed account of Ghanaian witchcraft beliefs and practices and their role in fueling violent attacks on alleged witches by aggrieved individuals and vigilante groups.

Author : Hector Z. Gregory
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 96 pages
File Size : 46,5 Mb
Release : 2017-08-15
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1974542637

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True Witch Stories by Hector Z. Gregory Pdf

Bizarre Trials, Cruel Tests & Scary Encounters of Witches from the Past...Claim Your FREE Books Each Week With This Book! Witches are something we generally associate with the distant past, with the medieval world, and the first story in this book is about a witch trial in 17th Century England. However, unlike the vast majority of such trials, most of the people accused of witchcraft in this case happily admitted to not just being witches, they also described how they had sold their souls to the devil.But, most of the stories here are about witches and witchcraft in the recent past. You'll read here about a bizarre ritual murder of a suspected witch in 1940s England which baffled Scotland Yard's most famous detective, a witch trial in 1980s Italy which shocked most of Europe, a witchcraftsacrifice/murder in California in the 1990s and the story of a man who founded a satanic movement which attracted some of Hollywood's most famous stars.In most parts of the world nowadays, witches are regarded with tolerance and even amusement.Those who practice folk magic are seen as harmless eccentrics and the image of a witch riding on a broomstick has become a staple of Halloween celebrations.But even now there is also a darker side to witchcraft and that's what we'll be exploring in these astounding, frightening and baffling but true stories...Here's A Preview Of What's In This Book...-True Witch Stories: The Pendle Witch Trials-True Witch Stories: The Last Witch Killing in England-True Witch Stories: The Livorno Witch TrialTrue Witch Stories: The Witch's Birthday Present-True Witch Stories: Jayne Mansfield and the BlackPope of Hollywood-True Witch Stories: The Monterrey Witches-Much, much more!Scroll Up and Get Your Copy of This Book Today!

Author : Kateryna Dysa
Publisher : Central European University Press
Page : 264 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2020-09-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9786155053122

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Ukrainian Witchcraft Trials by Kateryna Dysa Pdf

Ukrainian Witchcraft Trials is an analysis of early modern witchcraft trials and legal procedures in Ukrainian lands, along with an examination of quantitative data drawn from the different trials. Kateryna Dysa first describes the ideological background of the tribunals based on works written by priests and theologians that reflect attitudes towards the devil and witches. The main focus of her work, however, is the process leading to witchcraft accusations. From the stories of participants of the trials she shows what led people to enunciate first suspicions then accusations of witchcraft. Finally, she presents a microhistory from one Volhynian village, comparing attitudes towards two "female crimes" in the Ukrainian courts. The study is based on archival research together with previously published witch trials transcripts. Dysa approaches the trials as indications of belief and practice, attempting to understand the actors involved rather than dismiss or condemn them. She takes care to situate Ukrainian witchcraft and its accompanying trials in a broader European context, with comparisons to some African cases as well.

Author : David D. Hall
Publisher : Duke University Press
Page : 386 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2005-02-04
Category : History
ISBN : 9780822382201

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Witch-Hunting in Seventeenth-Century New England by David D. Hall Pdf

This superb documentary collection illuminates the history of witchcraft and witch-hunting in seventeenth-century New England. The cases examined begin in 1638, extend to the Salem outbreak in 1692, and document for the first time the extensive Stamford-Fairfield, Connecticut, witch-hunt of 1692–1693. Here one encounters witch-hunts through the eyes of those who participated in them: the accusers, the victims, the judges. The original texts tell in vivid detail a multi-dimensional story that conveys not only the process of witch-hunting but also the complexity of culture and society in early America. The documents capture deep-rooted attitudes and expectations and reveal the tensions, anger, envy, and misfortune that underlay communal life and family relationships within New England’s small towns and villages. Primary sources include court depositions as well as excerpts from the diaries and letters of contemporaries. They cover trials for witchcraft, reports of diabolical possessions, suits of defamation, and reports of preternatural events. Each section is preceded by headnotes that describe the case and its background and refer the reader to important secondary interpretations. In his incisive introduction, David D. Hall addresses a wide range of important issues: witchcraft lore, antagonistic social relationships, the vulnerability of women, religious ideologies, popular and learned understandings of witchcraft and the devil, and the role of the legal system. This volume is an extraordinarily significant resource for the study of gender, village politics, religion, and popular culture in seventeenth-century New England.

Author : Elias Kifon Bongmba
Publisher : State University of New York Press
Page : 254 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2015-01-21
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780791490501

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African Witchcraft and Otherness by Elias Kifon Bongmba Pdf

This work of African philosophy and theology uses the thought of Emmanuel Levinas to provide an analysis of tfu (witchcraft) among the Wimbum people of Cameroon along with a critique of intersubjective relations. Taking an approach he calls "critical contextualism," author Elias Bongmba employs Levinas's philosophy, particularly the concept of the Other, to engage in cross-cultural philosophy that does not destroy the perspective of the culture under study. Insights from anthropology, African studies, and the author's own experiences are also important throughout the book. Bongmba discusses the cultural background of the Wimbum people and explores the concepts and terms used to discuss the acquisition of several categories of power generally described as tfu. Bongmba argues that when properly explored and understood, these terms refer to complex practices that involve power that can be used for good and power that can be abused. Drawing from Levinas, the author demonstrates that negative use of tfu constitutes a totalizing praxis. He goes on to endorse Levinas's call for a phenomenology of eros as a way of reconfiguring interpersonal relationships.

Author : Brooks Alexander
Publisher : Harvest House Publishers
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN : 0736912215

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Witchcraft Goes Mainstream by Brooks Alexander Pdf

Motivated by his personal experience in the drug and occult culture of the 60Us and his radical conversion to Christ, Alexander uses his background in law and journalism to authoritatively and clearly demonstrate the true nature of neopaganism.

Author : S. A. Tower
Publisher : Dwell Publishing
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2012-04
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0984952306

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A Witch's Encounter with God by S. A. Tower Pdf

Is it possible to be caught in the web of witchcraft? In her eye-opening book, A Witch's Encounter with God, Ally Tower takes you into the mystery-filled world of Wicca through the eyes of a practicing witch. For over a decade, Ally embarked on a spellbinding journey into the enchanted web of the Craft - until a life-changing encounter with the power of God's love overcame the powers of darkness. This gripping emotional roller-coaster will keep you on the edge of your seat, awaiting miraculous intervention. Ms. Tower's first-hand account exposes a thread the enemy uses to entice and ensnare his captive and reveals the unraveling beauty of grace. A renowned reviewer shared; A Witch's Encounter with God is one of the most transparent and enlightening testimonies I've ever read. S.A. Tower communicates with amazing detail, the life events that drew her into the Craft and displays God's supernatural power and the extreme lengths He will go to redeem and restore. - Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President - NHCLC, and the best-selling author of Be Light