The Magicality of the Hyena: Beliefs and Practices in West and South Asia

Abstract

As an animal to which magical properties are attributed, the hyena has moved the imagination of people not only in Africa, where it plays a prominent role in myth and ritual, but also in western and southern Asia. The striped hyena, a nocturnal scavenger, is sometimes caught alive in Asia and employed in animal fights. The A. shows how all parts of a newly dead hyena are used in love magic and to ward off evil.