Witches and missionaries in nineteenth century Transvaal

This article argues that the published and unpublished records of the Berli n Missionary Society in the Transvaal in the nineteenth century are suffici ently rich to allow for at least a partial reconstruction of perceptions an d practices with regard to witchcraft in African societies. It also uses th e perspective provided by this material to re-interpret a key episode in th e history of the region - the clashes between Christian converts and wider Pedi society in the 1860s. The article concludes that concern about witches was profound and pervasive and needs to be given much fuller attention in historical analysis. However, it also argues that the incidence of individu als being either openly accused of, or punished for, witchcraft was low, an d that large-scale and lethal witch-hunts were extremely rare. It further s uggests that the contemporary, tendency to see women as particularly prone to witchcraft is not paralleled in nineteenth century, accounts and may the refore be the result of processes of social change set in motion late in th e century. In addition, it notes that the 'zombies' who have commanded wide spread comment and concern in recent years are probably neither as exotic n or as new as some writers have supposed.