As Halloween approaches, homes are decorated with spider webs, jack-o-lanterns, and bags of flaming poop on doorsteps. Of course, someone’s mother will appear in her doorway holding candy, wearing a witch outfit (a bit buzzed on apple cider) and cackling like she was the Wicked Witch of the West. Ever wonder where this image of a broom-wielding hag comes from? Well, some say it originates from cranky Puritans dealing with the snow, but this Thursday, CSUF anthropology professors lead a lecture called “Noche En El Museo: Witchcraft and Authority in Colonial Michoacán, México.” These aren’t your standard witches—and you might be surprised by their status in the Phurépecha culture. Also part of the event, Professors guide a tour of the teaching museum, which is filled with wonderful displays of witchcraft in medieval Spanish and Phurépecha cosmovisions and screen the spectacular short film Auikanime: La Que Tiene Hambre.
Thu., Oct. 20, 6-10 p.m., 2011
