John G. Wood’s landmark work, ‘The Uncivilized Races of Men,’ was an important, illustrated work describing the human races that were unknown to most Western cultures. Wood details the lives and cultures of people groups such as the Hottentots, Kaffir, Bosjesman, Bechuana, Ovambo, Fiji and Australian people, Eskimos, Guiana, and many more lesser-known groups. This work gives special attention to hunting and military practices such as choice weapons, human sacrifice and torture, magic spells and prophecy rituals, tobacco and pipes, and costumes and clothing.
One particularly important section is Wood’s account of the Bouda people in Ethiopia, Morocco, and Tanzania. The Bouda are known living vampires who claim to use their magic to shape-shift into hyena. According to Bane, the Boudas are also highly skilled in the art of making magical amulets and charms.
