Indian Magic Manuals. Man in the World of Violence
Indian Magic Manuals. Man in the World of Violence

Summary/Abstract: In present-day India magic is not a theoretical construct. Practiced as witchcraft, it has its self-appointed officials and procedures. It is also manifest, most tellingly, in the easy availability of the cheap editions of what may, with some reservations, be termed as manuals of magic. The activation of religiosity characteristic of Indian tribal communities, to which most of the currently favorite magical rituals can be traced, is a not-so unique answer to the violence inherent in the social, economic, and political life of the nation. The methods of con- trolling complex reality presented in those manuals revive traditional cultural patterns, and may thus restore feelings of participation and justified agency to their users.

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