Devilman's Jungle

Unlike the previous book, Indians On Horseback from Swedish anthropologist Gustav Bolinder, which was about a single tribe of Indian in South America on the remote Guajira Peninsula on the north coast of South America, split between Colombia and Venezuela, this book covers multiple African tribal peoples from multiple counties, but tackles a single theme - tribal magic.

A wide theme, which deals with many sub-topics, such as jungle mysticism, secret societies, fetishes, ancestor worship, human sacrifice, fertility rites, cult ceremonies, tribal medicine men, sacrificial vessels, circumcision rites (male and female), juju, curses, soothsayers, witches, spirits and demons!

Well organised the book begins discussing Liberia and Sierra Leone tribes in some detail, then uses these are a bit of a baseline to discuss the differences between these are other places. Niger delta, Nigeria and Angola first, then South Africa and Swaziland. There are also some themed chapters which draw from all the locations.

While it doesn't hold together as a narrative - the only journey aspects are short anecdotes relevant to the discussion - it is a quick easy read, which flows well enough, and thematically is interesting in a historic way. I haven't visited any of these places, and have read little enough contemporary travel in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Angola, but I imagine the vast majority of this is all in the past now (published in 1954).

4 stars.