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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 2 



outside the house and speak in this fashion. 

 They do not have to be close by, however, for 

 a large cherry tree south of town is said to be 

 a favorite roosting place for owl-witches 

 engaged in their occupations. 



In addition to persons who come to believe 

 they are bewitched, any sick person who does 

 not recover after treatment is thought to be 

 bewitched. The only remedy in cases of be- 

 witchment is to seek the aid of a good witch. 

 In some cases at least, the good witches are 

 persons taught as other witches are but who 

 refuse to use their knowledge to injure people. 

 Obviously there is room for suspicion of such 

 people. Agustin R. knows a woman who is a 

 good witch (but he refused to introduce us to 

 her or tell her name) . The woman is reported 

 to have been taught by her mother who was a 

 bad witch. On her deathbed the mother made 

 the daughter promise never to use her power 

 to injure people. The witch is now teaching 

 her own daughter. 



Little is known about curing techniques. In 

 the account secured, the good witch goes into 

 an empty house, strikes the walls with a stick, 

 and calls the bad witch. The latter can hear 

 even though as far away as Paracho. The bad 

 witch will come and the two fight. To those 

 outside it sounds like thunder, and the walls 

 shake so it seems they mu.st fall down. But if 

 one has the courage to look inside, everything is 

 calm and peaceful. After a time the friendly 

 witch comes out. If she says she lost the fight, 

 then there is no hope for the patient. 



In all probability an important reason for the 

 departure of the Rangel family from Cheran 

 for their long stay in the United States was 

 because of bewitchment. Agustin's mother 

 was bewitched before the family left. She had 

 no specific ailments but felt bad all over and 

 could not get up. Someone told her husband 

 that a certain witch was working on her. 

 Agustin's father then hid in the barranca until 

 a woman came with a doll, which he recognized 

 as his wife. He confronted her, but she did 

 not speak. In some way, though, she agreed 

 to give up the witchcraft. Agustin's father 

 threatened to kill the woman if she tried be- 

 witchment again. He took the doll and burned 

 it. If he had merely thrown it away, the 



magic would have worked against him. He 

 was said not to have been bothered after this, 

 but he warned Agustin in our presence against 

 giving a coin to a stranger who seemed very 

 friendly, as he might merely be wishing for 

 sweat to bewitch him. 



The reason Agustin's father could deal with 

 witches so eflfectively was that he had been 

 immunized against witches. A friendly witch 

 had wrapped him from head to foot in string 

 soaked in snake oil and other things. He wore 

 the string for 2 days and then was told not to 

 bathe for another week. Agustin knew no 

 other details, but shortly before the study closed 

 he admitted that immediately after his arrival 

 in Cheran the family had hired a witch to 

 immunize him. Beyond stating that it was 

 only a temporary and simple immunization, 

 Agustin would give no further details. Ulti- 

 mately, it was intended that he have the more 

 complete treatment. 



The fact that the Rangel family left Cheran 

 after the alleged bewitchment mentioned above 

 and had the son immunized immediately after 

 their return lends support to the belief that the 

 family left town because of witchcraft. 



Data are too scanty to form any reliable 

 hypothesis about the effects of witchcraft in 

 Cheran. Nevertheless, an attractive theory 

 might be developed that witchcraft accounts for 

 some of the personality traits in Cheran and 

 more particularly for the prevalence of walled 

 yards and the general unwillingness to invite 

 strangers or little-known persons inside the 

 yard gate. It should not be overlooked, though, 

 that the exclusive character of the Cheran 

 family or household grouping may also be 

 accounted for in terms of the more urban 

 character of the settlement. 



Two other items should be added to this dis- 

 cussion. It was reported that some witches 

 had a white powder which they threw into 

 people's faces. The powder instantly dis- 

 appears inside and the persons become ill. 

 Good witches may cure this sickness. 



Although not considered witches, there are 

 women who tell fortunes with cards. One 

 woman in barrio III is said to be able to tell 

 where lost cattle are and, if they have been 

 stolen, who the thief is. 



