Zande abinza (witchdoctors) dancing
104 x 78 mm | Print gelatin silver
Date of Print:
Unknown
Previous PRM Number:
EP.A.563
Previous Other Number:
92 6 (5) [frame 11]
Accession Number:
1998.341.563.2
Description:
A group of abinza (witchdoctors) dancing at a seance (do avure), wearing elaborate dance costumes including rattles, headdresses and magical attachments.
A number of horns thrust into the earth beyond mark out the dance area of an individual binza.
This seance took place in Evans-Pritchard's own compound as part of the initiation of their new member, Kamanga.
Photographer:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Date of Photo:
?1928 - 1929
Region:
[Southern Sudan] Western Equatoria Yambio
Group:
Zande
PRM Source:
Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
Acquired:
Donated 1966
Other Owners:
E. E. Evans-Pritchard Collection
Class:
Clothing Ritual , Religion , Ritual , Dance
Keyword:
Headdress
Activity:
Ritual Activity
Event:
Ceremony Initiation , Dance
Documentation:
Original catalogue lists in Manuscript Collections. Additional material in related documents files. [CM 27/9/2005]
Primary Documentation:
PRM Accession Records - [1966.27.21] G PROFESSOR E.
E.
EVANS-PRITCHARD; INST.
OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 51 BANBURY RD.
OXFORD - S.
SUDAN, AZANDE TRIBE.
Box of negatives in envelopes.
Nos.
1 - 400
Added Accession Book Entry - [In pencil in column] Catalogue room.
[1966.27.23] G PROFESSOR E. E. EVANS-PRITCHARD; INST. OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 51 BANBURY RD. OXFORD - S. SUDAN, AZANDE TRIBE. Box of prints in envelopes, nos. 1 - 400 (prints of negatives in 1966.27.21)
Manual Catalogues [typewritten, entitled "Zande Photographs (E-P)"] - 563. Witchdoctors. 92/6 (5)
Note on negative m/s ink - "5"
Added Accession Book Entry - [In pencil in column] Catalogue room.
[1966.27.23] G PROFESSOR E. E. EVANS-PRITCHARD; INST. OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 51 BANBURY RD. OXFORD - S. SUDAN, AZANDE TRIBE. Box of prints in envelopes, nos. 1 - 400 (prints of negatives in 1966.27.21)
Manual Catalogues [typewritten, entitled "Zande Photographs (E-P)"] - 563. Witchdoctors. 92/6 (5)
Note on negative m/s ink - "5"
Other Information:
In Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic Among the Azande (OUP 1937, page 154-157) E.
E.
Evans-Pritchard notes that '[o]n my third expedition in 1930 I constantly attended seances of witch-doctors and tried to see their activities in the social life of the Azande in better perspective than I had been able to do when immersed in the details of their craft....
Seances are held on a variety of occasions, but generally at the request of a householder who is suffering, or fears, a misfortune...
Preparations for a dance consist in marking out an area of operations and, when that has been done, of robing.
Starting from the drums, a large circle is drawn on the ground, and this is generally made more conspicuous by white ashes being sprinkled along it.
...
each practitioner, having unslung from his shoulder his leather bag, produced from it a number of horns of waterbuck, bushbuck, dik-dik, bongo, and other animals, and thrusts these into the earth along the circular ash-line...
The professional robes with which witch-doctors adorn themselves while the dancing ground is being marked out consist of straw hats topped with large bunches of feathers of geese and parrots and other marsh and bush birds.
Strings of magic whistles made from peculiar trees are strung across their chests and tied round their arms.
Skins of wild cats, civet cats, genets, servals, and other carnivora and small rodents, as well as monkeys (especially the colobus), are tucked under their waiststrings so that they form a fringe which entirely covers the barkcloth worn by all male Azande.
Over the skins they tie a string of fruits of the doleib palm (Borassus flabellifer)....' [Chris Morton 13/10/2003]
Recorder:
Christopher Morton 21/11/2003 [Southern Sudan Project]
