ABSTRACT
If we look at the recorded descriptions of witch-cleansing cults in various parts of Africa it becomes apparent that they all share certain basic characteristics, namely:
use of a relatively simple ritual procedure, intended to detect witches and neutralize them, at the !'lame time giving protection against mystical attack to the supposedly innocent; lack of a formal organizational structure, though there may be nominal recognition of a remote, semi-mythical founderhead; handing-on of cult secrets and ritual from initiate to acolyte as the cult spreads; ability to cross ethnic boundaries, at the same time adapting
What happens on those exceptional but recurrent occasions when local communities embrace witch-cleansing cults1 Again, the pattern is remarkably similar all over Mrica. First, there is the arrival of the cult's representatives, who initiate negotiations, usually in secret, with the local headman. The latter generally appears willing to see his village benefit from the new cult, notwithstanding the expense involved. He is under pressure, for to refuse to receive witch-cleansers could have sinister implications for himself, particularly if neighbouring villages are eagerly adopting the new rituaL
Next comes the cleansing operation itself. The first phase is witch detection. The cult organizers usually have their own way of doing this: traditional methods of divination are not favoured, and novel procedures are often reported. Among the Bemba and Fipa of Central Africa and in Dahomey, cultists have at various times used hand-mirrors to pick out witches from lines of villagers passing behind them.1 The descriptions suggest that accusations are often pre-arranged.
