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Journal articles on the topic 'Magical powers'
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TSUKAKOSHI, Nami. "Adults' Belief in Imaginary Characters or Magical Powers." Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the Japanese Psychological Association 75 (September 15, 2011): 2PM108. http://dx.doi.org/10.4992/pacjpa.75.0_2pm108.
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Ayatullah, Humaeni. "RITUAL MAGI DALAM BUDAYA MASYARAKAT MUSLIM BANTEN." IBDA` : Jurnal Kajian Islam dan Budaya 13, no. 2 (October 10, 2015): 26–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.24090/ibda.v13i2.660.
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This article discusses various magical rituals and their meaningsfor Muslim society of Banten. How the meanings and functions of rituals; what kinds of magical rituals used and practiced by Muslim society of Banten become two main focuses of this article; besides, it also tries to analyze how Muslim society of Banten understand the various magical rituals. This article is the result of a field research using ethnographical method based on anthropological perspective. To analyze the data, the researcher uses structural-functional approach. Library research, participant-observation, and depth-interview are the methods used to collectthe data. Performing various magical rituals for the practicians of magic in Banten is a very important action that must be conducted by the magicians or someone who learns magical sciences. Magical ritual becomes an important condition for the successfulness of magic. If they do not this, there is a belief that they will fail in obtaining the magical effects. Magical ritual should be also conducted in certain places and certain time withvarious magical formula and magical actions under the supervision of magicians. The use of these magical rituals becomes a portrait of the pragmatical life style of Bantenese society who still believes in magical powers.
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Moore, H. "Review: Plots and Powers: Magical Structures in Medieval Narrative." Review of English Studies 56, no. 223 (February 1, 2005): 137–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/res/hgi019.
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Hurd, Heidi M. "The Moral Magic of Consent." Legal Theory 2, no. 2 (June 1996): 121–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1352325200000434.
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We regularly wield powers that, upon close scrutiny, appear remarkably magical. By sheer exercise of will, we bring into existence things that have never existed before. With but a nod, we effect the disappearance of things that have long served as barriers to the actions of others. And, by mere resolve, we generate things that pose significant obstacles to others' exercise of liberty. What is the nature of these things that we create and destroy by our mere decision to do so? The answer: the rights and obligations of others. And by what seemingly magical means do we alter these rights and obligations? By making promises and issuing or revoking consent When we make promises, we generate obligations for ourselves, and when we give consent, we create rights for others. Since the rights and obligations that are affected by means of promising and consenting largely define the boundaries of permissible action, our exercise of these seemingly magical powers can significantly affect the lives and liberties of others.
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Rybarczyk-Dyjewska, Joanna. "Без четырех углов дом не строится — rosyjskie ludowe praktyki magiczne związane z gospodarstwem domowym." Przegląd Wschodnioeuropejski 8, no. 2 (November 1, 2018): 319–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.31648/pw.3590.
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The aim of the present work is a presentation of Russian folk magical practices connected with the running of a home. The first part of the article reflects on the significance of the home (it symbolism) in Eastern Slavonic culture as well as belief in the magical powers of the spirits protecting the homestead. The second part of the article analyses pragmatically the spells from the group домоведческие и хозяйственные заговоры [domestic and household spells]. The characterised material shows that the verbal magical interaction was based first and foremost on the use of an arousal strategy, being the categorical significance of the imperative mood.
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Diamond, Arlyn. "Plots and Powers: Magical Structures in Medieval Narrative. Anne Wilson." Speculum 78, no. 4 (October 2003): 1427–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0038713400101526.
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Kiguru, Gatitu, Phyllis W. Mwangi, Purity M. Nthiga, and Caryn Kimuyu. "Language and Witchcraft as a Trade: Insights from, Machakos County, Kenya." Revista Internacional de Organizaciones, no. 23 (September 18, 2019): 59–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.17345/rio23.59-77.
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Witchcraft is defined as the use of magical powers for healing, seeing into the future, causing harm or for religion. The belief in the powers of witchcraft is widespread in Africa. Due to these perceived magical powers people from different walks of life seek for various forms of treatments from witchdoctors. As such, witchcraft in Africa is a trade complete with a marked use of language that sustains in in modern society. This article reports on an analysis of language used by witchdoctors in Machakos County in Kenya, and respondents’ views about witchcraft. The objectives of the study were twofold. One was to identify and describe the language strategies that mark witchcraft as trade. The second objective was to explore the socio-psychological factors governing the use of the language by witchdoctors. Two witchdoctors were purposively sampled: one male and one female. The primary data were collected through recorded interviews of the witchdoctors. It was found that the witchdoctors use various language strategies to attract and retain clientele and that these strategies are a factor of the socio-psychological environment in which the witchdoctors operate. Moreover, the study established that witchdoctor still find relevance in the modern Kenyan society because of prevalent beliefs about social and medical problems. This paper thus argues that language is an important tool in the witchcraft trade that serves to purposely obscure meaning in order to shroud the trade in secrecy, enhance social exclusion and consequently sustain the belief in the magical powers of the witchdoctors.
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Suweta, I. Made. "Holy Bali scriptures in usada Bali traditional medicine." International journal of linguistics, literature and culture 7, no. 6 (October 20, 2021): 441–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.21744/ijllc.v7n6.1948.
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Based on the study in this paper, several things were found as the results of the study as follows. The forms of Balinese script used by shamans in traditional Balinese medicine include scripts that are classified as: wijaksara script, modre script, and wresastra/swalalita script with various script equipment as attributes. The functions of Balinese script which are classified as sacred scripts used in traditional Balinese medicine are: as a symbol of God in its various manifestations, as a symbol of the universe, and as a symbol of the human body. The meaning of the Balinese script used in traditional Balinese medicine is: praying to God in various holy powers of God, asking for life energy so that the person being treated can be healthy as before, can absorb magical religious energy so that the medicinal infrastructure used to treat the sick has power religious magical efficacious to treat.
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Audissino, Emilio. "Bicycles, Airplanes and Peter Pans: Flying Scenes in Steven Spielberg's Films." CINEJ Cinema Journal 3, no. 2 (October 13, 2014): 103–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.5195/cinej.2014.111.
