The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity

by David Graeber

Even in more recent times, the danger of being accused of witchcraft was deployed against office holders to ensure that none could accumulate any appreciable advantage over their fellows – particularly in wealth. Here we have to return to the Iroquoian theory about dreams as repressed desires, mentioned earlier in the chapter. One interesting twist of this theory is that it was considered the responsibility of others to realize a fellow community member’s dream: even if one dreamed of appropriating a neighbour’s possession, it could only be refused at the risk of endangering their health. To do so was considered beyond awkward; almost socially impossible. Even if one did it would cause outraged gossip, and very possibly bloody revenge: if somebody was thought to have died because somebody else refused to grant a soul wish, his or her relatives might retaliate physically, or by supernatural means.