Alfred Burdon Ellis

Alfred Burdon Ellis (* 1852 ; † 1894 ) was a British officer and author who carried out ethnographic , linguistic and historical research on the Slave Coast and Gold Coast of West Africa .

His best-known works include the books about the religion, customs, laws and languages ​​of the Ewe- speaking and Yoruba- speaking inhabitants of the slave coast and the Tshi [= Twi]-speaking inhabitants of the gold coast of West Africa.

In another work he described the West African islands of St. Helena , Ascension , Fernando Póo , Los , St. Vincent , San Antonio , Goree , Gran Canaria , Tenerife and Madeira .

Works

• The Land of Fetish . Chapman & Hall, 1883
• West African Islands . London, Chapman and Hall, 1885, first edition
• South African sketches . London, Chapman and Hall, 1887
• The Tshi-Speaking Peoples of the Gold Coast of West Africa: their religion, manners, customs, laws, language etc. London. Chapman & Hall, 1887 digitized
• A history of the Gold Coast of West Africa . London 1893 digitized
• The Yoruba-Speaking peoples of the Slave Coast of West Africa: their religion, manners, customs, laws, language etc.; with an appendix containing a comparison of the Tshi, Ga , Ewe and Yoruba languages . London. Chapman and Hall, 1894 digitized
• The Ewe-speaking peoples of the slave coast of West Africa: their religion, manners, customs, laws, languages ​​etc. London 1890 digitalisat (content: Introductory - Religious beliefs - General deities - Tribal deities - Local deities - Amulets, omens, and various superstitions - The indwelling spirits and souls of men - Human sacrifices - The priesthood - Ceremonies at birth, marriage, and death - System of government - Military system of Dahomi - Laws and customs - Language - Proverbs and folk-lore - History of Dahomi .)