The Azande, America, and Ritual

The Azande believe that misfortune, illness or death are never an accident and always the result of malicious intent. Whether someone believes they are the victim of sorcery or witchcraft, all know “the motivation is not random, but rather envy… hatred” an argument or jealousy (Peters-Golden 11).

Witchcraft and sorcery differ in a number of ways. First, “unlike sorcery, which employs charms and spells, witchcraft is deployed by sheer willpower” (Peters-Golden 10). More importantly, sorcery is learned while witchcraft is thought to be passed down through generation and the “inherent power to do harm is inevtitable” (Peters-Golden 10). By simply thinking malicious thoughts, a person who is born with witchcraft may “send [out] the spirit of their own witchcraft entity (Peters-Golden 10).

When someone is accused of sorcery, they are assumed to have used “magical paraphernalia to harness supernatural powers” (Matejowsky 9.5) Sorcery has a psychological aspect to it’s effectiveness as well, “in the awareness of the victim that a magical ritual is being performed against them” (Matejowsky 9.5). While it’s ethnocentric to discount the importance of the supernatural in Azande culture, it is fair to say that the effectiveness of sorcery is derived from the psychological harm done to someone who knows they have been cursed.

When Azande need information, they commonly resort to consulting an oracle. The power and reliability vary among the different means of consultation; the most important and trusted source is Benge poison. It is used generally available for chiefs and wealthy men only, as it is “expensive and difficult to obtain” (Peters-Golden 11). The Benge oracle is central to military and judicial decisions made by chiefs and “no great undertaking of great import is attempted without its consultation” (Peters-Golden 11). In the Benge ritual, poison is administered to a chicken and held by an expert. Questions are then addressed to the Benge inside and the movements of the chicken indicate responses.

An oracle which is less expensive and easier to obtain is the Termite oracle. Both men and women may use it, and it involves much simpler means. Two sticks taken from different trees are “inserted together into a termite mound and left overnight (Peters-Golden 12). Answers are divined depending on which branch has been eaten by morning. The termite oracle is less desirable than the Benge oracle because one question a night can be answered. Thus, the divination process may take much longer.

The easiest, cheapest and least reliable form of Azande divination is the rubbing-board. Two pieces of wood are rubbed together and if they stick while a question is being asked “the answer is revealed (Peters-Golden 12).

Although the use of Oracles in the United States is limited, many other means of divination are employed in seeking information or answers. The one that springs to mind the quickest is when people “pray for a sign.” Sometimes the sign is specified, but often, people may take seemingly unimportant things as an answer. Also, people depend on astrology for divination, although few people who depend on it actually study the position and alignment of stars. Astrology in the United States could be said to be a type of “pop divination”. Many media outlets like magazine and websites provide a horoscope which people rely on. Horoscopes are sought out to provide information on a great deal of things, but are used most frequently to determine success in relationships, friendships, and money and/or fortune. In this sense, it would seem as if American astrology reflects what Americans find important.

Peters-Golden, Holly. “Culture Sketches”. McGraw-Hill College. 2008.