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In Steven Spielberg's cinema the flight is a recurring theme. Flying scenes can be sorted into two classes: those involving a realistic flight – by aircraft – and those involving a magical flight – by supernatural powers. The realistic flight is influenced by the war stories of Spielberg's father – a radio man in U.S. Air-force during WWII – and it is featured in such films as Empire of the Sun (1987), Always (1989), and 1941 (1979). The magical flight is influenced by James M. Barries' character Peter Pan (Peter and Wendy, 1911), which is quoted directly in E.T. the Extraterrestrial (1982) and, above all, in Hook (1991), which is a sequel to Barrie's story. These two types of flying scenes are analysed as to their meanings, compared to the models that influenced them, and surveyed as to their evolution across Spielberg's films. A central case study is the episode The Mission from Amazing Stories (1985), in which the realistic and the magical flights overlap.
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Fonseca, Rui Carlos. "The ring, the gown, and the apple: the role of magical objects in the Byzantine vernacular romance Kallimachos and Chrysorroi." Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies 44, no. 2 (October 2020): 244–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/byz.2020.4.
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Magical objects play an important role in the fourteenth-century Byzantine vernacular romance Kallimachos and Chrysorroi, not due to their supernatural powers, but rather in order to make the chivalric status of the romance hero stand out, inasmuch as he does not resort to any of them to achieve his goals.
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Oruene, Taiwo. "Magical Powers of Twins in the Socio-Religious Beliefs of the Yoruba." Folklore 96, no. 2 (January 1985): 208–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0015587x.1985.9716349.
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Torres, Brant M. "Other(ed) powers: methodologies and scholarship on obeah and other magical practices." Atlantic Studies 12, no. 2 (April 3, 2015): 267–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14788810.2015.1029251.
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Humaeni, Ayatullah. "KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA KEKUATAN GAIB DALAM MANTRA MASYARAKAT MUSLIM BANTEN." El-HARAKAH (TERAKREDITASI) 16, no. 1 (June 30, 2014): 51. http://dx.doi.org/10.18860/el.v16i1.2769.
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This article discusses various forms, functions, and meanings of mantra (magical formula) of Bantenese. How Bantenese understands mantra, what kinds of mantra used, and how Bantenese make use of various kinds of mantra in their life become three main focuses. It is the result of a field research using ethnographic method with the descriptive qualitative design based on anthropological perspective. To analyze the data, structural-functional approach is employed. Library research, participant-observation, and in depth interview are used to collect the data. The mantra tradition in Banten is a part of verbal folklore. Mantra is a tribal sacred prayer containing supernatural powers. The Bantenese mantra is a cultural product of the syncretic elements between local belief and religious traditions. For Bantenese, mantra is one of oral tradition treasures integrated to other cultural treasures. Its existence is still needed by Bantenese up to the present. In certain cases, the tradition of Bantenese mantra is an alternative of the traditional social institution when the formal institution is no longer able to accommodate their interests and practical needs. The use mantra for various purposes becomes a portrait of the pragmatical life style of Bantenese who still believe in magical powers.
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Хахулина, Лидия, Lidiya Khakhulina, Федор Поволкович, and Fedor Povolkovich. "Sculptural heritage of Karafuto period in touristic area on Sakhalin: "koma-inu"." Service & Tourism: Current Challenges 8, no. 1 (March 31, 2014): 69–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.12737/3409.
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The article discusses the peculiarities of Shinto sculptural constructions that are part of Japanese shrine complex"Djindja". Special attention is paid to the stone dogs and lions which performed the function of sacred gates guards and possessed magical powers. The article presents statistical analyses of sculptural objects of religious character located on Sakhalin island as a heritage of Karafuto period.
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Nurhikmah, Nurhikmah. "KOMUNIKASI TRASENDENTAL." KOMUNIDA : MEDIA KOMUNIKASI DAN DAKWAH 7, no. 2 (June 1, 2017): 139–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.35905/komunida.v7i2.476.
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Human ability to communicate is not limited to fellow human beings, but rather, also communicates with a Essence deemed to be God, God, or objects believed to have magical powers. Realization of human beliefs manifests slavery to God worthy of adoration through trasendental communication. Trasendental communication in Islam can be done through various media known as rituals of worship, both mandatory worship and worship of sunnah. Continuing worship is done in every day among other prayers
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Umam, Fuadul. "ANALISIS MAKNA SIMBOLIS TRADISI SEDEKAH BUMI (NYADRAN) DAN PENDIDIKAN ISLAM DI KAPLONGAN LOR, INDRAMAYU." Mozaic : Islam Nusantara 6, no. 2 (March 26, 2021): 115–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.47776/mozaic.v6i2.148.
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The cultural reality of Indonesia, which is diverse in ethnicity, different traditions, as well as religions and traditions that smell of myths is the basis of social and cultural life. The Indonesian nation has long believed in supernatural powers that rule this universe. This is proven by various historical records regarding various kinds of traditional ceremonies and rituals. Some of these supernatural powers are considered beneficial and detrimental. For this reason, it is believed by some that humans always need to strive to soften the hearts of the owners of magical powers by holding ritual ceremonies, pilgrimages, offerings, and vows, including certain artistic performances. The tradition of earth alms (nyadran) in Kaplongan Lor, Karangampel, Indramayu is one of the local wisdoms that combines Hindu-Buddhist and Islamic traditions. The symbolic meaning contained in it makes a positive contribution to Islamic education for the younger generation in the region
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Pronin, Emily, Daniel M. Wegner, Kimberly McCarthy, and Sylvia Rodriguez. "Everyday magical powers: The role of apparent mental causation in the overestimation of personal influence." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 91, no. 2 (2006): 218–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.91.2.218.
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Vogelaar, Josien. "A RING WITH MAGICAL POWERS: DUTCH ARTISTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES JOIN THE FASHION PROJECT OUTSIDERWEAR." Cadernos CEDES 42, no. 116 (April 2022): 85–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/cc259067_in.
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ABSTRACT This article presents a collaborative project carried out with these outsider artists and a group of young Dutch creatives. The project initiated by the cultural entrepreneur Jan Hoek consists of creating a fashion label Outsiderwear, in which young creatives, mostly fashion designers, were matched with outsider artists from Outsider Art Studios in Amsterdam; working together, the pair developed a collection. The idea was to establish a structural collaboration between professional creatives and outsider artists. Data is presented using interviews in order to construct a case study.
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Exalto, John. "Witchcraft, Calvinism and Rural Society in the Netherlands: Storytelling in the Twentieth Century." Trajecta. Religion, Culture and Society in the Low Countries 29, no. 1 (July 1, 2020): 27–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.5117/tra2020.1.002.exal.
