How Many Africans Still Engage In Witchcraft?

Witchcraft refers to various beliefs and practices in Africa, which often shape social dynamics and influence how communities address challenges and seek spiritual assistance. However, much of what witchcraft represents in Africa has been susceptible to misunderstandings. Around 500 people, mainly elderly women and children, live in five such camps in the north of the country, according to Amnesty International. In many countries, women are still accused of practicing witchcraft each year, and they are persecuted and even killed in organized witch hunts.

Belief in witchcraft is widespread around the world, with a new global study involving over 140,000 people revealing that it’s highly variable from place to place. Nearly 10,000 witches were expected from around the world, and the drama that ensued is still narrated from pulpits across the country. Provocation by witchcraft, a defense to a homicidal act supposedly perpetrated under the influence of belief in witchcraft and juju, has become a plea frequently invoked by witch-killers in many African countries.

The idea of witchcraft, which loosely is defined as the belief that people exist who use supernatural means to harm others, has existed in African societies since the beginning. The book highlights new frontiers of conflict caused by the belief in and practice of witchcraft, thereby extending the boundaries of scholarship by inviting scholars to engage closely with contemporary experiences.

Belief in harmful magic and/or witchcraft exists across many societies, and although witchcraft accusations and witch-hunting are against the law in many African countries, most Africans believe that witches act unconsciously and are unaware of the harm they cause since ancient times. Witchcraft and witch-hunt have been practiced widely almost all over the world, with Ghana’s culture being particularly relevant.

Do people still practice witchcraft?

This paper presents a global dataset on contemporary witchcraft beliefs, covering countries and territories representing roughly half of the world’s adult population. The data reveals that witchcraft beliefs are highly widespread throughout the modern world, with significant differences in prevalence within and across nations. Witchcraft beliefs are negatively associated with age, education, and material well-being, and positively correlated with belief in god and religiosity.

Cross-country analysis focuses on four issues: the role of witchcraft beliefs in maintaining conformity and self-governance, their relationship to social capital, psychological well-being, and world outlook, the link between witchcraft beliefs, innovation, and economic development, and exposure to misfortunes as a factor in sustaining witchcraft beliefs.

The study finds that witchcraft beliefs are more prevalent in countries with weak institutions and low quality of governance, are strongly positively correlated with measures of cultural conformity and in-group bias, and are associated with the erosion of social capital. People in countries with more widespread witchcraft beliefs display lower levels of life satisfaction, diminished sense of control over life, self-efficacy, and a higher degree of fatalism. Witchcraft beliefs are negatively related to creative culture and metrics of innovative activity.

Is witchcraft a crime in South Africa?

The Witchcraft Suppression Act 3 of 1957 is a South African legislation that prohibits activities related to witchcraft, witch smelling, or witch-hunting. It is based on the Witchcraft Suppression Act 1895 of the Cape Colony and the Witchcraft Act 1735 of Great Britain. The most serious crimes under the act include imputing to another person the cause of any disease, injury, or damage, or naming another person as a wizard.

The act also prohibits the accused from using supernatural powers, witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment, or conjuration, imputing the cause of death, injury, grief, disease, damage, or disappearance of any person or thing to another person.

Is witchcraft common in Africa?

The practice of witchcraft is not exclusive to any particular gender, and it is pervasive across Africa, manifesting at various levels of education and religious affiliation. This stands in stark contrast to the persecution and marginalization that witchcraft beliefs have historically faced.

What is the most witchy place in the world?

Salem, a small town in Massachusetts, is known for its notorious witch trials of 1692-93, which resulted in 19 convicted witches being executed. Despite this dark history, Salem continues to attract visitors with spooktacular events for Halloween and other attractions like the Witch House and the House of Seven Gables.

A Gothic castle built in the 13th century was believed to be built over the gateway to hell to entrap evil demons and was thought to be an administrative center for the royal estates. In Kilkenny, a medieval pub named after Dame Alice Kyteler, the daughter of a banker and the original proprietor, has a history tied to witchcraft. Despite being sentenced to be burned, Alice managed to escape to England in the nick of time. Today, a life-sized bronze statue memorializes Dame Alice, while traditional Irish cooking and music keep crowds coming.

