Witchcraft. Magical practices of the peoples of Black Africa and other parts of the world

Lucy Meir, a British social anthropologist, considers witchcraft a kind of legitimate evil, a harmful spiritual activity that may be reprehensible but, at least, understandable since this type of activity is related to social values. At the same time, Lucy Meir calls true evil witchcraft as incomprehensible and baseless malice: “Anthropologists usually refer to harmful magic as witchcraft, and almost all witchcraft is considered illegal. But in Africa, for example, it is different: there you can buy protective magic from a witchdoctor that will scare off thieves from your property, and in some parts of New Guinea, it is believed that each family possesses some knowledge of harmful magic, which they use to protect their crops and harvest. Witchcraft, on the other hand, is unequivocally associated with evil there. And although it may very well have motives behind it, people in these parts of the world firmly believe that there is no justification for witchcraft.”
For a better understanding of the issues discussed, the book includes a guide by Afefe Ogo describing the magical practices of African and Latin American sorcerers and witches.