Anastasia Abbruscato Social and Cultural Anthropology Azande

1/24/2010 The

I think the Azande way of telling why someone gave birth to boy instead of a girl or vice versa is very interesting. It makes you wonder what makes a soul more powerful then someone elses soul. If someone soul is proven to be more powerful by the mother giving birth to a son daughter, wouldnt that a big insult and shame the person with the lesser soul? That seems really harsh that your soul is less powerful then your significant other. Also does the person with the most powerful soul automatically head of the household? What if someone had fraternal twins, one boy and one girl does that mean their souls are of equality in terms of power? What if a family first child is a son then second is a girl, who has the most powerful soul then? What does it really mean to have the most powerful soul? Another interesting thing is how the Azande believe everything happens on purpose. This makes I imagine would make a lot of people very angry often. Its amazing that a group of people can even function under those beliefs. To know that every bad thing that happens to you is product of someone using witch craft; that could make it look like everyone is out to get everyone else. The pressure is always on and seems like a tense way to live. I couldnt live like that. Knowing every bad thing was intentional. I would always feel like there is someone out to

get me, that someone means to do me constant harm. If I believed that I would probably go insane with paranoia and never leave the house.