Hand Trembling, Frenzy Witchcraft, and Moth Madness

Download or read book Hand Trembling, Frenzy Witchcraft, and Moth Madness written by Jerrold E. Levy and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2022-04-05 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: According to traditional Navajo belief, seizures are the result of sibling incest, sexual witchcraft, or possession by a supernatural spirit—associations that have kept such disorders from being known outside Navajo families. This new study is concerned with discovering why the Navajos have accorded seizures such importance and determining their meaning in the larger context of Navajo culture. The book is based on a 14-year study of some 40 Navajo patients and on an epidemiological survey among the Navajos and among three Pueblo tribes.