A Din of Whispers: The In-Group Manifestation of Sorcery in Rural Banyuwangi

摘要

In rural Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia, sorcery and the reprisals for it occur amongst neighbours, kin and acquaintances. When illness occurs following a dispute between these people, sorcery may be suspected. The people who identify and take action against the suspected sorcerer are usually the suspected sorcerer's own family members, neighbours or acquaintances. By describing an instance where malevolent magic occurs within rather than between social groups, I contribute to the documentation of instances of such in-group manifestations. I also analyse the implications of the fact that violence and suspicion, as much as solidarity and trust, may characterise relations among the people who are closest.