Cape Verde, a small island country off the west coast of Africa, has a long history of witchcraft and occult practices. The belief in witchcraft is deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of the Cape Verdean people, with many individuals actively engaging in or fearing the supernatural abilities associated with witches. In Cape Verde, witchcraft is often referred to as "bruxaria" or "macumba." It is believed that some individuals possess the power to manipulate and control supernatural forces for personal gain or to harm others. These individuals, commonly known as witches, are thought to have inherited their powers or acquired them through secret rituals and pacts with evil spirits. The practice of witchcraft in Cape Verde is often shrouded in secrecy, making it difficult to get an accurate understanding of its prevalence and impact on society.
Cape Verdeans - Religion and Expressive Culture
Religious Beliefs. Cape Verdeans are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. In the early 1900s the Protestant Church of the Nazarene and the Sabbatarians had successful conversion drives. Each was able to build a church and translate the Gospels into Crioulo. Only 2 percent of the population is not Roman Catholic. Patron-saint festivals are commonly observed through the incorporation of non-Catholic activities. In the 1960s, rebelados, remote Sao Tiago peasants, rejected the authority of the Portuguese Catholic missionaries and began to perform their own baptism and marriage rituals. These people also are referred to as badius, descendants of runaway slaves, and are less assimilated than other groups into Portuguese and Cape Verdean national culture. (More recently, "badius" has become an ethnic term referring to the people of Santiago.) In one annual festival, or festa, in honor of Fogo's patron, Saint Philip, men, women, and children from the poorer classes parade down to the beach early in the morning, led by five horsemen invited as honored guests. Saint John's and Saint Peter's day festivals on the islands of Sao Vicente and Santo Antão include the performance of the coladera, a procession dance accompanied by drums and whistles. During the canta-reis, a festa to welcome the new year, musicians serenade neighborhoods by moving from house to house. They are invited in to eat canjoa (chicken and rice soup) and gufongo (cake made from corn meal) and drink grog (sugarcane alcohol). Another festa, the tabanca, is identified with slave folk traditions that at various times in Cape Verdean history have symbolized resistance to the colonial regime and support of Africanisms. Tabancas include singing, drumming, dancing, processions, and possession. Tabancas are religious celebrations associated with the badius. The badius are the "backward" people of Santiago who represent the opposite of being Portuguese. In this sense, the term represents the essence and disdained characteristics of Cape Verdean identity. Tabancas were discouraged at times when Cape Verdean identity was suppressed and encouraged when pride in Cape Verdean identity was being expressed. Belief in magic and witchcraft practices can be traced from both Portuguese and African roots.
Religious Practitioners. Roman Catholicism has penetrated all levels of Cape Verdean society, and religious practices reflect class and racial segmentation. Conversion efforts were extensive among slaves, and even today peasants distinguish between foreign missionaries and local priests ( padres de terra ). Local clergy hardly test the power of local elites. The Church of the Nazarene has attracted individuals who are unhappy with the corrupt Catholic clergy and desire upward mobility through hard work. Folk religious practices are most noticeably related to rites and acts of rebellion. The tabancas include the selection of a king and queen and represent the rejection of state authority. Rebelados have continued to reject the penetration of state authority.
Arts. Expressive and aesthetic traditions are maintained through cyclical ritual events that include the playing of music, singing, and dancing. Contemporary music styles assimilate appropriate themes and forms from these traditions to create popular art, acceptable in metropolitan life and in the diaspora. Pan-African traditions have increasingly tied together the various populations who identify themselves as Crioulo.
Medicine. Modern medical practices are increasingly available to the population as a whole, complementing traditional healing arts.
Death and Afterlife. Illness and death are significant occasions for social gatherings in the households of the afflicted. Friends and relatives participate in visits that may occur over a period of months. Hosts must provide refreshments for people of all stations in society. Mourning falls mainly to women, who participate more in the visitation practices, which in more well-to-do families take place in the sala, a ritual chamber also used for guests.
Introduction
The Malleus Maleficarum is undoubtedly the best known (many would say most notorious) treatise on witchcraft from the early modern period. Published in 1486 (only a generation after the introduction of printing by moveable type in Western Europe), the work served to popularize the new conception of magic and witchcraft that is known in modern scholarship as satanism or diabolism, and it there by played a major role in the savage efforts undertaken to stamp out witchcraft in Western Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries (a series of events sometimes known as the “witch craze”). The present work offers the reader the only full and reliable translation of the Malleus into English, and this introduction has a very specific purpose: to set out for the reader the general intellectual and cultural background of the Malleus , which takes for granted and is based upon a number of concepts that are by no means self-evident to the average modern reader, and to explain something of the circumstances of the work's composition and the authors' methods and purposes in writing it. That is, the aim here is the very restricted one of giving the reader a better insight into how the work would have been understood at the time of its publication. Hopefully, this will help not only those who wish to understand the work in its own right but also those who are interested in the later effects of this influential work.
