Magic and the Supernatural in the Ancient World
Discussion Questions
Feb. 3: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives on Witchcraft
Zachary Harrelson : zharrel@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- What characteristics or criteria distinguish exorcists from witches?
Is it legitimate to claim that exorcists perform magic beneficial to the
community as a whole while witches perform evil and selfish magic to their
own advantage, as was described for ancient babylonian society?
- I thought it was interesting how Shirley Lindenbaum described the
dependence of cultural ideas concerning death/illness, gender and sorcery
on ecological issues, particularly the worker to consumer to resource
ratio. Is this a legitimate argument?
- I also thought it was interesting how James Brain explained the many
factors (Eve, Aristotle, female physiologucal "pollution") that led to
women being the main victim of the witchcrazes of the 15/16/17th
centuries. Do we still encounter witchcrazes of a modern kind, embodied
in political or social persecutions or ridicule of top female figures in
our society, like Anita Hill or Janet Reno? Are the factors involved with
this modern situation related to those behind the witchcrazes?
Tobin Cataldo tcatald@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- How did the rise of the early Church effect the social outlook
upon sorcery and magic?
- Where the witch-hunts a truly ineffective ploy brought on by
the church as a means to gain and keep control over the masses?
- What other powers came into play during the initial period of
the witch-hunts beside the Church and the Church backed government?
- Is today's sociological view of witches and magic the same as
the original dominical view immposed upon those who lived before?
Derek Pepiak : dpepiak@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- There were two statements in the paper by Nachman Ben-Yehuda that I
found interesting. The first was that white collar workers and people
of high education are more likely to express an interest in the occult.
The second statement said that those with an occult interest (but not
practicing) have no religious affiliation. What do you think are the
reasons behind this?
- I'm not too familiar with the Inquisition. In what ways were the
Inquisition and the hunt for witches similar? Did the Church really
consider the groups a threat or was this just a way to show the power of
the Church and maintain control?
- In Lehmann and Myers, it is stated that some scholars believe
witchcraft is only in people's minds but sorcery exists because
paraphernalia, etc. exist for it. Aren't items, such as dolls, also
used in witchcraft? Therefore doesn't paraphernalia exists for
witchcraft as well?
Nicholas Backer: nbacker@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- I do not understand the role of ontology in the analyzation of
history.
- I am interested in discussing speculations or theories as to why
Jacquier wrote "Flagullem haereticorum fascinariorum," the 15th century
book definig withchcraft and making accusations of witches "...feasting on
unbaptized infants."
- Can any comparisons of James Brain's statements that the witches,
being the enemy, were portrayed as doing everything opposite of the
church, and society, be made to events in history involving an "enemy of
the people."
"Christina Wilson": cwilson2@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- What is the correlation between gender and the term 'witch' (i.e. why
are women usually called witches?)
- Are the people accused of witchcraft actually witches?
- What is the difference between a witch and a sorcerer?
Jason Lapkin: dweinbe@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- From what sources does the term "witch" derive its pejorative
connotations?
- To what degree do the negative connotations of the term "witch" arise
on account of gender prejudices?
- What important social/cultural roles do whiches play throughout the
civilizations of the world?
Michelle D Arens: marens@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- Compare and contrast a sorcerer and a witch.
- What are the characterestics of men and of women that associate each
with evil?
- What similarities can we see between concepts about witches in
antiquity and those of today?
Thomas Brabham: tbrabha@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- Is there such thing as a "good" witch, like as portrayed in the
"Wizard of Oz", or is our readings accurate in saying that witches are all
evil?
- Is a witch and exorcist the same thing other than one is bad and the
other is good?
- Could anyone be a witch?
Bradley Laye: blaye@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- Based on Ben-Yehuda's article, why was organized religion so much
against witchcraft? I would think that as religion grew and became even
more integrated into everyday life, that witchcraft would become less of a
worry, not more of one.
- Does today's society not persecute witches due to our acceptance of
sexuality and scientific sexual facts?
- n third world cultures, is impermanence a deterrent to witchcraft?
(Hunter-gatherers vs. Agricultural peoples). Hunter-gatherers can simply
move on to find food whereas Agricultural peoples are grounded (no pun
intended) to a certain area with certain hopes and expectations of their
land... which leads to witchcraft as a means to enhance the crop.
Kate Bolin: kbolin@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- Evans-Pritchard distinguishes between witchcraft and sorcery. But
in our Western society, is there really a difference?
- Can the witchcraze in medieval Europe and the modern occult
dabblings really be compared?
- For that matter, can witchcraft in our Western society and
witchcraft in other societies be compared?
Jay Munsch: wmunsch@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
- Can the belief in witchcraft, or magic in general, be simply defined
through an examination of the oppositions to the "normal" society?
- Did those people being persecuted for witchcraft believe that their
actions could be defined as witchcraft?
- What reason(s) percipitated the witchcrazes, and do we believe that such
crazes can ocur today with the resurgence of "paganism"?