Abstract

British colonial experiments within southern Africa worked to limit the influence of non-visual evidence used to prosecute witches. Relying on Western sensory legalism that focused primarily on sight, British officials distrusted Indigenous customs that indicted witches through non-visual means. Often, during medicine murder trials in Basutoland of the 1940s and 1950s, southern African legal questions of conjuring and divining therefore focused on rituals of smelling that diverged from Western sensory protocols. These debates on Indigenous legalism and remnants of colonialism remain vital in discussions of the AIDS epidemic, laws against witchcraft, and the application of specific senses and herbal curatives in modern South Africa.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.