At the outset, a word about terminology. As is explained later (see below in section e of the “Notes on the translation”), for technical reasons relating to the Latin text, male and female practitioners of magic are called “sorcerers” and “sorceresses” respectively in the translation, and the term for their practices is “sorcery.” In the preceding paragraph, the term “witchcraft” was used, but this term comes with a lot of unwelcome modern baggage that can only serve to confuse the strictly historical discussion that follows.
Other Celebrations Around The World, Jan. 20th
Feast Of The Kitchen God: Offerings made, beans tossed over roof
St. Sebastian’s Day (patron of archers, soldiers, athletes, Rio De Janeiro)
Aquarius zodiac sign begins
Basketball Day
Heroes Day (Cape Verde)
Celtic tree month of Beth ends
Hat Day
St. Sebastian’s Day (patron of Rio de Janiero, archers, athletes, hardware, lace makers, the military,
pin makers, potters, police officers; against plague)
Mali Army Day
St. Fabian’s Day (patron of lead founders, potters)
Heroes Day (Guinea-Bissau)
US Presidential Inauguration Day (every 4 years)
Lesotho Army Day
Take A Walk Outdoors Day
St. Euthymius’ Day
National Buttercrunch Day
St. Paula’s Day, celebrates a young girl saved from the passions of a pursuer by running into a church, where she grew a beard.
Heads Up Seattle, Washington: First of the month of PLURIOSE (rain) in the French revolutionary calendar.
Birthday of Ruth St. Denis 1879 -Great American modernist dancer, breaker of social taboos.
GrannyMoon’s Morning Feast – Source: The Daily Globe, School Of The Seasons and The Daily Bleed
The practice of witchcraft in Cape Verde is often shrouded in secrecy, making it difficult to get an accurate understanding of its prevalence and impact on society. However, reports of witchcraft-related incidents, such as curses and supernatural phenomena, are not uncommon. Many Cape Verdeans strongly believe in the power of witches and take precautions to protect themselves from their malevolent influence.
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Talismans, amulets, and other objects with supposed protective properties are commonly used to ward off evil spirits and witchcraft. Despite the prevalence of belief in witchcraft, the Cape Verdean government has taken steps to discourage its practice. Witchcraft is illegal in Cape Verde, and individuals suspected of engaging in witchcraft can face legal consequences. The government has also made efforts to promote education and awareness, encouraging people to rely on scientific explanations and critical thinking rather than superstition and supernatural beliefs. In recent years, there has been a growing movement challenging the belief in witchcraft in Cape Verde. Some individuals view it as a regressive and irrational belief, detracting from the country's progress and development. However, many others, particularly those in rural areas or with strong ties to traditional beliefs, continue to hold steadfast to their belief in witchcraft. In conclusion, the belief in witchcraft has a significant presence in Cape Verde, with many individuals attributing supernatural powers to witches. While efforts have been made to discourage its practice and promote critical thinking, the belief in witchcraft remains deeply ingrained in the culture and traditions of the Cape Verdean people..
Reviews for "Witchcraft and Witch Hunts: A Comparative Study between Cape Verde and Salem"
1. Sarah - 2/5
I was really disappointed with "Cape Verde Witchcraft". The plot was confusing and sporadic, making it hard to follow along. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked development, making it difficult to connect with any of them. Additionally, the writing style felt disjointed and lacked coherence. Overall, I found it to be a frustrating and unsatisfying read.
2. Michael - 1/5
I regret wasting my time on "Cape Verde Witchcraft". The story seemed to have no clear direction or purpose, leaving me feeling confused and unengaged. The writing was dry and lacked any emotional depth, making it hard to care about the characters or their struggles. The pacing was uneven, with long periods of nothing happening followed by rushed and unsatisfying conclusions. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating and well-crafted read.
3. Emily - 2/5
"Cape Verde Witchcraft" was a disappointing read for me. The narrative felt disjointed and lacked a cohesive structure, making it hard to fully immerse myself in the story. The characters were shallow and lacked complexity, leaving me feeling indifferent towards their fates. Additionally, the dialogue felt stilted and unnatural, making it hard to connect with the interactions between the characters. Overall, I found this book to be underwhelming and not worth the investment of time and energy.