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Ioan Lewis
anthropologist · university teacher
- January 30, 1930 · Glasgow
- March 14, 2014 · London
- 84 years
About Ioan Lewis
Ioan Lewis, 84, Scottish anthropologist.
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Full Biography
|Ioan Myrddin Lewis FBA (30 January 1930 – 14 March 2014), popularly known as I. M. Lewis, was a Scottish professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics.
Early life and education
Born in Scotland to a Welsh father and a Scottish mother, Lewis lived in Glasgow after the death of his father during his childhood.
He was educated at Glasgow High School before receiving a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Glasgow in 1951. He proceeded to St Catherine's College, Oxford, where he obtained a diploma in Anthropology in 1952 with the aid of a grant from the Nuffield Foundation, and a Bachelor of Letters in 1953. He studied under Franz Steiner and social anthropologist Sir Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, who was himself an authority on the Nuer and Azande people of South Sudan, as a graduate student – finishing with a doctorate in 1957.
Steiner was working on a multi-language bibliography on the Somali, Afar (Danakil), and Saho peoples, a project for the International African Institute. After his death, Lewis completed the task of bringing it to publication.
Career
He was renowned internationally as the foremost scholar on Somali history and culture, on which he has published numerous articles and books. Zitelmann characterised him as "the doyen of 'Somali studies'".
Lewis taught at the University of Rhodesia. Returning to the United Kingdom, he lectured at Glasgow and UCL. He then proceeded to the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1969 as a professor, where he remained until his retirement in 1992. "In 1969 Lewis was considered to be the youngest professor in Great Britain." He was also the editor of Man (Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute; 1959–1972), as well as the Honorary Director of the London-based International African Institute from 1982 to 1988.
His academic interests in Somalia were broad, including published studies in varied fields:
- Somali and other oral poetry in the Horn of Africa;
- clan, nation, state building and failure in Somalia and beyond;
- types of Islam among the Somali and in sub-Saharan Africa;
- possession cults and ecstatic religions;
- last but not least taking position in general anthropology.
Lewis was not appreciated by the Somali President Siyad Barre (1969–1990), so he and his team were prevented from conducting a planned refugee survey in Somalia on behalf of the UNHCR.
His work was sometimes criticised by other Somali studies scholars as informed by a colonialist and patriarchal approach. Despite this, many aspects of Lewis' analysis of Somali society have remained prevalent in Somali studies from the 1960s until today.
He died on 14 March 2014 and was buried on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery.
Selected bibliography
Books
- Lewis, Ioan (1994). Peoples of the Horn of Africa (Somali, Afar and Saho): North Eastern Africa, Part I. London: Haan Associates. ISBN 9781569021040.
- Lewis, Ioan (1998). Saints and Somalis: Popular Islam in a Clan-based Society. The Red Sea Press. ISBN 9781569021033.
- Lewis, Ioan (2008). Understanding Somalia and Somaliland. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231700849.
- Lewis, Ioan (2003). Ecstatic Religion: A Study of Shamanism and Spirit Possession. New York: Routleldge. ISBN 9780415301244.
- Lewis, Ioan (2002). A Modern History of the Somali: Nation and State in the Horn of Africa (4th ed.). James Currey. ISBN 9780852554838.
Journal articles
- Lewis, Ioan (1962). "Historical Aspects of Genealogies in Northern Somali Social Structure". The Journal of African History. 3 (1): 35–48. doi:10.1017/s0021853700002723. JSTOR 179798. S2CID 143958154.
- Lewis, Ioan (1961). "Force and Fission in Northern Somali Lineage Structure". American Anthropologist. 63 (1): 94–112. doi:10.1525/aa.1961.63.1.02a00060. JSTOR 667340.
- Lewis, I. M. (1963). "Pan-Africanism and Pan-Somalism". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 1 (2): 147–161. doi:10.1017/s0022278x00001038. JSTOR 159026. S2CID 155073157.
- Lewis, I. M. (1958). "The Gadabuursi Somali Script". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 21 (1/3): 134–156. doi:10.1017/s0041977x00063278. JSTOR 610496. S2CID 161856327.
- Lewis, I. M. (1959). "Clanship and Contract in Northern Somaliland". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. 29 (3): 274–293. doi:10.2307/1157617. JSTOR 1157617. S2CID 143243256.
- Lewis, I. M. (1967). "Recent Developments in the Somali Dispute". African Affairs. 66 (263): 104–112. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a095586. JSTOR 720296.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioan_Lewis
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
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- October 2, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Ioan Lewis's archived record and the sources above.
1.What was the date of death for Ioan Myrddin Lewis?
- A.14 March 2010
- B.14 March 2014correct
- C.30 January 1930
- D.30 January 2014
The biography explicitly states that Ioan Myrddin Lewis died on 14 March 2014.
Source: biographical header
2.In which city did Ioan Myrddin Lewis live during his childhood following the death of his father?
- A.Oxford
- B.Edinburgh
- C.Glasgowcorrect
- D.London
Ioan Myrddin Lewis lived in Glasgow after his father passed away during his childhood.
