ABSTRACT
As mentioned in the previous chapter some sorcery cases are quite simple while others are complex and involve a chain of sorcery incidents over many years. Hence it is not always possible to catalogue a case neatly particularly as there is sometimes more than one interpretation of events. Nevertheless, for convenience sorcery cases are tabulated in an Appendix. And for further convenience the cases referred to by number in this and the following chapter are the same as in the Appendix. I have tried to give some chronological order with older cases at the beginning and more recent cases at the end, but more often than not this has not proved practical and, in any event, I fear that one more reordering of cases would result in chaos. The first column shows the identity of the sorcerer and victim. For the old cases actual names are used but for more recent cases when some of the people involved are still living pseudonyms are employed. The second column shows the relationship of the sorcerer and victim, and the location of their Countries when a Lardil is involved otherwise only tribal identity is indicated. Occasionally I have had to be no more specific than recording the relationship as ‘brothers’ or ‘brothers-in-law' etc. because I failed to record who was the elder brother and younger brother, or who was the wife’s brother and sister’s husband. Information about subsection identity is included even though in my opinion it is seldom relevant. Other people, however, may think differently and may find such information valuable; hence it is included whenever possible.1 The relationship of accuser and victim is indicated in the third column, and in the fourth column is the relationship of the accuser and accused. The relationships shown in these two columns are not always pertinent because there is frequently no formal accusation, although people have their suspicions and there are rumours. When questioned about a particular incident people sometimes say, ‘I heard talk that. . . ’ In the final column there are brief comments about each case.
