Imitative magic

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[Various types of sorcery]
According to the principles underlying magic, JG Fraser divided magic into homeopathic magic and contagious magic. Homeopathic magic is also called imitative magic, and is based on the principle of similarity. For example, to pray for rain, people light fires to produce black smoke, beat drums, and sprinkle water to imitate rain clouds, thunder, and rain. Contagious magic is also called contact magic, and is based on the idea that things that come into contact continue to affect each other even after they have left each other. In Japan, people would collect scraps of clothes from healthy children in the neighborhood, sew them together, and make a kimono for a sick child to wear, which is a type of magic.

*Some terminology explanations that mention "imitative magic" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

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［呪術の諸類型］
　呪術の基盤にある原理によってJ.G.フレーザーは呪術を類感呪術homeopathic magicと感染呪術contagious magicとに分けた。類感呪術は模倣呪術imitative magicともいい，類似の原理に基づくもので，たとえば雨乞いのため火をたいて黒煙を出し，太鼓をたたいたり，水をふりまくのは雨雲，雷，降雨のまねである。感染呪術は接触呪術ともいい，一度接触したものは離れた後もたがいに影響を与えつづけるという考え方に立つもので，日本で病弱な子を健康にするため近所の元気な子の着物の切れ端を集め，縫い合わせて着物を作り着せるのはこの呪術である。…

※「imitative magic」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報