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Abstract The disenchantment of the world initiated by the Enlightenment was not a linear process. Folktales show that a magical world-view persisted in rural society until about 1900. An analysis of two types of folktales demonstrates that even in orthodox Calvinism there were people to whom witchcraft was ascribed. The persistence of belief in witchcraft must be explained both from the rural context and in light of orthodox Calvinism, which held a literal belief in the powers of good and evil personified by God and the devil.
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Hartmann, Marie. "Domini est salus. Gebetspraktische Aspekte in Text- und Bildausstattung des Amuletts Ms Princeton 235." Das Mittelalter 24, no. 2 (November 13, 2019): 409–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/mial-2019-0044.
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Abstract In medieval Europe, Christian amulets comprised of illuminations and/or script were considered powerful apotropaic shields. This article focuses on a single example, Ms Princeton 235. It is argued that this object primarily functions as a prayer aid rather than as a magical object. Comparable to rosaries or prayer nuts, this amulet conveys its assumed protective powers through specific devotional acts. Its textual program prefigures such pious practices, which include carrying the amulet above one’s heart, folding and unfolding it, reciting a profession of faith and the divine names, making the sign of the cross, and contemplatively looking at a miniature showing the Arma Christi. Through an analysis of how the textual and visual features of Ms Princeton 235 prompt devotional practices, its claim to mediate divine grace and power become comprehensible.
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Usongo, Kenneth. "The significance of magical realism in the novels of Elechi Amadi." Journal of Commonwealth Literature 54, no. 2 (January 6, 2017): 160–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0021989416684183.
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In the novels The Concubine and The Great Ponds, Elechi Amadi, through the magical realist tradition, revisits the precolonial past of the Ikwerre (Nigeria) to showcase the cultural and intellectual sophistication of this society. As represented in Amadi’s writing, this was a well-structured society with its own credible social and cultural values that defined and explained their worldview, with nothing to envy in the West. In The Concubine, for example, the fates of the men (Emenike, Madume, and Ekwueme) who intend to marry Ihuoma can be explained naturally as well as supernaturally. In The Great Ponds, the novelist employs African mythology to critique the Western arrogance and egocentricity that plunged the world in the purposeless and wasteful war of 1914–18, as well as complicating character and meaning in this novel through the supernatural. Through the war over fishing rights in the Wagaba pond between Chiolu and Aliakoro, Amadi transposes some of the consequences of the First World War, such as the death and suffering that involved the Central and Allied Powers, into his narrative. Amadi’s magical realist fiction is a celebration of indigenous beliefs and culture, as well as a tool to explore character and history.
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Vogelaar, Josien. "UM ANEL COM PODERES MÁGICOS: ARTISTAS HOLANDESES COM DEFICIÊNCIA INTELECTUAL UNEM-SE AO PROJETO OUTSIDERWEAR." Cadernos CEDES 42, no. 116 (April 2022): 85–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/cc259067_pt.
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RESUMO Este artigo apresenta um projeto de colaboração realizado com estes artistas outsiders e um grupo de criativos jovens holandeses. O projeto iniciado pelo empresário cultural Jan Hoek consiste na criação da marca de moda Outsiderwear, na qual jovens criativos, em sua maioria estilistas de moda, foram combinados com artistas dos Outsider Art Studios em Amsterdã; trabalhando juntos, a dupla desenvolveu uma coleção. A ideia era estabelecer uma colaboração estrutural entre criativos profissionais e artistas outsiders. Os dados são apresentados utilizando entrevistas para a construção de um estudo de caso.
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First, Grzegorz. "Polycephaly – Some Remarks on the Multi-Headed Nature of Late Egyptian Polymorphic Deities." Studies in Ancient Art and Civilisation 18 (December 30, 2014): 205–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.12797/saac.18.2014.18.13.
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One of the most intriguing motifs of Egyptian religious iconography is the representation of ‘pantheos’, a composite deity with additional animal heads and other animal attributes, as well as magical and religious symbols. This group is commonly described in Egyptology as pantheistic, although the new definition of ‘polymorphic’ has recently been proposed. This term does not lean towards any particular area of interpretation, but simply refers to a single visual aspect of the motif.The group of Late Egyptian, Ptolemaic and Roman objects with this type of representation consists of statuettes, magical stelae, amulets, illustrations on papyri and gems. The main feature of polymorphic deities is their additional animal elements, which are attached to the basic corpus. These elements are mostly heads, wings and other parts of the animal’s body, although polymorphic depictions also sometimes contain ithyphallic or androgynous elements. The most important element of polymorphic iconography and its interpretation is the multi-headed nature of the images. This suggests both that complicated thought processes created the composition of the depictions and that they had a close relationship to magic and religion. A polymorphic representation was not a simple visualisation of just one religious idea or god, but was testament to the diverse thinking behind popular and official beliefs in ancient Egypt in the second half of the 1st millennium BC and in later times. The debate on polymorphism centres either on the possible search for a personal, universal god with a solar, hidden aspect or focuses on the magical, practical dimension, which provided protection for the people from evil powers and dangers.
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SASMANDA, SIPA. "KEPERCAYAAN RELIGIUS-MAGIS MASYARAKAT PEDESAAN KECAMATAN JEROWARU LOMBOK TIMUR-NTB (Studi Terhadap Budaya Asli Masyarakat Yang Masih Eksis)." Historis | FKIP UMMat 1, no. 1 (February 15, 2018): 25. http://dx.doi.org/10.31764/historis.v1i1.206.
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Agama dan kepercayaan merupakan unsur dari kebudayaan maka dalam hal ini akan dikaji dengan menggunakan pendekatan budaya. Untuk lebih memahami kebudayaan Indonesia yang asli terutama dalam hal kepercayaan tentu kita harus melihat perjalanannnya dari perkambangan waktu yang ada atau perkembangan sejarahnya. Tulisan ini menkaji tentang kepercayaan religius-magis masyarakat pedesaan kecamatan Jerowaru Lombok Timur-NTB. Metode penelitian ini yaitu kualitatif. Penentuan subjek penelitian dilakukan secara purposif sampling. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan cara pengamatan, wawancara, dan dokumnetasi.pemeriksanaan keabsahan data menggunakan metode triangulasi. Hasil menunjukkan bahwa kepercayaan religius-magis masyarakat pedesaan kecamatan Jerowaru Lombok Timur-NTB masih terikat oleh kepercayaan religuis-magis yang pernah menjadi kepercayaan nenek moyang mereka. Beberapa unsur kepercayaan religius-magis yang masih di lestarikan oleh masyarakat seperti bebubus, kekuatan supranatural dari ketobok dan kemalik, percaya pada mantra-mantra yang dapat mengakibatkan kekebalan tubuh, percaya pada pelet, senggeger serta sengasih-asih dan lain sebagainya. Religion and beliefs are an element of culture then in this case will be studied using a cultural approach. To better understand indigenous Indonesian culture, especially in the case of belief, we must see the journey from the existing time mining or historical development. This paper examines the religious-magical belief of the rural community of Jerowaru sub-district, East Lombok-NTB. The method of this research is qualitative. Determination of research subjects conducted by purposive sampling. Data collection is done by observation, interview, and dokumnetasi.per checking data validity using triangulation method. The results show that the religious-magical belief of the rural community of Jerowaru sub-district of East Lombok-NTB is still bound by the religious-magical beliefs that were once the beliefs of their ancestors. Some elements of religious-magical beliefs that are still preserved by society such as bebubus, supernatural powers of ketobok and kemalik, believe in spells that can lead to immunity, believe in pellets, senggeger and merciful-asih and so forth.
