Magic in the Modern World

“Magical practices” can even be seen in things we think of as “normal.” For example, in the text, anthropologist and former professional baseball player George Gmelch describes a detailed ritual a fellow teammate would perform before pitching. The ritual included a specific time of waking up, specific food and drink at specific times, specific clothes, specific rituals in wearing those clothes, and even a specific time to wash his hands. When asked about the ritual, the teammate replied that “[y]ou can’t tell what’s most important so it all becomes important. I’d be afraid to change anything. As long as I’m winning, I do everything the same” (Stein & Stein). This almost obsessive behavior could be seen as a magical ritual because it is something that the individual––in this case, the baseball player who wants his team to win––can do to feel like they have manipulated arbitrary future events. In their book, Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft, Stein and Stein (2008) say this behavior comes from “what appears to be an association between an activity and a result” (Stein et al.). There appears to be a relationship between eating specific foods and wearing specific clothing, etc. and winning a baseball game. This “casual” relationship is the basis for magical practices.

Magic is still a very big part of many isolated peoples in Africa as well. The Azande people of cultures of the native peoples’ of New Guinea. For example, the Fore people in southern Sudan use magic for a variety of reasons, namely for healing. The Azande incorporate a variety of ‘healing objects’ into their practice of magic, and these are called ‘medicines.’ The medicines are usually in the form of alternative medicines such as plant materials, and, after being “transformed” into medicine via a magical ritual, the plant is then used as the centerpiece of future healing rituals. Plants are usually chosen for particular healing rituals based on their similarity to what the ritual is trying to fix. For example, for a mother to produce more milk, she is given a fruit that contains a milky white sap and resembles a breast. Medicines can be taken in a variety of ways, such as turning the plants into a paste and rubbing it into incisions on the skin, or making a whistle out of wood that a person blows into soon after waking up to prevent misfortune. The use of plants in magical practices is very common, and, despite not being very scientific, people probably would not continue to use them if they failed to work––or failed to seem to work. The placebo effect of magical rituals is probably very comforting in situations of uncertainty, especially uncertainty that could have dangerous consequences.

Folklore is also a major component of magic, as it serves as a way of teaching people of the ills of the world to save them from misguidance. An example of this is the Welsh tale called “The Story of Gelert.” In it, the Welsh King has a favorite hunting dog, and one day on a hunt, the dog disappears. On returning to his hunting lodge, the King finds his dog in his child’s room with blood splattered on the walls and floor. In a rage, the King kills his dog, before discovering the body of a wolf behind the door, and his child safely hidden under its cradle (Welsh Stories & Myths - Gelert). The story serves as a tale for people to pass on to their children and family about not judging before gathering all possible information. Whether or not the events in the myth occurred is irrelevant when one looks at its moral implications. This can be compared to the way that whether or not the magical rituals in themselves measure up to scientific methods if it makes the practitioners feel more empowered and safe.

Another example of magical rituals in the modern world is the rituals associated with dissuading bad luck, such as knocking on wood to avoid “jinxing” something, or not stepping on a crack in the sidewalk. Of course, there is no way to prove that these practices have any effect or not on our futures, but by simply performing them, people can essentially fool themselves into feeling better with uncertainty, and a more positive outlook might help make them better off in the future. This idea that the placebo effect still has an effect, whether or not the actual placebo works or not, is the underlying idea being magical practices and beliefs.

References

Stein, R. L., & Stein. P. L. (2008) Anthropology of religion, magic, and witchcraft. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.pearsonhighered.com

Emerson, P. H. (1894). Welsh fairy-tales and other stories. London: D. Nutt.

"Welsh Stories & Myths - Gelert." (2011). Welsh Stories & Myths - Gelert. Retrieved from http://www.llangatwg.org.uk