William W. Bascom

About the Author

William W. Bascom was a pioneering American anthropologist and folklorist whose groundbreaking research illuminated the rich cultural traditions of West Africa, particularly among the Yoruba people. Born in 1912, Bascom's academic journey took him from Princeton University to fieldwork in Nigeria and Cuba, where he immersed himself in the study of oral literature, religion, and social structures. His meticulous scholarship bridged anthropology and religious studies, offering profound insights into divination practices and their role in community life. Bascom's work not only preserved endangered cultural knowledge but also challenged Western misconceptions about African societies, earning him recognition as a leading authority on Ifa and Yoruba cosmology. Throughout his career at institutions like Northwestern and the University of California, Berkeley, he authored numerous influential texts that continue to shape ethnographic studies today.