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Humaeni, Ayatullah. "Penggunaan magic dalam politik lokal di Banten." Masyarakat, Kebudayaan dan Politik 27, no. 1 (January 1, 2014): 14. http://dx.doi.org/10.20473/mkp.v27i12014.14-26.
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Village-head elections frequently become unhealthy competitions among the candidate. They employ various ways to win the election, including using magical means. This article aims to explain social phenomena occur in local politics in the use of magic village-head elections in rural Banten; particularly in two sub-districts, Ciomas and Padarincang. It tries to answer several main research questions: (1) why do the candidates make use of magic during the village election process?; (2) what kinds of magic used by the candidates; (3) How does magic influence the winning chance of village head elections? (4) and how is the process of the magic usage during the village election process?. This article is the result of a field research using ethnographical method based on anthropological perspective. To analyze the data, the researcher uses structural-functional approach. Library research, participant-observation, and depth-interview are methods used to collect the data. Based on the result of field research, it can be concluded that almost all of the candidates in these two sub-districts made use of magic in order to win the village head elections. They visit several magicians and made use of their super natural powers for their own purposes. They believed that magical power possessed by these magicians could influence their winning chance in the village-head elections. Various fundamental reasons also become an important consideration why the candidates need to use magic in local politics process.
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Sabar, Shalom. "Torah and Magic: The Torah Scroll and Its Appurtenances as Magical Objects in Traditional Jewish Culture." European Journal of Jewish Studies 3, no. 1 (2009): 135–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/102599909x12471170467448.
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AbstractThis essay deals with a little noticed aspect of the Torah scroll in Jewish life and practice—namely, the usage of the scroll and its accessories in the context of sympathetic magic. The Torah is undoubtedly the holiest text in the Jewish tradition, and early on rabbinical authorities set a code that determined the fitting rules of conduct towards the scroll upon which it is written. In the course of time, the Torah scroll and the appurtenances associated with it emerged as the most sacred tangible objects in Jewish tradition and folk culture. Select Torah scrolls in various communities, especially in the lands of Islam, were elevated to a special position and were considered as possessing extraordinary protective powers. Aside from miraculous stories told about such scrolls, the popular beliefs in the power of the Torah scroll in general are best reflected in the ornamental appurtenances which enhanced the physical appearance of the sacred object. Thus, costly ceremonial objects such as the tik (Torah case) or rimonim (Torah finials) were decorated in several communities with magical designs and carefully selected texts, which reflect ideas of Jewish magic in general and are reminiscent of Hebrew amulets in particular.
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Agata Murroisa P., Daulat Saragi, and Phil Ichwan Azhari. "The Birth of Batak Toba Community in Kotapinang." Britain International of Linguistics Arts and Education (BIoLAE) Journal 2, no. 1 (March 20, 2020): 405–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.33258/biolae.v2i1.211.
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Toba Batak people believe that there is a rite that will be passed by all humans, namely: Birth, Marriage and death. When the process of birth, marriage and death take place then there is a belief that every time they pass through these rites, humans must hold a tradition that aims as gratitude for the achievement and to avoid disaster. The author takes the focus in the birth rite, because in this birth rite there is a belief in the Toba Batak community of supernatural powers that can interfere at any time than mothers and newborns. The Toba Batak people believe that every new mother and baby undergo surgery, both normally and through surgery in vulnerable and weak conditions so that efforts are needed to keep mothers and newborns away from the evil spirit's power. The Toba Batak community had long ago made various efforts aimed at keeping mothers and babies away from these evil forces, namely by making strings of leaves that had magical powers placed near the mother and newborn, installing fireplaces under the mattress in order to keep the evil forces unable to approach, because according to their beliefs, the evil forces did not dare to heat. From all these efforts, it turns out that the medical benefits of all these efforts can be explained, one of which is by placing a string of cereals, cereals can ward off mosquitoes, while the embers installed under the bed to keep mothers and newborns warm at night days and can recover immediately from the former operation of the birth process. All of these efforts have the aim of avoiding accidents, and this tradition has a path from the beginning of birth until seven days after birth, when arriving on the seventh day a thanksgiving event is known as Esek-esek. The author sees that there are many advantages to this tradition. Aside from keeping mothers and babies away from magical power, it can also be a place for community to gather, so that they can become a place of friendship between the far and near.
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Davidsen, Markus Altena. "What is Wrong with Pagan Studies?" Method & Theory in the Study of Religion 24, no. 2 (2012): 183–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/157006812x634881.
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Abstract This review essay takes a critical look at the new field of “pagan studies” by examining the Handbook of Contemporary Paganism. It demonstrates that pagan studies is dominated by the methodological principles of essentialism, exclusivism, loyalism and supernaturalism, and shows how these principles promote normative constructions of ‘pure’ paganism, insider interpretations of the data, and theological speculations about gods, powers, and a special “magical consciousness.” It seems thus that the methodological discussions in MTSR have little effect on pagan scholars. In the concluding discussion, I raise the questions why this is so, and how we might do better in promoting a naturalist and theoretically oriented approach to studying religion.
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Legomska, Julia. "Od czarów nad kołyską do magii językowej usieciowionej matki — ciągłość i zmienność charakteru magii języka matek." Język a Kultura 26 (February 22, 2017): 245–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.19195/1232-9657.26.20.
