{"product_id":"magic-and-fetishism","title":"Magic and Fetishism","description":"\u003ch1 class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\n\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMagic and Fetishism\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eBiblioteca Obscura No. 21\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBy Alfred C. Haddon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor centuries, European travelers, missionaries, and scholars sought to understand the religious traditions of Africa, where sacred objects, ancestral spirits, divination, ritual specialists, and protective charms formed an integral part of daily life. \u003cem\u003eMagic and Fetishism\u003c\/em\u003e brings together two remarkable historical works that examine these beliefs from strikingly different perspectives—one as a firsthand missionary account, the other as an early anthropological study.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first work, \u003cstrong\u003eFetichism and Fetish Worshipers (1885)\u003c\/strong\u003e by \u003cstrong\u003eRev. P. Baudin\u003c\/strong\u003e, offers a detailed eyewitness account of the religious practices of West Africa, particularly among the peoples of the Slave Coast (present-day Benin and neighboring regions). Drawing upon years of firsthand experience, Baudin describes the organization of the priesthood, initiation ceremonies, sacred groves, temples, idols, talismans, divination, sacrificial rites, funerary customs, beliefs concerning the dead, and the central role that fetishes occupied within everyday society. His work also includes an extensive historical appendix documenting the early Catholic missions established in West Africa, making it an invaluable record of both indigenous religious traditions and early missionary encounters.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComplementing this remarkable primary source is \u003cstrong\u003eMagic and Fetishism (1906)\u003c\/strong\u003e by the distinguished British anthropologist \u003cstrong\u003eAlfred C. Haddon\u003c\/strong\u003e. Rather than presenting a missionary narrative, Haddon approaches the subject through the emerging discipline of anthropology, examining the concepts of magic, fetishism, animism, and early religion from a comparative perspective. Drawing upon examples from Africa and other parts of the world, he explores the origins of magical thinking, the symbolic power attributed to charms and amulets, and the relationship between ritual, belief, and human culture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTogether, these two works provide readers with a rare opportunity to examine the same traditions through two very different historical lenses—one rooted in direct observation, the other in comparative scientific inquiry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProfessionally restored from the original editions, this volume preserves two important historical studies documenting traditional African religion, magic, and the development of anthropological thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy This Volume Matters\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFew subjects have influenced the history of comparative religion and anthropology more profoundly than the study of magic and fetishism. By combining Baudin's firsthand observations with Haddon's pioneering anthropological analysis, this volume allows readers to compare two distinct approaches to understanding traditional religious belief at the turn of the twentieth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor students of anthropology, comparative religion, African history, folklore, ethnography, and the history of magical belief, this collection offers an exceptional combination of primary historical evidence and early scholarly interpretation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Biblioteca Obscura\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBiblioteca Obscura\u003c\/em\u003e is a collectible series from \u003cstrong\u003eShadowborn Press\u003c\/strong\u003e devoted to forgotten historical works that have shaped humanity's understanding of the occult, folklore, witchcraft, demonology, religion, alchemy, spiritualism, and the supernatural.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach volume is carefully restored from original editions, professionally typeset, and designed to create a uniform collector's library preserving rare texts that have long remained inaccessible to modern readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeries:\u003c\/strong\u003e Biblioteca Obscura\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVolume:\u003c\/strong\u003e No. 21\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrimary Work:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eMagic and Fetishism\u003c\/em\u003e — Alfred C. Haddon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAlso Includes:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eFetichism and Fetish Worshipers\u003c\/em\u003e — Rev. P. Baudin\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Premium collectible paperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTrim Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 × 6 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shadowborn Press\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCarefully restored from the original historical editions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Shadowbornpress","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53939529646191,"sku":null,"price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/4113\/4703\/files\/cover21sho.jpg?v=1785870681","url":"https:\/\/shadowbornpress.com\/products\/magic-and-fetishism","provider":"Shadowbornpress","version":"1.0","type":"link"}