Female Suffering, Local Power Relations, and Religious Tourism: A Case Study from Yugoslavia

Abstract

The Yugoslavian pilgrimage center of Medjugorje has been confronted with a curious problem. Many local women are experiencing fear, illness, and a general uneasiness that make it difficult for them to carry out their daily tasks, including running the lodging houses that cater to the pilgrims. Their conclusion is that an increasing number of devils in the area are causing these problems. Men, including the priests, do not share this diagnosis; they dismiss it as “women's madness.” This article first describes and explains the recent outburst of “diabolical activities” from the perspective of the women involved. It then addresses the issue of the differences in interpretation between men and women. These differences seem to be based on a long‐term power struggle in which religious and psychological means have been used to keep the feuding and physical violence common to the area within certain bounds.

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