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From spells over the cradle to linguistic magic of a networked mother — continuity and change of the nature of mothers’ language magic The essay draws attention to the fact that, since the old days, in the case of frustration connected with the child mothers have reached out for words, they have used words to affect both internal, psychic reality and the external one. Magical acts by means of language are based on the world image shared by the sender and the recipient. Polish folk culture positively valued phenomena referring to Polish Catholic symbols, therefore these symbols constitute protective and benevolent powers evoked in folk lullabies. The author suggests looking at contemporary linguistic activities performed by mothers frustrated with staying with the child, which activities are presented in the analysed website magazine Bachor as activities which also make use of the language magic. According to the author, the difference lies in changing the cultural context of linguistic behaviour and associating them in particular with the defining technology. In contemporary mediatised society the power of “obligatory existence”, which was characteristic of magical speech activities, supports and intensifies the equation of media by recipients. Therefore, the author sees Bachor as the act of blocking the language of success which makes room only for parents who are “effective” and affirm positive feelings by introducing into reality — by means of words, words in media — incapable, frustrated parents who are full of negative feelings. The subject is discussed in adescriptive and not in an evaluative way.
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Chappell, Shelley. "Fantasy Motif Metaphors: Magical Powers as Exceptionality in Disney’s The Incredibles and Zizou Corder’s Lion Boy trilogy." Papers: Explorations into Children's Literature 18, no. 2 (December 1, 2008): 22–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.21153/pecl2008vol18no2art1164.
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While works of the fantasy genre convey literal stories which make sense according to the laws of their fictional worlds, the very impossibilities of these narratives invite further readings of their ‘secondary or tertiary levels of meaning’ (Bleiler 1983, p.vii; also see McGillis 1996a, p.72; Walsh 1981, p.38). Such readings have been generated through the analytical lenses of allegory, parable, fable, symbol and metaphor. A specific focus upon the operation of metaphor in recurrent fantasy motifs enables a precise analysis of fantasy’s secondary levels of meaning. Such a methodology scrutinises fantasy’s engagement with cultural assumptions and ideas, highlighting the ideological implications of fantasy and thus verifying fantasy’s inherent relevance to reality. This article aims to illustrate the value of this methodology by analysing the motif of magical powers as exceptionality in Disney’s The Incredibles (2003) and Zizou Corder’s Lion Boy trilogy (2003-2005).
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Fárek, Martin, and Pavel Horák. "Magic between Europe and India: On Mantras, Coercion of Gods, and the Limits of Current Debates." Religions 12, no. 2 (January 29, 2021): 87. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rel12020087.
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Several scholars have criticized the efforts to explain Indian mantras as spells, but much is left to clarification. Why do submission-versus-coercion characterizations keep reoccurring, albeit disputed? Why does the difference between this-worldly and other-worldly goals also keep its important role in discussions about mantras? Furthermore, how are these ideas tied to analyses of the beliefs of practitioners? We identify three main positions concerning mantras: They are explained as spells, prayers, or both at the same time. However, the criteria for determining whether mantras are magical practices or religious practices apparently allow for characterizing the very same mantra as either of the two or even as ‘magico-religious’. The general theories of magic are not able to explain this problem. In the last part of this article, we analyse the role that the concept of supernatural powers plays in the debates. It was a whole structure of interconnected ideas, deeply rooted in Christian belief in a biblical God and fallen angels, which formulated the dominant characterization of magical practices in modern scholarship on India. We propose a three-step scheme which shows how the originally coherent account of Christian theology gradually dissolved into a set of problematic ideas that have typified discussions of Indian mantras over the last six or more decades.
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Lesses, Rebecca. "Speaking with Angels: Jewish and Greco-Egyptian Revelatory Adjurations." Harvard Theological Review 89, no. 1 (January 1996): 41–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0017816000031801.
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How do human beings receive answers to the most urgent questions they have of the powers of heaven? How do celestial beings provide guidance for perplexed humans? People living around the Mediterranean in the first few centuries CE devised many ways of seeking heavenly guidance; one of them was adjuration, in which they commanded gods, angels, or daemons to appear on earth and both reveal the mysteries of the universe to them and answer their questions about the problems of daily life. Similar techniques of adjuration occur in the Greco-Egyptian ritual texts usually referred to as the Greek magical papyri, the early Jewish mystical works known as the hekhalot literature, andSefer ha-Razim, a collection of adjurations in Hebrew, heavily influenced by both Greco-Egyptian ritual texts and the hekhalot tradition of hymnology. These adjurations assume that human beings, through their knowledge of the correct invocations and divine names, possess the power to persuade or force the gods or angels to fulfill their desires.
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Gusenova, Djamilya Adamkadievna. "«Women's Practices» in Non-Canonical Pilgrimage in Islam." Islamovedenie 12, no. 2 (June 2, 2021): 71–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.21779/2077-8155-2021-12-2-71-83.
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Analysis of some «women's practices» in non-canonical pilgrimage in Islam revealed that the specification of these pilgrimage practices follows from such factors as the status and role position of a woman in society, her main functions in the family and community, as well as her psychoemo-tional nature. There is a tendency on the part of women to assign to sacred natural objects a super-natural character and to endow them with magical power. This can be clearly seen both at the level of systematization and theoretical analysis of similar studies, and after considering the results of the author’s small electronic sociological survey. 54,5 % of respondents believe to some extent that sa-cred objects indicated in the survey possess supernatural powers. The same surveys revealed syncre-tism between pagan objects of religious worship and Islamic attributes of the religious life of Dage-stanis. At the same time, the perception of some natural objects as sacred ones differs in the regions of the republic.
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Sidiq, Achmad. "KIDUNG RUMEKSA ING WENGI (Studi Tentang Naskah Klasik Bemuansa Islam)." Analisa 15, no. 01 (May 18, 2016): 127. http://dx.doi.org/10.18784/analisa.v15i01.328.
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<p>Kidung Rumeksa ing Wengi (precaution at night) is a song<br />composed by Sunan Kalijaga. He is one of Walisongo, Islamic<br />missioner in Java. He is well known because of his skills and wisdom<br />in propagating Islam with its source in Al 'Quran and Al-Hadist by<br />transforming it into Javanese community through various missionary<br />medium. One of them is his teaching in Javanese prayers (charms).</p><p><br />Prayers in Javanese are often in form of songs or charms<br />since it is believed has magical power for those who practice it. <br />Kidung Rumeksa ing Wengi, this charm is also known as "Mantra<br />Wedha ". So it called because it could attract magical powers to<br />protect and cure (Chodjim, 2003: 15).</p><p><br />Kidung Rumeksa ing Wengi contains theological<br />philosophic message in Dandhang Gula form that consists of nine <br />verses along with performing asceticism and its pragmatic function<br />specifically could protect the doer, especially at night. The first jive<br />verses must be performed at night and the rest four show how to<br />performance them. Spelling this charm will be protected from the<br />evil spirit, devil, and black magic such as: fortune telling and other<br />bad-intention people, and could be cured from all diseases.</p>
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Guskova, A. A. "Witches and goddesses in modern prose." Voprosy literatury, no. 6 (December 28, 2020): 84–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.31425/0042-8795-2020-6-84-96.
