The Fusion of Religious and Political Power. The practice of separating governmental power and religious authority was not a feature of politics in ancient West Africa. Political and religious leadership roles were frequently fused in one person. Ritual beliefs, myths, and dogmas were central to the exercise of power. The king was accountable both to the living and to the ancestors. As part of his responsibilities, he served as a mediator between his domain and the realm of the deceased, and the extent to which he maintained harmony between the temporal world of the living and the supernatural world of the ancestors was a measure of his success as a ruler. He was responsible for good order in society, which was partially created through harmony between its secular and nonsecular components. The king's powers were held in check by religious...