Tangki War Magic: The Virtuality of Spirit Warfare and the Actuality of Peace
Publication Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
3-2014
Abstract
Tangki spirit-medium worship is practiced in the Hokkien communities of Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Tangkis are exorcists who perform war magic using the ritual theater of self-mortification. A tangki pierces his body with rods and swords in order to be supercharged with the spirit-power of the weapons for the battle with evil. Self-mortification can also enact a bodhisattva sacrifice of the body on behalf of devotees. The virtuality of the ritual theater convinces believers of the actuality of exorcism, which will ensure peace and safety in the reality of the everyday.
Keywords
Demonology, exorism, gods, Hokkien, ritual theater, spirit-medium worship, war magic
Discipline
Asian Studies | Religion
Research Areas
Humanities
Publication
Social Analysis
Volume
58
Issue
1
First Page
25
Last Page
46
ISSN
0155-977X
Identifier
10.3167/sa.2014.580102
Publisher
Berghahn
Citation
CHAN, Margaret.(2014). Tangki War Magic: The Virtuality of Spirit Warfare and the Actuality of Peace. Social Analysis, 58(1), 25-46.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/1571
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.3167/sa.2014.580102