The Pagan Tribes of the Nilotic Sudan

Record summary

C. G. and Brenda Z. Seligman’s The Pagan Tribes of the Nilotic Sudan compares religious traditions, social structures, and ritual among several Nilotic peoples. It is a useful documentary lead for tracking sky beings, rain, thunder, lightning, fire, and luminous signs across communities that early scholars often grouped together. The comparative format can reveal recurring motifs but also encourages overgeneralization. Researchers should identify which people supplied each account, locate cited informants or earlier publications, and account for the book’s dated racial and evolutionary terminology.