Witchcraft and Sorcery in Rhodesia

by J.R. Crawford

Originally published in 1967, this book is a study of witchcraft and sorcery among the Shona, Ndebele and Kalanga peoples of Zimbabwe. It analyses in their social context verbatim evidence and confessions from a comprehensive series of judicial records. It provides the first systematic demonstration of the importance and the exstent to which such sources can be used to make a detailed analysis of the character and range of beliefs and motives. The main emphasis is on witchcraft and sorcery beliefs, the nature of accusations, confessions and divination, btoh traditional and as practised by members of the Pentecostal Church.

328 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2020

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thoughtful examination of traditional beliefs and witchcraft in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) based on court records and statistical analysis of reported incidents reinforced with comprehensive research into a complex and difficult subject.