The Sorcerer as Folk Devil in Contemporary Melanesia
Tom Bratrud
Chapter from the book: Frederiksen M. & Harboe Knudsen I. 2021. Modern Folk Devils: Contemporary Constructions of Evil.
Part of
Chapter from the book: Frederiksen M. & Harboe Knudsen I. 2021. Modern Folk Devils: Contemporary Constructions of Evil.
This chapter ethnographically explores a Christian revival movement in Vanuatu led by children. Examining events surrounding the hanging of two adults accused of sorcery, the text challenges the assumption that moral panics are only created with the assistance of mass media. Instead, the chapter shows that they also arise in contexts where gossip, dreams and visions play a similar role in both defining social problems and moral panic.
Bratrud, T. 2021. The Sorcerer as Folk Devil in Contemporary Melanesia. In: Frederiksen M. & Harboe Knudsen I (eds.), Modern Folk Devils. Helsinki: Helsinki University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33134/HUP-13-3
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Published on Dec. 13, 2021