The power of the cursing ritual practices in the case of Antsokia Gemza District

Demis Meshesha
Woldia university

Abstract

The main purpose of the study is to explore the power of the cursing ritual practices. The study employed qualitative research and purposive sampling. The necessary data for the study were collected from primary and secondary sources through document review, observation, interviews, and focus group discussions. The data collected through various methods were guided by performance and structural functionalism theories. The findings of the study indicate that the cursing ritual practices play a role in instilling and transmitting social values. Additionally, it plays a role in strengthening social control, enforcing social sanctions, and enforcing justice. In parallel, it has contributed to the treatment of immorality and dehumanization, as well as to the strengthening of morality. Among the actions that trigger curses are violations of social order, injustice, and the breakdown of social agreement. Although there are different types of curses, it has been confirmed that the main ones are those related to the next generation, those related to fate, and those related to genetic inheritance. A curse has religious and mythological roots and is a system in which supernatural powers are invoked for execution. Furthermore, the most common curse-executing methods include roasting soil over fire, shaking a coffee pot, and burning a stick.

Keywords: curse, stick burning, Supernatural, Symbolic, roasting soil over fire