An anthropological study of the notion of witchcraft as crime, and curse as deterrence

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03042
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cultural anthropology
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: UMEYA Kiyoshi 神戸大学, 国際文化学研究科, 教授 (80405894)
• Research Collaborator: NAGASHIMA Nobuhiro 一橋大学, 社会学研究科, 名誉教授 ; HAZAMA Itsuhiro 長崎大学, 多文化社会学部, 准教授 ; 平野 智佳子 神戸大学, 大学院国際文化学研究科 ; KIRUMIRA K. Edward マケレレ大学, 人文学社会科学群, 教授 ; ERIA Olowo Onyango マケレレ大学, 人文学社会科学群, 講師 ; MICHAEL Oloka Obbo ワールドビジョン ; MULONDO Joseph サー・エドワード・トラベル・エージェンシー
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 呪詛 / ウィッチクラフト法 / ブガンダ王国 / バンツーとナイル系

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Research on the　concept　of curse in the neighboring area, Iteso area, considerably advanced by fieldwork. In addition, understanding of the indigenous concept of curse in Buganda also made a progress in the discussion at the meeting with Prince Joseph Mulond of Buganda in Kobe University. We could visit the area as well as the Karamoja area, and we got many suggestions through the academic cooperation with Itsuhiro Hazama, Associate Professor of Nagasaki University, and Professor Francis Nyamunjo, Cape Town University. It was an unexpected development including the possibility of deployment of my research to Cameroon society where one of the major theoretical problems of witchcraft study has originated from. My future task remains reflecting the fact that the development to Langi people, which was expected as one of the comparison reference points, did not proceed so well, and the fact that the consideration on legal aspects of witchcraft did not progress as much as we expected.

Free Research Field

社会人類学