Features over 1000 artifacts from 100 ethnic groups. An introduction is provided for each of the listed tribes, followed by anything from one to fifty-five sculptured images. The introductory discussion covers for the most part artistic & cultural themes, but occasionally religious beliefs are also briefly discussed (e.g. as in the case of the Dogon, Yoruba, and Aduma tribes).

African creation myths. A brief discussion focussing especially on the Shilluk & Yoruba.

A study of the ancestor cult of the Suku of the south-western Congo (Kinshasa) by Igor Kopytoff.

Information about the origins, & social & political structure of the Banyarwanda/Bafumbira, as well as their judicial system.

Katonda is said to be both the creator of all things and the "father of the gods". Little was known of him, and he was not expected to intervene in human affairs. By contrast, the Lubbale or guardians were of major importance in everyday life. These were the powerful spirits of extraordinary ancestors, venerated by all. The lesser spirits were also important. These were mainly ancestors, but included the spirits of mountains, rivers, etc., mainly benign, but not all. Links to history, language, and culture, may be found at the Buganda Homepage.

Chewa Society

'Masks, Society, and Hierachy Among the Chewa of Central Malawi', by Laurel Birch de Aguilar M.A. (Anthropology of Art, 1991). De Aguilar explains that her fieldwork revealed hierarchical relationships between Chewa masks. This article explores these relationships & the hierarchy of Chewa masks in relation to Chewa society. In her conclusion she states, "Masked society and human society mirror one another. Further, the hierarchy of the masked society is also the hierarchy of the spirit world…specifically, the community of the dead and the living share the same hierarchical structures and values which separate one social grouping from another." In addition, the complexity of the mask complex represents "…all that is possible and actual in the human and spirit communities."

A glossary of terms pertaining to gods and goddesses. Here the terms begin with 'j' and include reference to the gods of the Alur and the Shilluk, Jok and Juok respectively.

'Red Ochre, White Chalk: The Masai Eunoto Ceremony'. The eunoto ceremony marks the coming of age of the 'morans', or young warriors. This site provides a photo essay of the ceremony.

For more works from the late 19th/early 20th centuries on the spirituality & beliefs of Sub-Saharan Africa, go to African Religions.

This webpage provides some information on the ethnic identity & origins of the Nilotic people of the Alur, who share the same language group as the Shilluk. Information on other Nilotic peoples - the Luo, Acholi, & Japadhola - may be accessed from this page.

The Shona & Ndebele religions of Zimbabwe by Hilde Arntsen, Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo.

'Theoretical and Experimental Dimensions in the Study of the Ancestral Cult among the Zambian Nkoya' by Wim van Binsbergen. This paper opens with an account of the Nkoya name-inheriting ritual (ushwana) by a former principal participant of that ceremony, whilst section 3 discusses the Nkoya and their ancestral cult in more depth. Binsbergen's main concern here is not the cult itself, however, but two problems facing the study of African religions by anthropologists. The first concerns the extent to which an analytical theory of African religious change can explain contemporary plurality as the "…synchronic outcome of the dialectical historical processes that have shaped a social formation." The second problem concerns the reliability of theory to convey the reality of their subjects' experience. In Binsbergen's words: "By sleight-of-hand we, as theorists of African religion, produce statements about these religions which, if the Africans we write about were to read these statements, would be totally irrelevant and alien to them." Binsbergen does not wholly discount these theoretical approaches, but he is dissatisfied with them. Neither is he optimistic that a theoretical solution may be found.

This site provides general information about the Suku people, including, for example, their history, religion, and arts. Some Suku ceremonial masks may be viewed at Suku Masks.

From here one can access links to articles on the religious beliefs of a number of tribal groups. The key to finding listings of these groups is the page Kenya's People. Use the links under the heading 'Related Pages'. There is also an 'interactive map' available. Click on the name of any tribe shown to go to the relevant site. Here are two sites to go on with: Turkana Religion & Beliefs and Maasai Religion and Beliefs.

Information about the religion, art, history, economic, & political systems of the Yaka people of the south-western Congo. See also a Yaka circumcision mask by an unknown artist.

This article is by Hal Horton for the 'Post-Colonial Web', a project funded by the University Scholars Programme at the National University of Singapore. Among the gods discussed are Olorun, creator of all things, supreme, but apparently ignored. By contrast, Shango, god of thunder and lightening, holds an important place in the lives of the Yoruba. Also mentioned are Orishala and his wife Odudua, sometimes regarded as creators, and the minor gods, especially Ogun, said in some regions to be identified with Eshu, the trickster.

This page on the Zulu chiefly discusses history, economy, political systems, and religion.

This page consists in five sections: (i) 'Ancestor Worship'; (ii) 'Superstition'; (iii) 'The Sangoma'; (iv) 'Burials'; and (v) 'The Inyanga'. From each of these sections one may also find links to 'Zulu Culture' & 'Zulu Traditions', which offer many other aspects of Zulu life. These include such subjects as the history of beads, Zulu symbols, astrology (traditions), history, clothes, & dancing (culture).