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The article deals with the evolution of female demonic characters appearing in literature since the classics to this day. In Russian classics, infernal females with magical powers were not uncommon: described by V. Zhukovsky, O. Somov, N. Gogol, A. Kuprin, etc., they were mostly treated as ‘abnormal’ or negative. The perception has changed dramatically in modern literature: a woman with connections to infernal powers (e. g. princess Tichert in A. Ivanov’s novel The Heart of Parma [Serdtse Parmy] or Rogneda in M. Galina’s Mole Crickets [Medvedki], etc.) is no longer a manifestly negative character. A. Guskova discovers that the contemporary infernal (or demonic) female character is not so much part of a love theme but is rather connected to the magic of the story’s location: the Urals in A. Ivanov’s book and Transdniestria in M. Galina’s, respectively. Also transformed is the nature of the contact between the heroine and the male protagonist: the impossibility of a constructive interaction and mortal danger (in classic prose) are replaced with a positive tone, granting the protagonist an opportunity for development.
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Malley, Brian. "The Bible in British Folklore." Postscripts: The Journal of Sacred Texts, Cultural Histories, and Contemporary Contexts 2, no. 2-3 (March 14, 2008): 241–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/post.v2i2.241.
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This article surveys magical and mantic uses of the Bible as attested in British folklore reports, with an eye to developing a model of the Biblicist tradition as that tradition was received by the British laity. The evidence shows that (1) in contrast to the church’s emphasis on the Bible’s meaning, the laity exploited the Bible’s textual and artifactual properties as supernatural means to practical ends; (2) charmers made use of particular biblical (or taken-for-biblical) texts, whereas the Bible generally was used in exorcisms, which seem to have remained the purview of clergy; (3) lay traditions about the Bible seem to have been focused on specific issues, though a general uncertainty about what powers Bibles might have is also indicated.
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Powers, Nathan. "Magic, wonder and Scientific Explanation in Apollonius, Argonautica 4.1638–93." Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society 48 (2002): 87–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0068673500000845.
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The last serious challenge faced by the Argonauts in Book 4 of Apollonius is Talos, a gigantic creature of bronze who keeps them from making a sorely needed landing on Crete. Exhausted from several days of uninterrupted rowing, Jason and his heroes despair of circumventing the brute. Medea, however, has a plan. With an extraordinary mental effort, she concentrates an immense rage in her face and eyes; this anger magically befuddles the giant, causing him to lose balance, scrape his ankle (the one vulnerable spot on his brazen body), and topple to his death. This is the final act of witchery performed by Medea in the Argonautica, and it is qualitatively different from her previous feats. Medea abandons the box of drugs and potions that have up to this point facilitated her magic, and casts a spell by ‘setting her mind to evil’ (θ∈μένη δὲ κακὸν νόον, 1669); the spell's effects are immediate and devastating. The reader is left with a vivid impression of Medea as a powerful sorceress, with magical capacities not necessarily expected in the shy young enchantress of Book 3. The Talos episode thus plays an important role within the epic as a whole, by gesturing to the larger story beyond it (best known to us, as to Apollonius, from Euripides' Medea) and to the yet more terrible powers Medea will reveal in time.
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Satriadi, Satriadi. "Delik Santet Dalam Konstruksi RUU-KUHP." Al-Adalah: Jurnal Hukum dan Politik Islam 5, no. 2 (July 16, 2020): 123–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.35673/ajmpi.v5i2.807.
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This study discusses witchcraft (santet) as one of the controversial offenses in the Criminal Code Bill. Socially, witchcraft (santet) is believed to be an act that can harm people, narrate, or even kill people. However, based on the principle of legality and the difficulty of proving, acts of witchcraft (santet) cannot be criminalized so it is not uncommon for people accused of being witchcraft (santet) to due of process of law. To analyze and understand the offense of witchcraft (santet) in the construction of the Draft Bill of the Criminal Code, this study utilizes normative legal research methods whose data are obtained through a literature study. The results showed that witchcraft (santet) as a criminal act was constructed into the category of the formal offense whose proof did not lead to the presence or absence of magical power possessed by someone, but criminalized was a criminal offense committed, namely a person who intentionally announced he had supernatural powers, offered his services in undertaking harm to others in the form of illness, death or mental or physical suffering.
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Darmadi, Hamid. "Dayak and Their Daily Life." JETL (Journal Of Education, Teaching and Learning) 2, no. 1 (March 31, 2017): 101. http://dx.doi.org/10.26737/jetl.v2i1.145.
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This article titled "Dayak and Daily Life" This paper aims to reveal the Dayak and in their daily life. Dayak is a native of Borneo has its own characteristics. Dayak, divided into 405 sub-sub clans [1]. Each sub Dayak both Indonesia and Malaysia are identical. Dayak customs and culture comes from the word "Power" which means upstream, to refer to people who live in inland areas or in the interior of Borneo. In the arsenal of art and culture, Dayak has many similarities such as; saber, chopsticks, beliong, betang, cupai, renjung, empajang and others. Dayak indigenous religion is Kaharingan which is the original religion born of the cultural ancestors of the Dayaks. Most of the Dayak people still adhere to the belief of the existence of unseen objects in certain places such as rocks, large trees, planting gardens in the forest, lakes, pools, and others are believed to have "magical powers". Daily life of the Dayaks in general farming, farming. When will open farming land, farming they held ritual.
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Sendyka, Pawel. "The Bacas and the Priests: How Old Adversaries Came Together to Revive and Reinterpret Tradition." Ethnologia Actualis 17, no. 2 (December 1, 2017): 8–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/eas-2018-0001.
