Simultaneously published in French with title: Dieux noirs.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 190-191).

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 intiates' 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.