This book is an anthropological case study of the Yoruba people, one of the most important native groups in sub-Saharan Africa. Bascom spent a year in Nigeria in 1973-1938, and revisited the area again several times during World War II. He returned again in 1955, 1960 and 1965.
The case study was originally published in 1969, and reissued in 1984 (although I don't think there were any revisions made to the text). A lot has happened in Nigeria since then, so much of the information is outdated. The Nigerian-Biafran War occurred, followed by military dictatorships and multiple coups, completely changing the political and ethnic landscape of the country. The book spends an extensive amount of time discussing ethnic Yoruba religion, but according to wikipedia.org, Nigeria is now almost entirely split between Muslims and Christians, with only a very small minority practicing traditional religion. Nevertheless, this volume is a good description of what the region looked like at one point in its history.
Some interesting points:
* While Nigeria does have a formal legal system, largely left over from the British colonial period, much of the regular everyday judging is very informal. Sometimes, if two people have a complaint against each other, it can be settled right in the street by the local chief and elders, with bystanders being able to question witnesses and offer their opinions.
* Traditionally, if a couple was found guilty of incest, a he-goat was sacrificed and each of the guilty parties was given a foreleg of the goat with which to beat each other. While hitting each other with the foreleg, the woman was required to ask, "Why did you make love to me?" while the man asked, "When I made love to you, why did you not refuse?"
* When twins are born, the first-born is considered the younger twin, because he came out into the world ahead of his elder sibling to inspect it and prepare the way.
* The Yoruba have a very intricate system of kinship terminology, how they address or refer to those related to them. It includes consideration for the age of the person you're addressing, whether they're a blood relative or a relative by marriage, if by marriage, whether they entered the clan before or after you, and several other considerations. To address a member of the family with the wrong terms is considered a sign of contempt; in fact, it is considered more respectful to address one's elders by their name, rather than words such as "uncle" or "grandfather".
As I said earlier, much of the information in this volume is probably severely outdated, but it is interesting for the glimpse it gives us of how the society operated for much of its history. It is definitely written by an anthropologist for others in the anthropology field, and not something the average "civilian" would enjoy. For a good example of an anthropological case study that would be enjoyable reading for non-professionals, I recommend Okubo Diary: Portrait of a Japanese Valley by Brian Moeran.
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