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Background Background
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The First Death The First Death
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A Second Death A Second Death
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The Third Death The Third Death
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Telling Stories about Sorcery Deaths Telling Stories about Sorcery Deaths
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Stories and the Construction of the Truth Stories and the Construction of the Truth
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Narrative and Society Narrative and Society
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Seven The Power of Stories
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Published:September 1992
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Abstract
This chapter examines the ways in which unsubstantiated stories become “truth” in Kwanga villages. It moves beyond examining rumor to investigate ways in which stories about recent events influence people's interpretation of future events and their memories of the past, and can ultimately constitute much of their knowledge about their social world. Rumors are one such type of story; stories told in public meetings can have similar careers. The chapter argues that sorcery talk among the Kwanga is an instance of a much more pervasive kind of behavior which occurs everywhere. Sorcery deaths in Kwanga villages represent situations which are both anxiety provoking and ambiguous par excellence: deaths are anxiety provoking because they usually indicate to people that a murderer is at large in the community, and also have the potential to lead to violence as the aggrieved family searches for a culprit.
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