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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ut-sally!im4u!milano!wex
From: wex@milano.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.games.frp,talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Wyldeland theory of magic (& witchcraft)
Message-ID: <2390@milano.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Sep-86 14:19:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: milano.2390
Posted: Thu Sep 18 14:19:01 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Sep-86 00:58:41 EDT
References: <1059@leadsv.UUCP> <856@curly.ucla-cs.ARPA> <1082@leadsv.UUCP> <7638@tekecs.UUCP>
Sender: wex@milano.UUCP
Organization: MCC, Austin, TX
Lines: 31
Keywords: animist magic
Summary: Just a bit more on magic in America...
Xref: mnetor net.games.frp:2259 talk.religion.misc:69

In article <7638@tekecs.UUCP>, hutch@volkstation.gwd.tek.com (Stephen
Hutchison) provides a nice summary of how "witches" came to be regarded
the way they are in our culture.  He leaves out a bit, though, when he writes:
> Thirdly, in America, the slave trade brought some isolated, rather despised
> people to Haiti; a group of cultish types who practiced a "death magic"
> which has come to be called Voudoo.  The things taught by this cult were
> brought to America by Haitian slaves, and in the paranoid, cultish and
> insular environment of the Puritans, some of these slaves taught particular
> kinds of magic to the children they raised, thus the Salem witch-hunts.

This is true, but incomplete.  Most of the original slaves came from Africa.
Most of the tribes they were stolen (or sold) from believed in various kinds
of magic:  spirits, gods, animism, etc.  Many had shaman and/or witch
doctors and they practised several kinds of ritual magic.

In addition, many of the Africans were skilled in herbal and other natural
forms of medicine.  Some of these were undoubtedly seen as magic by
medically-ignorant colonists.

Lastly, many Native American tribes had similar practices and, in addition,
often used narcotic or hallucinogenic substances in their ceremonies.  These
tribes probably also had some influence on the Europeans (especially those
that were taken back to Europe as `showpieces').


-- 
Alan Wexelblat
ARPA: WEX@MCC.ARPA or WEX@MCC.COM
UUCP: {seismo, harvard, gatech, pyramid, &c.}!ut-sally!im4u!milano!wex

"All that money makes such a succulent sound."