Societal norms can devastate people who do not conform.
The existence of unexplainable, seemingly extraordinary powers can be scary. How do you explain the ability of an older woman to run a dog's speed at night and unable to walk during the day? Or the chemistry between fierce birds like owls and how easily humans can command them at night. Or the powers to make humans change their physical outlook into animals and plants. These are the stuff of fantasy action movies played out on the big screen in movie theaters but not in the real world. There is no such thing as magic. Or is there?
The practice of magic, mainly for evil purposes, is called witchcraft. Many people believe in it, and some practice it in my part of the world. And that part of the world is my home country, Kenya, Africa. I grew up in a small village in rural Kenya. Witchcraft, as we know it, is done to cause damage or injury intentionally to people or property, sometimes resulting in death. Witchcraft is a normal and accepted part of the small village society where I grew up, and people shape their cultural norms and behaviors around it.
In most African societies, deeply engraved beliefs of witchcraft and evil spirits exist. The belief in witchcraft is where certain people are associated with owning different but extraordinary strengths they can use to do whatsoever they want. These powers are what we call witchcraft, or to make the owners happy, call it black magic. The ability to turn upright-thinking people insane to roam on the streets or kill people without laying a hand on them, without necessarily understanding the course of their demise. How do you explain a person who dies claiming they saw an evil spirit? Someone will ask where the spirits are and how it happens; this remains a mystery.
For many reasons, these hard-core beliefs in black magic find their roots in most African societies. One generation teaches the next the beliefs, cultural norms, values, and behaviors. Most children born into families that practice black magic become skilled in the practices and ascend to a role in society when they become adults. This position is both feared and revered.
Many people believe that black magic is real and that it works in our lives. People possessing black magic compete for recognition as the most powerful, and those that don't have black magic skills vie for favor from those that do. These beliefs split families apart, and many children leave their rural homes for fear of retribution. This escape includes young children, leaving villages with houses occupied by parents and grandparents but no children.
In some cases, there will be no beautiful homes, not due to no money to erect them but a fear of being killed when you have a nice home. When children come to visit their parents in the village, they do it at night to avoid detection.
The belief in black magic engulfs everyone, and it's a normal state at home. The prevailing ideas in black magic thwart economic advancement in rural communities. People never use their beliefs for constructive purposes to advance African society. It condemns the financial success of individuals, and the fear stagnates people from trying to increase their well-being. These societal norms have a stagnating and regressive effect on many parts of the African continent.
There lived a chief who rose from the Kaswanga village, a small undeveloped society in Kenya, who had had exposure to other developed towns. He had a greater appetite to follow what he had seen in different places and wanted roads and big buildings in his hometown. The Kaswangan people perceived it differently. Economic growth and development will cause evil spirits to rain pain and suffering on us. After just serving one year, he willingly resigned and never wanted the chiefship again.
During his resignation, the chief spoke, "...At times, the collective mind overweighs sober reasoning, and it is with great humility that I served you. But you will learn someday that ignorance is more powerful and dangerous when upheld. I resign today, to make a few people smile again and practice their charm without interference."
I have witnessed various young men die mysteriously without falling ill in very unclear circumstances associated with witchcraft. On another occasion, I saw some of my classmates become insane and could only eat dumped animal feed. Yet another time, a young man who was a brilliant scholar, who was always my immediate follower in class, decided to terminate his studies for no reason. He did not want anything to do with school again. We were all perplexed. He did not have a reason to do so and did not know why.
No one ever investigates these mysterious incidents. They go on, sometimes reported, mostly ignored. It is an accepted part of society but comes at an enormous cost. Could I do anything? I knew that it was potentially dangerous and almost certainly had negative repercussions.
Brian is a born chronicler and a social change activist who embraces learning and empowering innovative social development change worldwide. Brian hails from Kisumu, Kenya.
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Next week. A new chapter in this month's series, Beyond Societal Norms.
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