Category: Shamanism

Witchcraft – Shamans in many cultures are expected to combat users of malevolent magic, witches, or sorcerers—or they may be suspected of being witches or…

Winkelman, Michael – Professor in anthropology at Arizona State University, former president of the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness, and founder of the Anthropology…

Wilby, Emma – Much of the data on early medieval witches is unreliable, extracted under conditions of torture and permeated by witchhunt propaganda discourse—originating not…

Wicca – A form of Paganism, also known as witchcraft but distinct from the practice of malevolent magic or sorcery. Following its creation as a…

White Shamanism – A term like plastic medicine men that alleges that some or all neo-shamans are frauds. In articles called “The Great Pretenders: Further…

Whitehead, Neil – Professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His research and publications are mostly concerned with Amazonian peoples and the influence…

White Shamans – The Buryat and Yakut peoples of Mongolia and Siberia distinguish between two types of shaman: black shamans and white shamans. Although the…

Wayapí – An Amazonian indigenous people. Alan Campbell’s ethnography is particularly interested in the Wayapí’s use of the term payé, which, though roughly cognate with…

Wasson, R. Gordon (1898–1996) – American banker and amateur mycologist whose study of “ethnomycology” with his wife Valentina began on a delayed honeymoon in the…

Warfare – While many commentators recognize that shamans may protect their communities by gaining advance knowledge of attack by enemies or predators, Carlos Fausto argues…