Geographical Locations. Geographically the West African locations in which practitioners of traditional religions were the most active between 500 and 1590 include Nri, Ile-Ife, Oyo, Dahomey, Benin, Ouida, and Nsulcka. Centers for Islam or Christianity included Ashanti, Mali, Kanem-Bornu, and Igbo-Ukwu.

Nri. Considered the "Mecca" of Igbo religions, Nri (in present-day Nigeria) was home to and ruled by the mostrespected and most-feared Dibia—clerics, healers, diviners, and rainmakers. People came from far away to consult them, and Nri priests were also known to travel long distances, sometimes for months and years, to practice their crafts. The most renowned deity in Nri was called the Long Juju.

Ile-Ife and Oyo. The Yoruba believe that they are descendants of Oduduwa, sometimes believed to be a prince who came from the east and settled in Ile-Ife in western Nigeria. From Ile-Ife, it is believed, the...