The black eskimo

June 27, 2006 2:16 AM

Does anyone know the story of the "Black Eskimo" who travelled from Africa to the Arctic to escape a snake cult?

I remember seeing the end of a documentary about it (BBC?) From what I remember, he was bitten by a snake and survived. His father wanted him to join the local snake worshipping cult in thanks for his life, but he ran away and made his way to the arctic because there are no snakes there. He was living in a village there and had joined up with the local people.

Has anyone got more info on the story? He was alive in the doc (80's) so it was probably in the last 60 years.

posted by lunkfish to Society & Culture (4 answers total)

Best answer: It's called An African in Greenland, the true story of a young man from Togo who visited Greeland. It's a good book; I just read it.
posted by bchaplin at 3:12 AM on June 27, 2006

Response by poster: Ah, nice one. He had a nasty fall, and was cured by the python cult apparently. Looks like an interesting book.
posted by lunkfish at 3:24 AM on June 27, 2006

It is a very intriguing book.
posted by plinth at 7:59 AM on June 27, 2006

Fascinating book. Back in print, I believe, too.
posted by QIbHom at 12:20 PM on June 27, 2006