Source: early life and education section
3.What was the subject of the Bachelor of Science degree Ioan Myrddin Lewis earned in 1951?
- A.Chemistrycorrect
- B.Sociology
- C.History
- D.Anthropology
Ioan Myrddin Lewis received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Glasgow in 1951.
Source: early life and education section
4.Which institution provided the grant that aided Ioan Myrddin Lewis in obtaining his anthropology diploma at Oxford?
- A.International African Institute
- B.Nuffield Foundationcorrect
- C.London School of Economics
- D.Royal Anthropological Institute
Ioan Myrddin Lewis obtained his diploma in Anthropology in 1952 with the aid of a grant from the Nuffield Foundation.
Source: early life and education section
5.Who was one of the social anthropologists under whom Ioan Myrddin Lewis studied at Oxford?
- A.Thomas Zitelmann
- B.Alex May
- C.Sir Edward Evan Evans-Pritchardcorrect
- D.Sada Mire
At Oxford, Ioan Myrddin Lewis studied under Franz Steiner and social anthropologist Sir Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard.
Source: early life and education section
6.Which multi-language bibliography project did Ioan Myrddin Lewis complete after the death of Franz Steiner?
- A.Somali, Afar, and Saho peoplescorrect
- B.History of the Horn of Africa
- C.The Nuer and Azande people
- D.Ecstatic religion and spirit possession
Franz Steiner was working on a bibliography regarding the Somali, Afar, and Saho peoples, which Ioan Myrddin Lewis completed.
Source: early life and education section
7.At which institution did Ioan Myrddin Lewis begin his career before returning to the United Kingdom?
- A.University of Glasgow
- B.University of Rhodesiacorrect
- C.University of Oxford
- D.London School of Economics
Ioan Myrddin Lewis taught at the University of Rhodesia before returning to the United Kingdom to lecture.
Source: career section
8.In what year did Ioan Myrddin Lewis join the London School of Economics as a professor?
- A.1969correct
- B.1992
- C.1959
- D.1982
Ioan Myrddin Lewis proceeded to the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1969 as a professor.
Source: career section
9.What position did Ioan Myrddin Lewis hold at the International African Institute from 1982 to 1988?
- A.Professor of Anthropology
- B.Editor of the journal Man
- C.Honorary Directorcorrect
- D.Senior Researcher
Ioan Myrddin Lewis served as the Honorary Director of the London-based International African Institute from 1982 to 1988.
Source: career section
10.Which Somali President prevented Ioan Myrddin Lewis and his team from conducting a refugee survey?
- A.Franz Steiner
- B.Ali Jimale Ahmed
- C.Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard
- D.Siyad Barrecorrect
Ioan Myrddin Lewis was not appreciated by the Somali President Siyad Barre, who prevented him from conducting a survey.
Source: career section
11.Where was Ioan Myrddin Lewis buried following his death in 2014?
- A.London Royal Cemetery
- B.Oxford Cathedral
- C.Glasgow Necropolis
- D.Highgate Cemeterycorrect
Ioan Myrddin Lewis died on 14 March 2014 and was buried on the eastern side of Highgate Cemetery.
Source: career section
12.What was the title of the book published by Ioan Myrddin Lewis in 2003 regarding spirit possession?
- A.Ecstatic Religion: A Study of Shamanism and Spirit Possessioncorrect
- B.A Modern History of the Somali
- C.Understanding Somalia and Somaliland
- D.Saints and Somalis
In 2003, Ioan Myrddin Lewis published Ecstatic Religion: A Study of Shamanism and Spirit Possession.
Source: selected bibliography section
13.Which journal published the article 'Force and Fission in Northern Somali Lineage Structure' by Ioan Myrddin Lewis in 1961?
- A.Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
- B.The Journal of Modern African Studies
- C.American Anthropologistcorrect
- D.The Journal of African History
Ioan Myrddin Lewis published 'Force and Fission in Northern Somali Lineage Structure' in the American Anthropologist in 1961.
Source: selected bibliography section
14.Who famously characterized Ioan Myrddin Lewis as the 'doyen of Somali studies'?
- A.Mary Harper
- B.Alex May
- C.Thomas Zitelmanncorrect
- D.Sada Mire
Zitelmann characterised Ioan Myrddin Lewis as the doyen of Somali studies.
Source: career section
15.What is one of the broad academic interests of Ioan Myrddin Lewis mentioned in his biography?
- A.Botanical studies in sub-Saharan Africa
- B.Development of modern digital technology
- C.Possession cults and ecstatic religionscorrect
- D.Modern European political theory
The biography lists possession cults and ecstatic religions among the broad academic interests of Ioan Myrddin Lewis.
Source: career section
16.What specific criticism was leveled against the work of Ioan Myrddin Lewis by other Somali studies scholars?
- A.He failed to cite Somali oral poetry sources.
- B.His work was too focused on modern political states.
- C.His work was informed by a colonialist and patriarchal approach.correct
- D.He did not conduct enough field research.
The work of Ioan Myrddin Lewis was sometimes criticized by other scholars as being informed by a colonialist and patriarchal approach.
Source: career section
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