ABSTRACT
Various informants explained the AIDS epidemic by referring to two common sorcery beliefs: isidliso and ulunyoka. The first is the generic term for a variety of poisons, known in southern Africa, which are added to either food or drink and taken by the unwitting victim. 1 Its name expresses this clearly: the verb ukudla, “to eat,” with the suffix isa, “to make someone do,” forms the verb ukudlisa, “to make someone eat,” that is the root for this noun. 2 The second belief, ulunyoka, becomes operational after the victim touches items “doctored” with appropriate poisons. 3 These beliefs typically lead to the concocting of love potions.
