This book studies a little-known religious tradition known as 'nswo' and shared by several groups from the south-western part of the Démocratic Republic of Congo, including the Yansi, Sakata, Hungana, Buma, Mfunuka, Tsong, Mbala, Teke, Dikidiki, and Yaka. Numerous examples of sculptures used as part of 'nswo' practice are found in the collections of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (Tervuren, Belgium) and account for a significant part of the book's discussion. The book investigates the origins of the religion, its spread, and its regional variations as expressed in the nature of both the rites and the statuary.