Munyakare: African Civilization Before the Batuuree

by Richard W. Hull

What were the rhythms of the sub-Sahara before the Batuuree - the white man - disrupted the fabric of African civilizations? This survey evokes Africa's past in the manner of a traditional "griot," or elder, talking to his brothers and sisters. It is a narrative free of the Western emphases on time-lines and superimposed Euro-centric eras. Institutions and their importance in society are examined. Supportive data is drawn from anthropology, ethno-musicology, art history, theology, sociology, political science and law. The author traces both centralized and diffuse communities...their architecture and design, their education, their legal system, and their varieties of religious expression. Maps and a glossary of African terms complement the narrative.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972