„Demony” Malinowskiego, czyli o czarownikach i wiedźmach z obszaru Nowej Gwinei
Malinowski’s bestiary, or a story about sorcerers and witches from New Guinea

Summary/Abstract: Fear is ever-present in man’s history feeling, regardless of their époque or culture. In my paper I would like to examine what and whom the natives of the New Guinea fear as well as how the fears of the Islanders are constructed, basing my reflection upon Bronislaw Malinowski’s research. In my research I will focus particularly on two beings, sorcerers bara’u and witches mulukwausi, for they perform important civil functions in their communities. Researching upon New Guinea’s demonology will be a step further in my attempt to compare the Islander’s culture and the European culture, in order to bring out some invariant rules and mechanisms concerning fear, mutual to attributive culture. This paper has been inspired by Claude Lévi-Strauss’ structuralism.

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