Muti: Ritual Sacrifice as Medicine

Today when we think of medicine, we think of drug stores, pharmacies. Medicine comes in many forms, from cough syrup to painkillers and more. We don’t generally think about where it came from, how it was discovered, who first thought of it. I’d venture to guess that many people don’t know that penicillin was discovered by mistake, and began as a form of mold. If we go back even further, there are stories of people using mummies, grinding up their bodies for medicinal purposes. In South Africa, some forms of medicine, called muti, have utilized rituals consisting of dancing, chanting, playing drums, and sacrifice. These sacrifices over time, have come to be known as muti killings.

Muti Market
Muti Market in Johannesburg, South Africa
Continue reading “Muti: Ritual Sacrifice as Medicine”

Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren.

Up ↑