Witch doctors are a real-world occupation which refers to a form of healer, specialized in traditional-medicine and combatting the effects of malevolent magic. Witch doctor is an English European term most often pejoratively affiliated with African cultures where they are referred to as sangoma and function as shaman and medicine-men.
Description[]
Sangoma[]
History[]
Real-world history[]
The term Witch-Doctor originates from European witchcraft and witch-finding. It became affiliated with African tribal practices in the early half of the 19th century where it was pejoratively used by European colonists to describe traditional-healers.
Jungle Cruise appearances[]
Bengal Barbecue[]
Shrunken Ned is the self-proclaimed first self-service witch doctor of the jungle. He is represented by a white British colonist named Colonel Nedley Lostmore who is an undead shrunken-head (a practice of the South American Jivaroan peoples). Guests can give Ned money in-return for cards of Ned's traditional healing advice.
Horrors of the Amazon[]
In this show, former Jungle Navigation Company employee Jonas Brisbane grave-robbed the corpse of a South American witch-doctor in the Amazon rainforest. Brisbane put the corpse on display in a show with many captured creatures to try and appease the colonial organization the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. Due to Jonas' crimes, the corpse reanimated itself to attack the skipper with Brisbane retaliating by trying to cannibalize the witch-doctor's blood for power. Brisbane failed and was seemingly spirited away by the disrespected shaman.
Jungle Cruise[]
Some skipper jokes involved mentioning witch-doctors. This included, "A gentleman visits the witch doctor. He's got a grape up one nostril, and a banana up the other. He's got a mango in one ear, he's got a watermelon in the other. He says, "Witch Doctor, you must help me; I'm not feeling well!" And the witch doctor says, "Of course not. You're not eating right"" and, "Those two trophies in the witch doctor's hut belonged to two of the nicest tourists who ever took a shortcut through the jungle" when passing the Umbala territory.
Trader Sam's[]
A removed book in Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar called, "Witness to Witchcraft" (1957) by Harry B. Wright referenced witch-doctors before it was removed for racism in 2021.[1] Trader Sam has a post-card from one, "Rhoi" reading, "Trader Sam, Your placehas the best drinks around! It's like you use some ancient witch doctor magic in them... -Rhoi".
Gallery[]
