Search results

1

„Krokodyle przemienione" i kontrakty z duchami: czarownicy w kulturach Gwinei Bissau

100%

Brzezińska M.

Przegląd Orientalistyczny

|

2013

|

issue 1-2(245-246)

84-101

EN

This article discusses witchcraft beliefs present among inhabitants of multiethnic settings of Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. Witchcraft, which is a prevalent feature of most African cultures, entails a form of psychic aggression performed in an invisible way by some community members against others. Drawing on my research in Guinea-Bissau, I present a range of local beliefs and imagery concerning methods by which witches act. Among them, there is a belief in the possibility of gaining the power of witchcraft through a contract with a nature spirit, which then has to be paid for with human life. The local vernacular includes imagery of cannibalistic attacks, common to much of Africa; witches are described as “eating human flesh” or the life energy of the victims. Beliefs in the ability of witches to transform themselves into animals are characteristic of the region and they set themselves apart from the majority of similar beliefs on the African continent. Here, the magical transformation ensures not only the necessary camouflage which facilitates the invisible attack, but also – in other cases – provides the external means for direct physical assault. I compare some of the local Guinean beliefs with those present in other cultures of the continent, as documented by the rich literature available on the topic. I also discuss some contemporary transformations of witchcraft beliefs that occur due to socio-cultural and economic changes taking place in African societies.

2

The Roma sorceress in 18th century Hungarian sources

100%

Tóth P.

Acta historica Neosoliensia Vedecký časopis pre historické vedy

|

2023

|

vol. 26

|

issue 1

116-124

EN

18th century sources confirm the observations of cultural anthropology that Roma women played an important role in the sustenance of their families. In a gatherer lifestyle, their primary task was to get food. However, the social environment strongly restricted gathering therefore they had to apply different techniques. From among these, the most important one was the activity relying on beliefs which formed the image of the ’Roma witch’ for the surrounding society. It is important to note, however, that these beliefs were always those of the surrounding society and not those of the Romas themselves as otherwise, they would not have worked (similarly to the way Roma musicians played the music of the surrounding society and not that of their own community). In accordance with this, witchcraft (fortune-telling, binding or loosing love ties, the ability to see treasures, etc.) was also a service provided almost exclusively by women. And as the surrounding society (or at least, a part of it) had a demand for this service, it also became possible for its providers to get into areas closed for them, where they could continue the ’gathering’ following from their lifestyle.

3

A review of Emma Wilby’s The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland (Sussex University Press, 2010)

100%

Spyra P., University of Łódź, Piotr Spyra is Assistant Professor in the Department of Studies in Drama and Pre-1800 English Literature at the University of Łódź w. h. t. m. a. e. m. E. l. H. i. t. a. o. T. E. P. o. t. P.-P. H. r. i. r. a. M. E. p.

Analyses/Rereadings/Theories: A Journal Devoted to Literature, Film and Theatre

|

2015

|

vol. 3

|

issue 1

4

Tracing the African Origins of Obeah (Obia): Some Conjectures and Inferences from the History of Benin Kingdom

88%

Usuanlele U.

West Bohemian Historical Review

|

2016

|

vol. 6

|

issue 2

165-184

EN

The practice of Obeah divination among people of African descent in the Americas has long been established to originate from West Africa. But the place of origin has remained a subject of speculation. The earliest speculated places of origin were the Akan and the neighbouring Popo. Most recent studies using demographic size and linguistic evidence have concluded that Obeah originated from among the Igbo of the Bight of Biafra in Nigeria. This paper disputes this conclusion and shows that demographic size is least relevant and the linguistic evidence is faulty. It then argues that in spite of the marginal role of Benin Kingdom, Obeah and its early practice are most likely derived from the Edo-speaking people of Benin Kingdom, Nigeria. It substantiates this with historical evidence and etymological inferences from the practice of slavery in the kingdom and its involvement in the Trans-Atlantic trade.

5

In and Around Salem – The Cultural and Legal Aspects of Witch and Wizard Hunting and Their Trials

88%

Brenet T.

