The Spirit of Competition:Wakin Burkina Faso

Abstract

AbstractThis article examines the occult powers used to obtain protection or to gain an advantage in modern competitive arenas. In Burkina Faso, these powers are widely known aswak. The discussion focuses on sporting events, an area largely neglected in the recent literature on sorcery and modernity. Unlike what is often assumed or claimed about beliefs in occult powers, it is suggested thatwakacts a complement and not as the condition of an individual's talent or success.