Video: Outcasts

Question 1

3 Groups Focused on in the Video

Answer 1

Witches in Africa, Lepers in India, Lizardman in America

Question 2

In most of the contemporary world, witches, ghosts and goblins are imaginary. But in Africa…

Answer 2

the notion of witchcraft is very real, the spiritual world is equally as prevalent as the physical world
Those capable of inflicting harm are greatly feared

Question 3

Sanka was accused of… after…

Answer 3

witchcraft, after a man died and the shaman decided it was her who did it, her whole life was apart of this town

Question 4

The fate of her whole life is dependent on..

Answer 4

the sacrifice of the chicken (used when they can’t decide on whether someone is guilty or not - depends on whether the chickens legs end down or up)

Question 5

The chicken’s legs ended

Answer 5

down so sanka is determined guilty, this is a sign that the priest has been guided by ancestors (this validates his authority)

Question 6

Is Sanka’s son supporting her innocence?

Answer 6

Belief in witches is so strong that even her son is unsure of her innocence

Question 7

What happened to Sanka

Answer 7

Sanka was banished rather than killed because it was believed she had no control over what she has done – because they don’t know what they’re doing is it right to kill them?

Question 8

What does Sanka have to do to be accepted?

Answer 8

To be accepted in the witch village she has to perform a ritual to purify herself

Question 9

Did Sanka believe she was innocent?

Answer 9

The notion is so strong even she believed she was possessed, however the ritual purifies her as a new person

Question 10

Can Witches ever leave the outcast village?

Answer 10

It is believed if the witch ever leaves the protection of the witch village they will be repossessed

Question 11

Witches in Ghana have been accused of… and are mostly…

Answer 11

Witches accused in Ghana are mostly women and have been accused of droughts, death of children etc..

Question 12

How does Sana fit into the Witch community compared to Sanka?

Answer 12

Sana is an outcast in an outcast society because she is younger than the other women whereas Sanka is more at home

Question 13

Was Sana allowed to bring anything with her?

Answer 13

She was only allowed to bring 1 of her 3 children

Question 14

What did the dying boy instruct the village to do with his corpse?

Answer 14

Young boy who was dying said that his corpse would give them guidance if they carry his corpse through the village

Question 15

What did the community do with the corpse?

Answer 15

The men rammed the corpse at Sana’s house after it “revealed” that she had killed them, they wouldn’t let her speak and tried to kill her

Question 16

What is used in ritual to purify a witch?

Answer 16

A chicken, liquor and money must be brought to purify herself – the chicken died on its back signalling that her purification and new life was accepted by the spirits

Question 17

What were the social consequences for the man with leprosy?

Answer 17

He was driven out of his village, rejected by his family, denied food, water and left to die because he has leprosy.
A social worker came to take him to a centre to treat leprosy

Question 18

Why was the man cast out?

Answer 18

He was cast out by fear, the villagers thought they would catch his disease, he probably wont ever be allowed to return, his family will likely never see him again

Question 19

What did the villagers do after he left?

Answer 19

They burn his shelter after he leaves

Question 20

What has the hatred of leprosy turned into?

Answer 20

A symbol of all things fearful

Question 21

What were people with leprosy forced to wear?

Answer 21

Bells and Signs to warn of their approach

Question 22

Is Leprosy contagious? Is anyone immune to it?

Answer 22

Leprosy is not contagious is easily cured – you can’t catch it by touching someone, sharing food, it is very difficult to contract. 95% of humans are naturally immune to leprosy, for those who contract it it is completely curable

Question 23

What is leprosy?

Answer 23

It is a bacteria that attacks skin, muscles and nerves – the social stigma is worse than the disease

Question 24

What is thought to be a cause of leprosy?

Answer 24

People with leprosy are seen as being to blame, they have committed sins they aren’t confessing to so they are being punished by god

Question 25

What will happen to the woman with leprosy?

Answer 25

Doctors visit a village and check for early signs of leprosy, a newlywed comes forward and has white patches on her arm and has lost use of her finger, she asked her face to be blurred, if it gets out that she has it she will be left to live on the street

Question 26

How do people know you have leprosy?

Answer 26

The visual signs make it impossible to hid the disease

Question 27

What is the treatment centre the social worker and nurses took the man to?

Answer 27

Sumanahalli

Question 28

After being cured will people be allowed back in the society?

Answer 28

Not likely, the physical defects are permanent and they will still be outcast

Question 29

What is different about Lizardman from the other 2 outcasts?

Answer 29

He has chosen to be an outcast by changing himself into half lizard

Question 30

What are Lizardman’s features?

Answer 30

Eric Sprague who tattooed his whole body to look like a lizard, he also has webbed feet, a forked tongue, eyebrow implants, nipple piercing and had his teeth sharpened

Question 31

What does Eric say about the word ‘freak’

Answer 31

Freak used to mean people who were different - born that way they didn’t choose it – Eric chose to be a ‘freak’

Question 32

Where does Eric perform?

Answer 32

He performs, at tattoo conventions, he says many aren’t willing to accept themselves, tattoo conventions are full of people who celebrate his uniqueness

Question 33

What about Eric’s wife?

Answer 33

His wife has tattoos and piercings that she can hide because she works as a mortgage broker

Question 34

Was Eric always a freak?

Answer 34

He grew up normally, was an honours student and athlete who went on to study performance art. He wanted to change his appearance so much he could challenge the notion of what it means to be human and possibly set himself aside from humans. He sends a message that he doesn’t want to fit in.

Question 35

What so powerful about Eric’s appearance?

Answer 35

It’s a very powerful signal to see a body different from ours.
Body modification signals that inside you know you don’t fit in.

Question 36

Eric thinks that being abnormal is… and normality is a …

Answer 36

Being abnormal is a way of staying true to himself. He sees normality as a myth

Question 37

What does Eric’s appearance ultimately say about him?

Answer 37

His transformation was a calculated message to everyone else, Whether we conform or rebel we are sending messages about ourselves

Question 38

What has changed about the meaning of tattoos?

Answer 38

Tattoos marked job, tribes, family membership in the navy and tribes, today it marks people as a subculture of outsiders. Some at the tattoo show see him as a hero, for most, tattoos are to be hidden from view.

Question 39

What provides acceptance for deviants?

Answer 39

Those who go to the extreme can rely on others who are apart of their community, it
Provides a context, a place of safety and support for people to modify themselves.
Many people have trouble tolerating difference among others, we feel threatened