Book
Witchcraft, Witches and Violence in Ghana
(2015)
Abstract
Witchcraft-related violence is a feature of many societies in Africa. In Ghana, as in many African societies, belief in witchcraft and the supposed evil activities of witches is widespread. Witches are blamed for all manner of misfortunes including various illnesses, disease epidemics and untimely deaths. Witches are also accused of ruining marriages, causing car accidents and making men impotent and women barren. According to the book, in Ghana, accused witches are typically female, elderly, poor and marginalized. The book notes that childhood socialization or learning in Ghanaian homes and schools, exposure to the mass media, and other institutional mechanisms operate together to ensure that witchcraft beliefs are transmitted across generations and entrenched over time. Witchcraft, Witches, and Violence in Ghana provides a detailed account of Ghanaian witchcraft beliefs and practices and their role in fueling violent attacks by aggrieved individuals and groups on these alleged witches.
Keywords
- witchcraft,
- witch hunts,
- witches,
- witches camps,
- witchcraft trials,
- ghana
Disciplines
Publication Date
Fall August 28, 2015
Publisher
Berghahn Books
ISBN
978-1-78238-560-8
Citation Information
Mensah Adinkrah. Witchcraft, Witches and Violence in Ghana. New York and Oxford(2015) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mensah_adinkrah/1/