Settlements
editThe types of houses that the Azande built were made from mud and grass, which they framed around wooden poles and thatched with grass. Each household was built around a courtyard so that they can gather and converse with each other. Adjacent to these courtyards were kitchen gardens that were for plants that did not require large scale farming such as pineapples and mangos.[1]
Agriculture
editThe region in which the Azande live has two season. During the rainy season the women and men both help get food from the river. Women help with the fishing in dammed streams and shallow pools collecting fish, snakes, and crustaceans. Men make and set up traps in the river to help with the collection of food. Another food that the Azande collect and eat is termites which are their favorites.[1]
Social and Political Organizations
editThe Azande were organized into chiefdoms that can also be called kingdoms. Avongara were the nobility and passed it down through their linage. Chiefs had many jobs within the chiefdoms such as military, economic, and political leaders. All the unmarried men in the society are used as laborers and warriors.[1]
Within the chiefdoms clan affiliation was not stressed as important at the local level. They had “local groups” that were similar to “political organizations”.[1]
Religion
editTheir indigenous beliefs are about their deity or god called Mbori defined by Evans Pritchard as “a ghostly being whom the creation of the world is attributed.”[1] This idea of Mbori is not the same as any other religion’s god. They only say his name when they are calling upon him.[2]
Witchcraft
editAzande witches do not use magical spells or use any medicines. Witches perform their witchcraft through physical acts. Witches are very different than sorcerers who use who can make people ill by performing magic through the use of bad medicines.[3] The mangu cannot travel long distances and that makes the Azande feel better because they live at such a far distance from their neighbors. The mangu is something that grows inside of you as you age the mangu because more and more powerful.[2] There is no such thing as an accidental death within the Azande community. There are no natural deaths; all the people in the community are murdered either by witches or magical revenge.[2]
Oracles
editThe Azande consult the oracles about many different types of things that they need information on. In pre-European times the Zande chiefs consulted the oracles about different types of military decisions that they needed to make. The Azande use three different types of oracles. The most powerful oracle is the “benge” poison oracle, which is used solely by men. The decisions of the oracle are always accepted and no one questions it. This ritual that goes along with the use of the oracle utilizes a chicken and that is administered a special poison and then asked questions to. The answer to the question lies in the fate of the chicken whether it dies or lives after it is administered the poison for a set amount of time.[2]
An example of an instance that the “benge” oracle may be used in is can be seen in the ethnographic video Witchcraft Among the Azande by anthropologist John Ryle. In order to find out why his wife is sick a husband choses to consult the “benge” oracle to find the witch who is the one that is making his wife sick. He asks this question to the benge oracle and then feed the poison to the chicken if it dies then the witch he asked the question about is guilty. The chicken in this case died and he then asked another chicken if he should divorce the second wife since she is the one causing the illness. But the oracle decides that would be pointless and that the other wife must spit water sincerely in order to purify herself so that the first wife gets well again.[4]
The “benge” oracle can also be used in adultery cases to help decide if the people on trial are guilty. This can be seen in the ethnographic video Witchcraft Among the Azande when they have a case of adultery in the village. The adultery case has to go before the “benge” oracle to see if the women should get to live or die and if she is guilty or telling the truth. The chief has to consult the “benge” oracle and the chicken should only die if the two undressed and had sex and the chicken died proving that adultery had taken place. This will then be taken to the court and shown to the judge to prove that the two had lied and were actually a part of adultery.[4]
The termite oracle is more readily available to all. Women, men, and children are all allowed to consult this oracle. The ritual to consult this oracle is two branches are put into a termite mound and left over night. In the morning depending on which branch was eaten by the oracle the answer to your question can be seen. This is less elaborate and costly then the benge oracle.[2] An example of an instance in which the termite oracle can be used in the ethnographic video Witchcraft Among the Azande when a woman in the village is sick and her husband wants to know whether or not she is going to live or die.[4]
The least expensive but also least reliable oracle is the rubbing-board oracle. The rubbing board oracle is described in Culture Sketches as “a device resembling a Ouija board, made of two small pieces of wood easily carried to be consulted anywhere, and at any time.” They have a wood handle and second piece of wood if the wood catches or sticks then the answer to the question is revealed.[2]
- ^ a b c d e Holly., Peters-Golden (2012). Culture sketches : case studies in anthropology (6th ed.). Dubuque, Iowa: The McGraw-Hill. pp. 3–4. ISBN 9780078117022. OCLC 716069710.
- ^ a b c d e f Holly., Peters-Golden (2012). Culture sketches : case studies in anthropology (6th ed.). Dubuque, Iowa: The McGraw-Hill. pp. 10–12. ISBN 9780078117022. OCLC 716069710.
- ^ Evans-Pritchard, E.E. (1937). Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic Among the Azande. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. p. 1.
- ^ a b c Singer, André (1981). "Witchcraft among the Azande". johnryle.com. Retrieved 2018-01-09.