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Abstract In the Polish pastoralist tradition there have always been two seminal community events which bracketed the winter season. There was the autumn event of “Redyk Jesienny” when the sheep brought back from the summer alpine pastures were given back to their owners and there was also a spring “Redyk” also called “Mieszanie Owiec” which literally means the Mixing of Sheep. Historically, it was an important event in which the head shepherd, or the baca had to use his magical knowledge to ensure that the big herd made up of sheep from the individual owners would keep together as one and produce enough milk to make this summer venture profitable. To do that he used magic spells and performed rituals learned from his predecessors. The bacas' magical knowledge was frequently in opposition to the powers of the priests who viewed them with suspicion. Today, this spring event of “Mieszanie Owiec” is much changed. It is no longer a private affair of the baca and the sheep owners. Frequently, it is a public event, a tourist attraction, with the priests often taking centre stage. There is even a new, “invented” tradition of region wide “Mieszanie” at the sanctuary of Ludźmierz. There, a small herd of around 200 sheep is symbolically used to bless all the herds going up the mountain pastures for the season. The paper examines how these traditions changed from old ethnographic descriptions and how they are evolving in a modern economic and social reality.
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Burgos, Diana. "The Queer Glow up of Hero-Sword Legacies in She-Ra, Korra, and Sailor Moon." Open Cultural Studies 5, no. 1 (January 1, 2021): 248–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/culture-2020-0135.
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Abstract The narratives within Sailor Moon Crystal, The Legend of Korra, and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power enlist gender fluid and queer protagonists to spearhead rebellions against the heteronormative domains of colonizers, imperialists, zealots, and hypercapitalistic military–industrial complexes. Magic is commodified by each villain; used to crown their exaggerated conquistador reputations and power their nuclear weapons. To defeat them and the toxic sociopolitical narratives and power paradigms they have spawned, Sailor Moon, Korra, Adora, and others must confront how these ideologies have stunted their power, corrupted their ethical systems, and distorted their understanding of their identities. By achieving self-actualization/self-acceptance and collaborating with their allies to do the same, they co-create new endings for themselves and reclaim a broader spectrum of gender and sexuality. Within the liminal moments of these reflective identity battles, protagonists and their allies enter a magical communal space, a social network for a Jungian collective unconscious. Here, they exchange their evolving powers, ideologies, and emotionally charged memories (her stories) and collaborate to liberate their communities. These champions, ambassadors of their (our) collective unconscious, urge us to commune within the liminal spaces of our social networks to self-actualize and collectively unearth a neohuman identity and system of governance.
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Menard, André. "The political vitality of Mapuche stones: Heteronomy and political decision-making." Journal of Material Culture 22, no. 3 (April 5, 2017): 334–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1359183517702683.
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In the ethnographic literature on Mapuche culture from the late 19th century to the present, there are many references to the existence of stones charged with symbolic, magical, religious and even political powers. These range from large rocks that are the object of collective worship to small stones that are put to (more-or-less) personal use. This article focuses on the political role of these stones. In many cases, they are depicted as subjects that form alliances with their owners and create the conditions for victories in politics and war thanks to their oracular powers and the force and prestige they confer. This article also includes an analysis of how these stones are inscribed in a certain logic of Mapuche decision-making, in which that activity is often moved to a heteronomous space (dreams, omens, divine voices and other signs) in which these stones seem to participate as subjects. This suggests that Mapuche society has a specific relationship with political decision-making and the problem of sovereignty, one that stands in opposition to both Carl Schmitt’s authoritarian decisionism and the rationalism of liberal democracy.
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Demidchik, Arkady E. "An Ancient Egyptian Spell in the Tomb of Neha at el-Qatta." Oriental Studies 19, no. 10 (2020): 50–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.25205/1818-7919-2020-19-10-50-58.
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A translation and commentary on the spell in the tomb of Neha at el-Qatta previously discussed by H. D. Schneider (1977) and T. J. Allen (2013). The spell was believed to provide Neha, after his death, with magical powers over representations (possibly statuettes) of his “workers-kAwtyw” designed to serve him in the next world. However, as an indispensable condition for the effectiveness of the spell was considered to be the faultlessness of the acquisition of the representations, the latter was asserted in passages resembling an ideal autobiography. The expression mr(y)t(=f) Ds=f “his own household people” in l. 22 is the Middle Kingdom colloquial equivalent of the mr(y)t=f n(y)t Dt=f, which has survived in nomarch Nehery’s tomb at el-Bersheh and on the pedestal of a sculptural group of four figurines from the mastaba of Shepi at Dahshur (CG 512). The latter parallel is of special significance, since in the selection and arrangement of other spells Neha’s burial chamber is also comparable to certain tombs in the Dahshur–Lisht region. Neha was most likely influenced by one of the magical traditions of this metropolitan area. If Neha, like Shepi, had a sculptural group of four “household people”, this could explain his words about acquiring “the fourth one (fdnw)” to serve very early and late extra meals (ll. 23 ̶ 24). The noun nDs in l. 17 and the use of the word Ds with the meaning “own” in connection with people date the composition to no later than the reign of Senusret I.
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Mocanu, Mihaela. "Taboo and Euphemism in the Religious Language." International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences 75 (January 2017): 1–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/ilshs.75.1.
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The instrument of knowledge and communication of religious essence, the religious language is based upon the recognition of a world of sacredness, which is defined by reference to the religious dimension of the human being. From the semantic perspective, the religious language is rooted in a preexisting extra-linguistic referent, which eludes historic space-time categories, in an attempt to build a world of transcendental essence and establish a relationship between man and the sacred. In this view, the word is invested with magical powers, playing the role of a mediator between the human being living in the world of the profane and the sacred world of the Divinity. Since the word embraces the essence of the named element with the power to shape reality, the religious man pays special attention to the verbal expression not only from the desire to adapt to reality, but especially out of the care not to cause adverse changes amidst it. We propose in this paper to review the main religious taboos specific to the religious language and the description of the pragmatic valences that the euphemistic expression manifests in the religious communication.
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Kok On, Low, and Ick Ellyrenzine Linsap. "Tuturan Komburongo in the Context of Oral Narrative and Belief of the Tobilung Ethnic Group of Sabah." Malay Literature 34, no. 2 (December 7, 2021): 163–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.37052/ml34(2)no2.
