The Witch-Hunt; or, The Triumph of Morality
Bailey (anthropology, Univ. of California, San Diego) narrates an incident that he observed in 1953 while doing research in eastern India. A young girl died suddenly. Bailey states that her death was caused by malaria, but the villagers suspected evil forces and consulted mediums to determine what had happened. The unfortunate death caused further problems since a major festival was to take place in a couple of days and death rites could not extend into it, much less the search for evil forces. Bailey discusses the pragmatism of the villagers in coping with these three interlocking events, outlining the group or social dynamics of the village; he also describes village life and conditions. It is lamentable that Bailey failed to revisit the village to show what changes have occurred in the 40 years since the incident, but libraries with holdings in anthropology will want to get this intriguing title.Donald Clay Johnson, Univ. of Minnesota Lib., MinneapolisCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.