How many people died from witchcraft?

The Salem witchcraft crisis, originating from European religious upheaval, warfare, political tensions, and economic dislocation from 1400 to 1775, saw around 100, 000 people tried for witchcraft and 50, 000 executed. The belief was that witches posed a threat to Christian society by exploiting Satan’s power to spread sickness, misery, and death. English colonial settlers arrived in 1626 at Naumkeag, a Native American fishing site, to establish a Massachusetts Bay Colony outpost.

Most Puritans sought to “purify” the Church of England from Roman Catholic practices. Salem, covering 70 square miles, included Salem Village, now Danvers, and was named after Jerusalem, meaning “city of peace”.

What percent of the world is pagan?

It is estimated that between one and five percent of the population in Europe, Oceania, Africa, and the East identify as pagan.

Where is witchcraft most common?

Witches are believed to use body parts, such as hair, nail clippings, clothing, or bodily waste, to work magic against their victims. This belief is prevalent in various cultures, including Europe, Africa, South Asia, Polynesia, Melanesia, and North America. Indigenous peoples in Africa and North America also believe that witches cause harm by introducing cursed magical objects into their victims’ bodies. In some cultures, witches are believed to use human body parts in magic, and they are often believed to murder children for this purpose.

Witches work in secret, sometimes alone or with other witches. They are believed to gather at night, when normal humans are inactive and vulnerable, and engage in cannibalism, incest, and open nudity. This type of magic is considered imitative and often involves murdering children due to postpartum psychosis.

Is witchcraft illegal in the UK?

The Witchcraft Act 1735, passed in 1692, remained in effect in Britain until its repeal in 1951 with the Fraudulent Mediums Act. The Act was replaced by new Consumer Protection Regulations in 2008, following an EU directive on unfair sales and marketing practices. The Witchcraft Suppression Act, 1957, in South Africa, is still in effect and is based on the Witchcraft Act 1735. The Fraudulent Mediums Act was repealed in 2008 by new Consumer Protection Regulations.

Which country has the most witch trials?

Witch hunting in Early Modern Europe was a frenzy that occurred in two waves: the first in the 15th and early 16th centuries and the second in the 17th century. The most significant area of witch hunting was southwestern Germany, where the highest concentration of trials occurred between 1561 and 1670. The 1692-1693 Salem Witch Trials were a brief outburst of witch hysteria in the New World, occurring when the practice was already waning in Europe.

In February 1692, a girl became ill and her playmates exhibited unusual behavior. A supernatural cause was suggested, leading to suspicions of witchcraft. Three townswomen were accused of witchcraft: Tituba, a slave, Sarah Good, a poor beggar, and Sarah Osborne, a quarrelsome woman. During the trial, Tituba declared herself a witch and flew through the air on poles, silenced skeptics, and witch hunting began in earnest.

Are witch trials still happening?

Witch-hunts continue to occur in societies where magic is prevalent, often involving lynching and burnings. These incidents are reported in Sub-Saharan Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Papua New Guinea, with some countries having legislation against sorcery. Saudi Arabia remains the only country where witchcraft remains legally punishable by death. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports witch-hunts as a significant violation of human rights.

Most accused are women and children, but can also include elderly people or marginalized groups. Victims are often considered burdens to the community and are driven out, starved to death, or killed violently. Causes of witch-hunts include poverty, epidemics, social crises, and lack of education. The leader of the witch-hunt may gain economic benefit by charging for exorcisms or selling body parts of the murdered. In 2015, ISIS militants beheaded two couples accused of sorcery and using “magic for medicine” in Deir ez-Zor province.

Is witchcraft illegal in Nigeria?

The possession of charms, regardless of their purpose, is considered a criminal act under Chapter 20 of the Criminal Code. This chapter specifically addresses witchcraft, juju, and criminal charms.