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The oral narratives that revolve around Komburongo are known as tuturan Komburongo among the Tobilung ethnic group in Sabah. The purpose of this article is to analyze the elements of belief contained in these stories. All the tuturan Komburungo that are analyzed in this article are obtained from fieldwork interviews with informants from the Tobilung ethnic group in the district of Kota Belud, Sabah. The important issues dealt with in this article are concerned with the Tobilung ethnic group's belief in the supernatural powers of Komburongo, as told in their oral literature. The result of the analysis by way of interpretation in this study finds that the tuturan Komburungo are divided into myth or legend in the context of folklore. On the question of its origin, Komburongo is believed to have been created by Tinamaru, the Creator of the Tobilung. The traditional Tobilung ethnic group are found to be highly dependent on Komburongo as the good spirit that provides guidance and possesses magical powers that help to solve various life crises for generations. This study is considered significant because it highlights many aspects of the belief of the Tobilung ethnic group passed down from generation to generation based on tuturan Komburungo.
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Dederen, Jean-Marie, and Jennifer Mokakabye. "Negotiating womanhood: the bird metaphor in Southern African folklore and rites of passage." Tydskrif vir Letterkunde 55, no. 2 (August 30, 2018): 91–103. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2309-9070/tvl.v.55i2.2934.
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In spite of its evident presence in Southern Africa’s rich cultural heritage, the bird metaphor has received surprisingly little attention. The cultural materials analysed in this article include children’s stories, songs, heroic poetry and ethnographic accounts of rites of passage. At first the data seems to suggest that bird symbolism could be interpreted in terms of a simple dual conception of gender identity. Some magical birds signify the prowess and authority of men. Others could be linked symbolically to the procreative powers of women. On further reflection, however, we identified a third category of more ambiguously gendered birds. It is contended that this additional bird type can be explained in terms of the female-male dialectic that shaped gender relations in small-scale societies. It is further proposed tentatively that the bird metaphor could have provided women with a symbolic means to negotiate their identity.
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Salihu, Habeeb, Monsurat Isiaka, and Isiaka Abdulaziz. "The Growing Phenomenon of Money Rituals-Motivated Killings in Nigeria: An Empirical Investigation into the Factors Responsible." ISSUE FIVE 3, no. 2 (December 28, 2019): 32–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.25079/ukhjss.v3n2y2019.pp32-44.
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This study investigated how beliefs in magical powers and related sacred activities, particularly those that accept human body parts for ritual sacrifices in return for fortunes, alongside poverty, unemployment, and quest for wealth as predictors responsible for the increase in money ritual–related killings in Ilorin Emirate of Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 1736 respondents were selected using simple random sampling techniques. The instrument employed for data collection was a questionnaire. In addition, the information gathered was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. The results indicated that the increase in money ritual–related killings in Ilorin Emirate is a result of the general belief that ritual sacrifices enhance fortunes, the boundless desire for material wealth among Nigerians, unemployment, and poverty in Nigeria. Therefore, this paper suggests that there should be public enlightenment in all languages spoken in Nigeria about the dangers in associating individual success with spiritual influences.
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Cecil, Leslie G., and Timothy W. Pugh. "SOULS OF THE ANCESTORS: POSTCLASSIC MAYA ARCHITECTURE, INCENSARIOS, AND MANA." Ancient Mesoamerica 29, no. 1 (2018): 157–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0956536117000232.
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AbstractIn this article, we consider how the Postclassic Kowoj Maya of the central Peten lakes region of El Petén, Guatemala utilized mana in conjunction with their ritual objects and spolia to mediate between the natural and supernatural worlds. In many cultures worldwide and throughout time, mana (magical or spiritual powers that provide people and objects with a living force) transforms the ordinary into the spiritually powerful. The Kowojs imbued incense burners and buildings with mana, thus facilitating a connection with their ancestors. We examine the manufacturing recipe of a group of incense burners and the civic-ceremonial buildings at Zacpeten to argue that the Kowoj used these objects to mediate among the living, the dead, and the supernatural realms. Ultimately, by empowering these objects with mana, the Kowoj constructed a universe where they regularly communicated with their ancestors and built structures that ensouled their historical consciousness.
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Keppens, Marianne, and Jakob De Roover. "The Brahmin, the Aryan, and the Powers of the Priestly Class: Puzzles in the Study of Indian Religion." Religions 11, no. 4 (April 11, 2020): 181. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/rel11040181.
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The classical account of the Brahmin priestly class and its role in Indian religion has seen remarkable continuity during the past two centuries. Its core claims appear to remain unaffected, despite the major shifts that occurred in the theorizing of Indian culture and in the study of religion. In this article, we first examine the issue of the power and status of the Brahmin and show how it generates explanatory puzzles today. We then turn to 18th- and 19th-century sources to identify the cognitive conditions which sustained the classical account of the Brahmin priest and allowed for its transmission. Three clusters of concepts were crucial here: Christian-theological ideas concerning heathen priesthood and idolatry; racial notions of biological and cultural superiority and inferiority; and anthropological speculations about ‘primitive man’ and his ‘magical thinking’. While all three clusters were rejected by 20th- and 21st-century scholarship, the related claims about Brahmanical ritual power continue to be presented as facts. What accounts for this peculiar combination of continuities and discontinuities in the study of (ancient) Indian religion? We turn to some insights from the philosophy of science to sketch a route toward answering this question.
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Dundes, Lauren, Madeline Streiff Buitelaar, and Zachary Streiff. "Bad Witches: Gender and the Downfall of Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos and Disney’s Maleficent." Social Sciences 8, no. 6 (June 6, 2019): 175. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/socsci8060175.
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Female villains, both fictional and real, are subject to unconscious gender bias when part of their iniquity involves the disruption of male authority. Disney’s most popular animated villain, Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Elizabeth Holmes of the now-disgraced blood testing startup, Theranos, reveled in their power, deviating from idealized feminine propriety. An analysis of scenes featuring Maleficent, the “mistress of all evil”, and coverage of Elizabeth Holmes, once the first self-made female billionaire, illustrate how powerful women with hubris are censured beyond their misdeeds. Elizabeth Holmes’ adoption of a deep voice and other masculine characteristics parallels Maleficent’s demeanor and appearance that signal female usurpation of traditional male power. Both antagonists also engage in finger pricking that penetrates the skin and draws blood, acts associated with symbolic male potency. The purported ability to bewitch, in conjunction with the adoption of patterns associated with male dominance, suggest that Maleficent and Elizabeth Holmes wield power over men and wield the power of men. Discomfort with the way in which magical powers were allegedly employed by these women echo historical fears of witches accused of appropriating male power. Furthermore, powerful women who encroach on male authority but ultimately fail to upend the gender hierarchy trigger schadenfreude beyond that expected from their wrongdoings. In the end, the stories of Maleficent and Elizabeth Holmes celebrate the downfall of women who brazenly embrace power, without showing women how to challenge the gender hierarchy.