Świat i Słowo

|

2020

|

vol. 34(1)

320-320

EN

The history of development of various societies and communities contains elements which are both colorful and disquieting, being the result of shared concerns, uncertainty or an attempt at providing an explanation for phenomena which could not be clarified by means of the then level of knowledge or science. One of the phenomena concerned the (alleged) magic and other co-related practices which appeared in folk beliefs as well as in the mainstream of popular culture (this shall concern especially the events occurring in the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe and North America). The objective of this article is to scrutinize the problem of magic in its cultural and legal aspect. By a social analysis of cultural circumstances characterizing the American population of that period, it becomes possible to describe and understand the foundations of behaviors and acts leading in a given community to alienation and death of those suspected of collusions with unclean spirits and sentenced in the name of preserving public security and order or adjusting to the existing social system and binding religious and legal principles. Taking into consideration the fact that in many countries the apparatus of hunting and judging witches and wizards had an institutionalized form, it becomes justifiable to refer to various texts of culture produced on the territory of the United States of America reporting on the cases examined by courts and describing the mechanisms of fighting with individuals devoting to illegal and unacceptable practices.

6

POLSKA HISTORIOGRAFIA PROCESÓW O CZARY. ZARYS PROBLEMU

88%

HAJDRYCH Ł.

Historia@Teoria

|

2017

|

vol. 2

|

issue 4

209-221

EN

Over the last 20 years in Poland there has been a great increase in interest in witch trials of modern times. Th is paper gathers information about the most important Polish papers writt en on that subject and published between 1925 and 2016. Th e paper especially focuses on the period aft er World War II, when the subject of witch trials was researched by B. Baranowski, as well as on modern times (represented by M. Pilaszek, J. Wijaczka and T. Wiślicz).

7

Obrazując czarownice – niedocenione źródło w badaniach początków kształtowania się stereotypu czarownicy

75%

Gacek J.

Ogrody Nauk i Sztuk

|

2012

|

issue 2

EN

Thanks to pictorial sources, we can deepen our knowledge of witchcraft of the early modern era. An analysis of the used techniques alone brings us to the conclusion that the idea of witchcraft was widely known among common people. Numerous iconographic works prove that the witch-flight was at the time one of the most perplexing issues. Selected representations of witches simultaneously consolidated folklorist beliefs and connected them with the idea of witchcraft as a heresy, which was especially encouraged by the Church.

8

Dzieci w procesach o czary. Casus Prus Książęcych w XVII wieku

75%

Wijaczka J.

Zapiski Historyczne

|

2014

|

vol. 79

|

issue 1

101-116

EN

The article focuses on the presence of children in witchcraft trials in the Duchy of Prussia (Brandenburg-Prussia) in the 17th century – in the period when their participation and signifi cance increased rapidly. The chronology of children’s witchcraft trials in the Duchy of Prussia indicates that they did not appear until the last decades of the 17th century, which constituted a delay in comparison with the Reich, France and Sweden where the climax of witchcraft trials had already passed. Another aspect that diff ered the Duchy of Prussia from its western members was the low incidence of children’s trials (merely three) as compared with the general number of witchcraft trials in the years 1670–1700 in the area (seventy-two). The Royal Court contributed significantly to the fact of children’s trials being so infrequent mainly in the second half of the 17th century as its judges alleviated severe sentences given by the municipal courts. It should be noted that not even one case of a child’s being the initiator of a witchcraft trial in the Duchy of Prussia is known.

9

Witch-Hunt in the Twenty-First Century. Helen Ukpabio’s Activity and Its Consequences – An Analysis of the Phenomenon

75%

Ciążela A.

Studies in Global Ethics and Global Education

|

2016

|

issue 6

42-53

EN

The aim of the paper is to describe and analyze the activities of Helen Ukpabio, a Nigerian preacher, who operates in the Akwa Ibom state. She combines elements of Christianity with African traditions in order to induce the fear of witches in people. Her activities bring forth massive expulsions of the accused of witchcraft children from their homes and villages. The Nigerian’s actions have met with a protest of the humanitarian organizations defending human rights. The article attempts to analyze the phenomenon in the social and cultural context, as well as to reflect on it from the perspective of universal humanistic values.

10

Matki, córki i siostry. Językowo-kulturowa realizacja więzi rodzinnych w czarownictwie

63%

Piasecki T.

