Cannibalism Myths, Empire, and Identity in Colonial Sierra Leone

Through careful analysis of court transcripts and modern scholarship on the 1913 Human Leopard cases in Sierra Leone, this book uncovers a complex web of judicial overreach, colonial ambitions, indigenous belief systems, European paranoia, animals whose habitat was being encroached upon, and socio-political turmoil.

List of contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction: Understanding the Leopard
Chapter 1: A Sketch of Sierra Leone and the Context for the Cases
Chapter 2: What Kind of Leopards Were They?
Chapter 3: Cannibalism as European Nightmare and as Spiritual Consumption
Chapter 4: The Court at Gbangbama
Chapter 5: Human Leopards and Poro
Chapter 6: Body Marking, the Orthography of the Skin, and Colonial Assumptions
Chapter 7: Oath-taking, Medicines, and the Colonial Law
Chapter 8: The Special Commission Court Cases Concerning Human Leopards
Conclusion: Regional Tensions on Trial
Appendix: The People
Bibliography
About the Author

About the author

Katrina HB Keefer is adjunct professor of cultural studies at Trent University.

Product details

• Authors: Katrina HB Keefer
• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 15.11.2024
• EAN: 9781666965780
• ISBN: 978-1-66696-578-0
• No. of pages: 192
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Colonialism & Post-Colonialism, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / African, HISTORY / Africa / West, Colonialism & imperialism, Politics & government, African History, West Africa