article
The evil eye belief among the Amhara of Ethiopia
Ethnology • 13 (3) • Published In 1974 • Pages: 279-291
By: Reminick, Ronald A..
Abstract
Living among the Amhara in separate villages are a caste of landless, skilled artisans, called the BUDA people, who specialize in the manufacture of clay pots, iron tools and cloth. These artisans are feared by the Amhara for possessing the evil eye. The Amhara are forbidden to marry or have sexual relations with the BUDA people, and furthermore, must always be on their guard around them, never to show their true emotions, lest they take offense and fix them with their stare. The victim of evil eye soon sickens and dies, his or her corpse is then dug up by the BUDA, brought back to life, and used as a slave in their homes. Cures for the evil eye vary according to the religious practitioner employed. Reminick argues that the Amhara belief in the BUDA's evil eye has a projective function, displacing the real envy within the Amhara society between equal status siblings who end up inheriting unequal shares of their family's estate, and the subsequent fears of dependency and domination by those who end up with less.
- HRAF PubDate
- 1998
- Region
- Africa
- Sub Region
- Eastern Africa
- Document Type
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator Type
- Ethnologist
- Document Rating
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- Analyst
- Ian Skoggard ; 1996
- Field Date
- 7/1967-3/1969
- Coverage Date
- 1960s
- Coverage Place
- Shoa Province, Ethiopia
- Notes
- Ronald A. Reminick
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 291)
- LCCN
- 64005713
- LCSH
- Amhara (African people)