Tematy z Szewskiej

|

2017

|

issue Rodzina 2(19)2017

85-95

PL

Współczesne czarownictwo wykorzystuje kategorię rodzinności do tworzenia rytualnych więzi między członkami grupy. Quasi-rodzinność służy do wyzyskania kulturowo kodowanych wartości bliskości, zaufania, pomocy i dziedziczności. Przejawia się to także w planie językowym. Czarownice wypracowały grupy leksykalne odnoszące się do relacji pokrewieństwa z sacrum oraz pokrewieństwa między sobą. Ma to swoje źródło już w relacji mitycznej o początkach tego nurtu magicznego.

EN

Modern witchcraft uses the family category to create ritual ties between members of the group. Quasi- family is used to exploit culturally encoded values of proximity, trust, help and heredity. This is also Modern witchcraft uses the family category to create ritual ties between members of the group. Quasi-family is used to exploit culturally encoded values of proximity, trust, help and heredity. This is also

11

Las brujas y la mitología vasca en El guardián invisible de Fernando González Molina: de la tradición oral al lenguaje cinematográfico

63%

Gajewska M. A.

Estudios Hispánicos

|

2019

|

vol. 27

95-103

EN

The article investigates the way the oral tradition of Basque mythology and folkloric tales of witches resonate in the cinematographic language of the film El guardian invisible by Fernando Gonzalez Molina, which presents the investigation of the killings of young girls in Navarra. The study is based on anthropological and morphological analysis which intends to find the meanings expressed by means of filmic expression related to the contents and topics of our interest. The world presented in the film is marked by the presence of supernatural powers, the quality of which may be observed in both the contents and form of the film. The motives of the mythology correspond to the way of presenting them in an oral story. Regarding the image of witchery, it seems to be inspired by the vision which led the inquisitioners to the zone in question. The film refers to the stories of the trials of witches and presents both witch-hunting and genocide of free women. At the same time, it criticises popular culture and its negative influence on creating the prejudicial image of witches.

12

„Nie pozwolisz żyć czarownicy” (Wj 22,17). W poszukiwaniu właściwego zrozumienia jednego ze starotestamentalnych praw

63%

Lemański J.

Studia Koszalińsko-Kołobrzeskie

|

2019

|

issue 26

11-32

PL

Przepis prawny z Wj 22,17 służył dawniej jako argument scrypturystyczny, uzasadniający „polowania na czarownice”. Jego właściwa interpretacja, mimo tego, że składa się praktycznie z trzech słów, nie jest jednak wcale taka łatwa. Przegląd opinii na ten temat pokazuje złożoność tego problemu. W tym artykule przepis biblijny pokazany został na tle innych starożytnych praw. Porównanie pozwala sądzić, że obawy przed szkodliwymi czarami były obecne we wszystkich kulturach otaczających starożytny Izrael. Teksty biblijne z rdzeniem kšp, zastosowanym w Wj 22,17, także pokazują dużą skalę praktykowania opisywanych nim czarów i stały, negatywny stosunek to nich. Sam przepis z Wj 22,17 może być pozostałością dawnego, lokalnego „kompleksu czarownicy”, wyrazem obaw przed skutkami złej magii. Mógł on pierwotnie dotyczyć jakiejś specyficznej formy czarów, uprawianej przez kobiety. Od momentu umieszczenia go w Kodeksie Przymierza, nabiera już jednak rangi ogólnonarodowej i staje się elementem walki o czystość jahwizmu. Nie ma pewności, czy sankcja w nim obecna oznacza karę śmierci, rodzaj ekskomuniki, banicję czy jakiś niesprecyzowany rodzaj kary, powalający na doraźne działanie w zależności od sytuacji i skali zagrożenia.

EN

In the past, the legal article from Ex 22,17 served as a scripturistic argument justifying the “witch-hunt”. Its correct interpretation, despite its length, is not so easy. The review of the opinions on this topic shows its complexity. The article shows the biblical law against other ancient ones. The comparison suggests that the fears of harmful spells were current in all cultures of ancient Israel. The biblical texts with the kšp core used in Ex 22,17 also show a large scale of practicing the spells and the constant, negative attitude to them. The law from Exodus 22,17 may be a remnant of the former local “witch complex”, the sign of fear of the effects of evil magic. It could originally refer to a specific form of spells cultivated by women. Since it was placed in the Covenant Code, it has become national turned into a part of the struggle for the purity of Jahvism. However, there is no certainty whether the presented sanction means the death penalty, a kind of excommunication, banishment or some unspecified type of punishment which allow to take a temporal action depending on the situation and the scale of the threat.

