BSix Talk on Witchcraft & Satanism
BSix recently welcomed our third speaker in the BSix Anthropology Series Jean La Fontaine, emeritus Professor of Social Anthropology at the LSE. Prof. La Fontaine spoke to our students about how she came to be an anthropologist and her experiences when studying witchcraft and satanism.
Jean spoke of Anthropology as a science which is not quantative but qualitative and based on small-scale studies conducted by researchers in the field. Talk of witchcraft and Satanism, Jean's area of specialisation, ensured a vibrant and fascinating account of anthropology in the field for our AS Anthropology students. Jean told them of her research into child witches, considered a "pure evil" amongst some African communities and described a sea-change of perception of these children caused by evangelised Christianity.
As an anthropologist, Prof. La Fontaine has studied witchcraft-beliefs in Africa, the role of fantasy and satanic rites in modern Britain. The persecution of accused witches continues today in communities around the globe. Jean told the group it is particularly prevalent in Africa and pointed out the importance of distinguishing between those accused of being witches and people who are often called witch-doctors but are sorcerers or black magicians, not witches.
Children have been increasingly found to be liable to be accused of being a witch, said Jean. These children are often living with relatives, or step parents, may be orphaned by war or AIDS; some are merely different in some way, being obstinate, unusually bright or unusually stupid. They may be accused by the pastors of churches, by neighbours or even their own parents. Physical abnormalities may put a child at risk of being killed and in some areas may endanger its mother in equal measure. In some places such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Delta region of Nigeria, accusations against children have reached epidemic proportions. Startling accounts of torture, starvation, abandonment and death involving children and adults have been documented and were outlined by Prof. La Fontaine.
"Those accused of witchcraft may be thought to be possessed by demons and 'cures' may be sought through exorcism or deliverance as it is commonly known" said Jean. The methods used in deliverance vary from church to church but may include violence and even murder. Children who survive may still be disowned by their parents.
Prof. La Fontaine's lecture concluded with a lively Q&A session with the A'Level students fascinated by her accounts of her studies which again contributed to bringing Anthropology to life in the classroom at BSix.
The next speaker in the series is Dr Thomas Grisaffi who will speak about 'Coca, Cocaine and the Bolivian Reality'. Date; TBC.
Click here to see the photos from the lecture
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