Foreword

African religions

Vodun

For the Bamileke, death does not exist

The Hogon foregoes physical contact

Blue, the color of ritual death

Sexual intercourse as mystical expression

Westerners are considered ugly

Witches have four eyes

The symbolism of beads

Ritual slavery

Insanity as blessing

The power of women is feared

A masked healer

Chaste magicians

The initiates' sacred dance

Ashantis forced their enemies to walk barefoot

Followers of the high priest of the sacred forest

Strict codes of conduct

Zionist Christian women

The god Sanponna protects against epidemics

A "penis shrinker"

Praying for a cure

Priest in a mystic coma

In the land of the dead

The lbidio priest remains in the village

Masks are dangerous

The power of elephant tusks

Soothsayers can see the spirits of the dead

Fear of magic

Too see means to know

The punishment for insulting God is death

The sacred statue of Ohafia

The soul of the deceased floats overhead

The skull has a soul

A witch-child in Kinshasa

Shango, god of lightning

Messenger of the gods

The sacred languages of the vodun

Eyos are guardians of the soul

The Orisha of Nigeria

The spiritual son of the god of lightning

Ritual vodun equipment

Sixteen is a sacred number

Death of a king

Attracting Agni gods

Gambada, a very violent deity

The priest makes the sun turn

Young initiates are not permitted to speak

Slaves of the gods

Sacred slaves

Mahounon, princess of the universe

The Daho Kpassenon and the iroko tree

The Amazons of Abomey

Worshipping the python

Twin ritual and the goddess Mami Wata

Twins share a soul

Exorcism of a child

A vodun altar

The fetish of the sacred forest

Sakpata, god of disease

A young man carrying a vodun on his shoulders

Vodun flags

Eyes rolled upwards

Spirits have no face

The fa oracle

Foreign is good

The prophet speaking to God

The prophet Samuel

Spirits and deities

The palanquin and the power of the vodun

Vodun-tron gods are shy

The Christian cross plays a part in vodun ceremonies

Vodun as improvised theater

The phallus dance

Koku worshippers

Possession by a deity

A thirst for blood

The gods enjoy music

Voduns love schnapps

The role of plastic toys in ritual

Secrecy is at the heart of the vodun faith

Soothsayers are chosen before birth

Saint Michael in the role of Ogun, god of war and iron

Celestial Christians fighting vodun influence

Spirits hiding in the bush

Punishment of criminals

Nigerian businessmen

Westerners initiated into vodun

The goddess of water

Beautiful Mami Wata

Spiritual transformation

The Sagoma throws her voice

Fetishes from the far side of the universe

Ndebele necklaces

Becoming a woman

The curse of the Gcaleka of South Africa

Ritual murders and magic charms

South African Zionist Christians

"When an elder dies..."

Stoning for those accused of witchcraft

Dreams as cure

White symbolizes moral rectitude

White, the color of rebirth

The Zionist Christian church

Jumping as an aid to prayer

Fear of witches

The griotte's story

The balafon xylophone

The griot's song

Griots and the musical tradition

The Bwiti ceremony and the role of women

"Angels" under the influence

The Society of Cherubim and Seraphim

Westerners are flawed

A mystical acrobat

The marks of God

Vodun, a religion of life

Dangerous Xhosa initiation rites

Circumcision as a rite of passage

Woman-goddess

Seeing is believing

The Fela shrine

Initiation celebrations

The soul-eater

The end of the world is nigh

Polygamy and the Harrist faith

Albert Atcho, the devil's confessor

Shango punishes with lightning

Noli, land of ghosts

Fear of witchcraft

The saber protects the Ashanto chief

Akan gold

Two souls

Masks as protection

Holy water, holy bullets

Mystic Africa

Lagos, capital of miracles

Vodun fetishes.