13

PROCES WRÓŻBITY BAZYLEGO MAKSYMOWICZA (1741)

63%

Cichy-Kowalska M.

Rocznik Przemyski

|

2017

|

vol. 53

|

issue 1(20): Historia

35-47

EN

An unusual witch trial took place in Przemyśl in 1741. One Bazyli Maksymowicz – a village diviner, herbalist and healer – was accused of consorting with witches and deceiving people for his own profit. The local people would ask him, for example, to send evil spirits, find stolen belongings or illnesses. The one who helped him out in that was Maryna Kuliczka, a witch from a village called Załuże. Original, so-far unpublished court records of that trial have been kept in the National Archive in Przemyśl.

14

Czarownictwo jako wyzwanie dla bezpieczeństwa społecznego - przypadek Tanzanii

51%

Cichecka A.

Forum Politologiczne

|

2014

|

vol. 16 - Konteksty bezpieczeństwa w Afryce. Problemy globalne, sektorowe, regionalne, lokalne

345-391

EN

The article outlines the issues of witchcraft in Tanzania in the context of related social consequences. The article discusses the historical background of the phenomenon of witchcraft, process of bureaucratization of witchcraft in the colonial period and current press releases and position of local NGOs in this regard. The main conclusion which follows from the considerations contained in the text is that the phenomenon of witchcraft is associated with social security in Tanzania, where social security is defined as the absence of threats to life, property and the health of individuals, and protection against discrimination. Among the groups most vulnerable to the negative consequences associated with witchcraft are older and single women and albinos.

15

The Banda Infanta. On Gender’s Unspeakable Truth

51%

Eggen W.

Studia Gdańskie

|

2018

|

issue 42

189-207

EN

On gender’s unspeakable truth. The genders’ social role is arguably of prime interest to a young woman entering adult life. Calling her the Infanta, after Velasquez’ famous painting of the Spanish Princess, this article looks at the Central-African Republic, the Banda society, to analyze what is implied for a girl at her initiation ritual, given the striking use of the their term for ‘mother’ (əyi), not just to indicate the genetrix and any female, fertile and imposing creature, but also to designate owners of property, male or female, and masters or incumbents of a social position. With the mother-related social domain offering solace for patrilineal demands, and notably for the menace of witchcraft, it appears that this remarkable term presents a basic value that transcends all gender differentiations, and the rivalries they involve.

PL

Społeczna rola płci wydaje się należeć do zasadniczych obszarów zainteresowań młodej kobiety, wchodzącej w dorosłe życie. Autor nazywa ją infantką, nawiązując do słynnego obrazu hiszpańskiej księżniczki Velasqueza. W oparciu o własne antropologiczne badania środkowoafrykańskiej społeczności Banda analizuje, co kryje się za zaskakującym użyciem pojęcia „matka” (əyi). Określa ono bowiem nie tylko rodzicielkę i każdą kobietę, istotę płodną i dużą, ale także właścicieli mienia – mężczyzn lub kobiety, a także panów lub osoby zajmujące wysoką pozycję społeczną. Sfera społeczna związana z matką niesie ukojenie w zestawieniu z wymaganiami patrylinearnymi, szczególnie wobec zagrożenia czarną magią. Jednocześnie ten znaczący termin przedstawia podstawową wartość, która przekracza wszelkie różnice i rodzące się z nich antagonizmy.

16

„Co to są czary? Co za znaki ich?”

51%

Sawicki M.

Studia Historyczne

|

2018

|

vol. 61

|

issue 3 (243)

17-32

PL

„What Is Witchcraft? What Signify It ?” Lithuanian Sermons and Methods against Witchcraft from the End of 17th and 18th Centuries Witchcraft as a crime attracted the attention of Polish-Lithuanian society in many aspects at the turn of 17th and 18th centuries. On the one hand, it was connected with a belief in its efficiency, in the existence of witches and sorcerers, and their covenant with the devil. The article analyzes two manuscripts: a prayer „Modlitwa przeciwko czarom i niebezpieczeństwom” and a sermon „Jako się strzedz czarów i potwarzy o nie”. The sermon utilizes contemporary rhetoric, stresses the importance of sin and appeals to the receivers through fear. What is somewhat surprising, the text maintains that most witchcraft happened with God’s permission, as God allows the devil to function in the society. The preacher was very skillful in using listeners’ emotions, building suspension and condemning peoples’ sins and bad deeds. There is no doubt he managed to attract the attention of the audience and had a real impact on the surrounding reality.

