N. V. GRISHINA Candidate of Historical Sciences Institute of Africa, Russian Academy of Sciences Keywords: albinos, Africa, rituals, traditions The persecution and killing of albinos for ritual purposes in many African countries has long attracted international attention. Every year, hundreds of Africans who lack the skin pigment melanin die or become disabled at the hands of their fellow tribesmen, and often their own relatives. In many African communities, there has long been a belief that albinos are the ghosts of the dead or the living dead, "children of the moon", bringing misfortune and disease. The newborn's white skin is attributed to a curse cast on its parents, and in some African beliefs, white brothers are considered to be the incarnation of the spirits of the dead.1 However, amulets made from their bodies are in high demand: millions of Africans believe that they protect their owners from harm and guarantee good luck. Therefore, from the point of view of public "benefit", the murder of such "ghosts" is still considered quite justified. On average, there is one albino per 20 thousand people in the world. In Tanzania, the ratio is 1:1400, in Kenya and Burundi - 1:5000; there is no consensus in the scientific community why the percentage of albinos among the local population is so significant in this region. According to one version, this is the result of closely related marriages 2. "PREY" AND "HUNTERS" The strong belief of Africans in the magical power of talismans and potions made from the bodies of albinos, became a favorable ground for the prosperity of hunting for white-skinned tribesmen. Persecution of albinos is widespread in Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Uganda. For many years now, there has been an extensive business for the extraction and resale of human "raw materials" to sorcerers and healers, the demand for which is consistently high. Amulets and potions are actively bought up by representatives o ... Read more