The Soul of Central Africa

Record summary

John Roscoe’s The Soul of Central Africa surveys religious ideas and traditions in Uganda and neighboring areas, including accounts of creator figures, spirits, celestial powers, thunder, lightning, and ritual specialists. It is a potentially valuable comparative lead because Roscoe collected material across communities that were often treated together in early African ethnology. The book’s categories are historically situated and may merge distinct traditions or translate local beings into Christian or classical equivalents. Verification should identify the community, language, and source context for every sky or fire reference.