17

Małżeńska przeszkoda impotencji i oziębłości płciowej w świetle akt poznańskiego konsystorza z XV wieku

51%

Biniaś-Szkopek M.

Kwartalnik Historyczny

|

2019

|

vol. 126

|

issue 2

EN

Małżeństwo od wieków stanowiło podstawę budowania społeczeństw, a jego zadaniem było spłodzenie i przygotowanie do życia kolejnego pokolenia. W takim rozumieniu impotencja traktowana była jako poważny problem uniemożliwiający inicjację związku. Księgi konsystorskie z terenu diecezji poznańskiej z lat 1404–1425 zawierają 22 przypadki spraw małżeństw, w których wystąpił problem impotencji. Na ich podstawie autorka odpowiada na pytania dotyczące przyczyn pojawienia się i sposobów rozwiązywania podobnych kwestii przez sądy kościelne. For centuries, marriage was the bedrock of societies, and its purpose was to beget children and prepare them for the future life. In such context, impotence was regarded as an important lack of physical capacity for consummation of the marital union. The consistorial records of the Poznań Diocese from the years 1404–25 include 22 instances of the marriages with the problem of impotence. On their basis the author answers the questions about their origins and solutions of similar matters proposed by the ecclesiastical courts.

18

Niemieccy kupcy i czarownica w Krakowie w 1642 r.

51%

Kowalski W.

Odrodzenie i Reformacja w Polsce

|

2021

|

vol. 64

57-70

EN

On 25 October 1642, Adam Fister, a Cracow merchant, reported to the local justice that the Lübeck tradesman Casper Bekman had recurred to magical practices with the help of the witch he visited at the Spital Garden, behind the city walls, near St Florian’s Gate. Next to the Spital, serving as an almshouse, there was a cemetery with the graves discovered in 1837. They were groundlessly connected with the Polish Brethren, and this false interpretation has its continuation today in the name of Arian St., downtown Cracow. In fact, the hospital and the graveyard belonged to the local Lutheran congregation, and the Cracow merchants whose opinions Fister recalled at the court were its members.

PL

25 października 1642 r. krakowianin Adam Fister zdał relację miejscowemu wójtowi o magicznych rytuałach odprawianych na prośbę lubeckiego kupca Kaspra Bekmana przez czarownicę w ogrodzie szpitalnym za murami miejskimi, nieopodal Bramy Floriańskiej. Wzmiankowany w źródle szpital-przytułek sąsiadował z cmentarzem, którego groby odkryto w 1837 r. Połączono je wtedy bezpodstawnie z braćmi polskimi, a współczesnym świadectwem tej fałszywej tradycji jest ul. Ariańska. Faktycznie szpital i cmentarz należały do miejscowej gminy luterańskiej, jej członkami byli zaś zapewne wymienieni w źródle krakowscy kupcy.

19

Czarownica w literaturze polskiego oświecenia. Stereotyp i płeć

51%

Kowalewska D., Dr hab. prof. UMK U. M. K., jurans@umk.pl

Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Litteraria Polonica

|

2016

|

vol. 34

|

issue 4

EN

The article focuses on the image of witches in the iconography, literature, and imagination of the inhabitants of Early Modern Europe (from the late Middle Ages to the Enlightenment). It endeavours to explain whether the role and function of magical figures in Early Modern literature is conditioned by gender and by the conviction that magic is related to the biological functions of women. I will also attempt to determine how the stereotype of the witch emerged and whether its function in literaturę was influenced by the changed relations between the sexes in the 18th century. Although the main area of interest are works in Polish, numerous references to foreign literature are also made.

20

Obraz czarownicy w najnowszej polskiej historiografii procesów o czary w czasach wczesnonowożytnych

51%

Manyś B.

