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Fetish
Inanimate object believed to possess some magical
power. The fetish may be a natural thing, such as a stone, a feather, a
shell, or the claw of an animal, or it may be artificial, such as carvings
in wood. The power of the fetish is thought to derive its efficacy from
one of two sources. In some cases the object is said to have a will of its
own; in others the source of power comes from the belief that a god dwells
within the object and has transformed it into an instrument of his
desires. Closely related to the idea of the power of a fetish is the
notion of taboo . Here the power within the fetish is thought to be so
strong that it is extremely dangerous and may be handled only by special
individuals, if at all. Any object of irrational or superstitious devotion
may be called a fetish.
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