Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-03T20:41:47.340Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An Historical Perspective of the Giriama and Witchcraft Control1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2011

Cynthia Brantley
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Wherever belief in witchcraft permeated an African society, fear prevailed and people demanded protection and control. Even though the degree of African concern about witchcraft was not always appreciated by outsiders, it was possible, at least in centralized societies, for such outsiders to discern the processes that were involved in its control. A king or a priest who failed to control the spread of witchcraft and to alleviate the fear was unlikely to maintain his authority for long. In non-centralized societies, the problem of witchcraft and the means of control were less clear-cut. Solutions were rarely obvious and easy.

Résumé

LES GIRIAMA AUX PRISES AVEC LA SORCELLERIE: POINT DE VUE HISTORIQUE

Le présent article rend compte, dans un perspective historique, des divers moyens mis en oeuvre par les Giriama pour enrayer la sorcellerie du début du dix–neuvième siècle jusqu'à nos jours. Lorsque tous les Giriama habitaient le même kaya au début du dix–neuvième siècle, le conseil des anciens disposait des mesures de controle efficaces que constituaient le serment et la menace de bannissement. Ces anciens avaient la charge des remèdes et représentaient l'autorite suprême. Lorsque les Giriama se fractionnèrent à la fin du siècle dernier pour constituer de petites exploitations réparties dans un espace géographique étendu, la hiérarchie juridique traditionnelle qui s'occupait des cas de sorcellerie fut démantelée. La sorcellerie devint de plus en plus redoutée et, parallèlement, on assista à la multiplication des remèdes destinés à combattre cette crainte. Au cours du vingtième siècle, les Giriama formèrent à plusieurs reprises un certain nombre de mouvements visant à éliminer la sorcellerie. Leur but n'était pas de punir le sorcier, une fois celui–ci identifié, mais de décourager la pratique de la sorcellerie et de réduire l'élément de peur qu'elle entretenait. Les tentatives effectuées à cet effet au cours de la période coloniale et depuis l'indépendance n'ont guère reussi à ce jour à mettre véritablement fin à la peur qu'inspire la sorcellerie parce que ces tentatives ont été fondées sur le postulat que la sorcellerie est une croyance irrationnelle.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 49 , Issue 2 , April 1979 , pp. 112 - 133
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1979

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abraham, Peter 1950 Wild Conquest. New York: Harper.Google Scholar
Brantley [Smith], Cynthia 1973 The Giriama Rising 1914: focus for political development in the Kenya hinterland. University of California, Los Angeles, Ph.D. dissertation.Google Scholar
Brantley, Cynthia 1978 ‘Gerontocratic government: age–sets in pre-colonial Giriama,’ Africa 48(3): 248–64.Google Scholar
Champion, A. M. 1967 The Agiryama of Kenya, ed. Middleton, J.. London: Royal Anthropological Institute.Google Scholar
Douglas, Mary 1963 ‘Techniques of sorcery control in Central Africa,’ in Middleton, J. and Winter, E. H. (eds.) Witchcraft and Sorcery in East Africa. London: Routledge & KeganPaul. 123–42.Google Scholar
Goody, Jack 1957 ‘Anomiein Ashanti’ Africa 27 (4): 356–63.Google Scholar
Lee, A. A. 1976 ‘Ngoga and six theories of witchcraft eradication,’ Ufahamu 6 (3): 101–17.Google Scholar
Marwick, M. G. 1950 ‘Another modern anti–witchcraft movement in Central Africa,’ Africa 20 (2): 100–12.Google Scholar
Middleton, John and Winter, E. H. (eds.) 1963 Witchcraft and Sorcery in East Africa. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Mulaisho, Dominic 1971 The Tongue of the Dumb. London: Heinemann.Google Scholar
Parkin, David 1968 ‘Medicines and men of influence,’ Man NS 3 (3): 424–39.Google Scholar
parkin, David 1970 ‘Politics of ritual syncretism: Islam among the non–Muslim Giriama of Kenya,’ Africa 40 (3): 217–33.Google Scholar
Parkin, David 1972 Palms, Wines and Witnesses. San Francisco: Chandler.Google Scholar
Parkin, David 1974 ‘National independence and local tradition in a Kenya trading centre,’ Bulletin, School of Oriental and African Studies 37 (1): 157–74.Google Scholar
Ranger, T. O. n. d. ‘Mchape and the study of witchcraft eradication.’ Unpublished MS.Google Scholar
Ranger, T. O. 1966 ‘Witchcraft eradication movements in Central and Southern Tanzania and their connection with the Maji Maji Rising,’ Unpublished MS, University College, Dar es Salaam.Google Scholar
Richards, A. I. 1935 ‘A modern movement of witchfinders,’ Africa 8 (4) 448–61.Google Scholar
Salim, A. I. 1970 ‘The movement for ‘Mwambao’ or Coast autonomy in Kenya, 1956–1963,’ in Ogot, B.A. (ed.) Hadith 2. Nairobi: East African Publishing House. 212–28.Google Scholar
Schoffelers, J. M. 1966 M'Bona: the Guardian Spirit of the Mang'anja: Oxford University, B.Litt. thesis.Google Scholar
Spear, T. T. 1974 The Kaya complex: A history of the Mijikenda peoples of the Kenya coast to 1900. University of Wisconsin, Ph.D. dissertation.Google Scholar
Willis, Roy 1968 ‘Kamcape: an anti–sorcery movement in South-West Tanzania,’ Africa 38 (1): 1–15.Google Scholar