Acta Universitatis Lodziensis. Folia Historica

|

2020

|

issue 107

59-77

EN

In the paper the author intended to characterize the image of the witch-woman, as it is shown by the Polish historiography of the witch trials during the early modern period, in the light of the current studies, focusing on the female one. In this context, a number of questions present themselves and one of the purposes of this article is to find answers to the following questions, i.e.: on which factors research focus, while characterizing women accused of the witchcraft; was accusing of the doing evil and cooperation with the devil connected with the particular variables (sex, biological feature of a woman), or was it rather an outcome of the belonging to the particular social group, or maybe even a result of the economic situation in those days. In this article there is also raised a question: how much the recent findings overthrow the stereotype of the witch, which is consolidated in the folk memory of the citizens of Poland. The concepts presented in the following paper are intended to be the starting point of the discussion about the said problem. According to that, this article is not the review of the research focused on magic, witchcraft or witch trials, nor the summary of the Catholic Church attitude, which was widely discussed in the past research papers.

PL

W artykule podjęto próbę charakterystyki obrazu kobiety-czarownicy, jaki wyłania się w polskiej historiografii procesów o czary toczących się w dobie wczesnonowożytnej w świetle prowadzonych badań nad niewiastą. W tym kontekście nasuwa się szereg pytań, na które próbowano udzielić odpowiedzi w artykule, m.in.: na jakie czynniki zwracają uwagę badacze charakteryzujący kobiety oskarżone o czary, czy posądzenie o czynienie zła i spółkowanie z diabłem uzależnione było od konkretnych czynników (płci, funkcji biologicznych kobiety), czy raczej wynikało z przynależności do konkretnej grupy społecznej, bądź też warunkowane było sytuacją gospodarczą, w jakiej przyszło żyć oskarżonym. Postawiono również pytanie, na ile dotychczasowe ustalenia obalają stereotyp czarownicy utrwalony w zbiorowej pamięci mieszkańców Rzeczypospolitej. Prezentowane rozważania stanowią punkt wyjścia do dalszej dyskusji w zakresie analizowanego problemu. Nie stanowi on zatem przeglądu czy też rewizji badań nad magią, czarami i procesami, a także stanowiska Kościoła katolickiego, które szeroko zostało omówione w dotychczasowych pracach.

Refine search results

„Krokodyle przemienione" i kontrakty z duchami: czarownicy w kulturach Gwinei Bissau

The Roma sorceress in 18th century Hungarian sources

A review of Emma Wilby’s The Visions of Isobel Gowdie: Magic, Witchcraft and Dark Shamanism in Seventeenth-Century Scotland (Sussex University Press, 2010)

Tracing the African Origins of Obeah (Obia): Some Conjectures and Inferences from the History of Benin Kingdom

In and Around Salem – The Cultural and Legal Aspects of Witch and Wizard Hunting and Their Trials

POLSKA HISTORIOGRAFIA PROCESÓW O CZARY. ZARYS PROBLEMU

Obrazując czarownice – niedocenione źródło w badaniach początków kształtowania się stereotypu czarownicy

Dzieci w procesach o czary. Casus Prus Książęcych w XVII wieku

Witch-Hunt in the Twenty-First Century. Helen Ukpabio’s Activity and Its Consequences – An Analysis of the Phenomenon

Matki, córki i siostry. Językowo-kulturowa realizacja więzi rodzinnych w czarownictwie

Las brujas y la mitología vasca en El guardián invisible de Fernando González Molina: de la tradición oral al lenguaje cinematográfico

„Nie pozwolisz żyć czarownicy” (Wj 22,17). W poszukiwaniu właściwego zrozumienia jednego ze starotestamentalnych praw

PROCES WRÓŻBITY BAZYLEGO MAKSYMOWICZA (1741)

Czarownictwo jako wyzwanie dla bezpieczeństwa społecznego - przypadek Tanzanii

The Banda Infanta. On Gender’s Unspeakable Truth

„Co to są czary? Co za znaki ich?”

Małżeńska przeszkoda impotencji i oziębłości płciowej w świetle akt poznańskiego konsystorza z XV wieku

Niemieccy kupcy i czarownica w Krakowie w 1642 r.

Czarownica w literaturze polskiego oświecenia. Stereotyp i płeć

Obraz czarownicy w najnowszej polskiej historiografii procesów o czary w czasach wczesnonowożytnych