Not only does this book give a well-researched account of the politicization of Haitian Voodoo and the Voodooization of Haitian politics, it also lays the ground for the development of creative policies by the state vis-a-vis the cult. It is an indispensable research tool for the students of Afro-American, Caribbean and African societies in particular, and for religionists and political scientists in general.
Vodou has often served as a scapegoat for Haiti’s problems, from political upheavals to natural disasters. This tradition of scapegoating stretches back to the nation’s founding and forms part of a contest over the legitimacy of the religion, both beyond and within Haiti’s borders. The Spirits and the Law examines that vexed history, asking why, from 1835 to 1987, Haiti banned many popular ritual practices. To find out, Kate Ramsey begins with the Haitian Revolution and its aftermath. Fearful of an independent black nation inspiring similar revolts, the United States, France, and the rest of Europe ostracized Haiti. Successive Haitian governments, seeking to counter the image of Haiti as primitive as well as contain popular organization and leadership, outlawed “spells” and, later, “superstitious practices.” While not often strictly enforced, these laws were at times the basis for attacks on Vodou by the Haitian state, the Catholic Church, and occupying U.S. forces. Beyond such offensives, Ramsey argues that in prohibiting practices considered essential for maintaining relations with the spirits, anti-Vodou laws reinforced the political marginalization, social stigmatization, and economic exploitation of the Haitian majority. At the same time, she examines the ways communities across Haiti evaded, subverted, redirected, and shaped enforcement of the laws. Analyzing the long genealogy of anti-Vodou rhetoric, Ramsey thoroughly dissects claims that the religion has impeded Haiti’s development.
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography, this is a brilliant writer’s account of a long, painful, ecstatic—and unreciprocated—affair with a country that has long fascinated the world. A foreign correspondent on a simple story becomes, over time and in the pages of this book, a lover of Haiti, pursuing the heart of this beautiful and confounding land into its darkest corners and brightest clearings. Farewell, Fred Voodoo is a journey into the depths of the human soul as well as a vivid portrayal of the nation’s extraordinary people and their uncanny resilience. Haiti has found in Amy Wilentz an author of astonishing wit, sympathy, and eloquence.
Voodoo in Haiti is a masterwork of observation and description by one of the most distinguished anthropologists of the twentieth century. Alfred Métraux has written a rich and lasting study of the lives and rituals of the Haitian mambos and adepts, and of the history and origins of their religion. It is an accurate and engaging account of one of the most fascinating and misunderstood cultures in the world. “Métraux’s book is a landmark in the serious study of Afro-Atlantic religion. The breadth and subtlety of its approach is such that it remains an essential classic of Afro-American ethnology.”—Robert Farris Thompson, professor of art history, Yale University, author of Flash of the Spirit “This is a work deserving of wide readership, and assured of it by its understanding and appeal.”—Library Journal “This book gives what is surely the most authoritative general account of that complex of belief and practice called vaudou available in the literature....No other observer of vaudou has contributed to its study the exquisite documentation of detail that marks the work of Alfred Métraux.”—Sidney W. Mintz, professor of anthropology, Johns Hopkins University
Haitian Vodou is a fascinating spiritual tradition rich with ceremonies and magic, songs and prayers, dances and fellowship. Yet outside of Haiti, next to no one understands this joyous and profound way of life. ln Haitian Vodou, Mambo Chita Tann explores the historical roots and contemporary practices of this unique tradition, including discussions of: Customs, beliefs, sacred spaces, and ritual objects Characteristics and behaviors of the Lwa, the spirits served by Vodou practitioners Common misconceptions such as "voodoo dolls" and the zombie phenomenon Questions and answers for attending ceremonies and getting involved in a sosyete (Vodou house) Correspondence tables, Kreyol glossary, supplemental prayer texts, and an extensive list of reference books and online resources Well-researched, comprehensive, and engaging, Haitian Vodou will be a welcome addition for people new to Haitian spirituality as well as for students, practitioners, and academics.
Part textbook, part life-story, part theological exposé, Understanding Haitian Voodoo comes from a much-respected Haitian gentleman who writes as a lawyer, judge, and evangelist who cares deeply about his people and their bondage in Voodoo. "Voodoo is not simply a myth, toward which we can remain indifferent. It is not just popular culture that we should teach and practice in schools through dances and songs. The gods of Voodoo are not simply idols or harmless gods. They are real beings, intelligent beings, they lust after worship and are full of cruelty." With testimonies from Voodoo priests, followers, witch doctors and more, Understanding Haitian Voodoo is a deep observation of Haitian Voodoo through the eyes of Christian faith, molded in Haitian theology that is biblical, contemporary, relevant and transformational. From his identity as a Christian believer and as a Haitian, proud of his culture, traditions, language and customs, author Emmanuel Félix brings a remarkable contribution to a better understanding of the relationship of Voodoo to Haitian culture, to Christianity, to zombies, community life, religions and beliefs, identity and more. The final conclusion of this majestic work confirms all that man seeks is found in the Almighty God Jehovah, through Jesus Christ, and in Him alone, no matter a man's race, culture and beliefs. Whether you're planning to visit Haiti, seeking to pray more intelligently for the work of the Gospel or are simply looking to learn more about the Haitian people, this book is a must-read. Read this book prayerfully, with a Bible at your side and an eye on the realities of life in Haiti. Published by Radio 4VEH, The Evangelistic Voice of Haiti, serving God and the Haitian people through effective Christian broadcasting since 1950. Proceeds from the sale of Understanding Haitian Voodoo support the ministry of Radio 4VEH.
"Leah Gordon has been photographing Jacmel Carnival and recording oral histories with its participants since 1995. Her photographs are stripped of kinesis and exuberance. Leagues away from the sequinned, sanitised, corporate-sponsored carnivals found elsewhere in the Americas, the Madigra troupes of the Haitian port town of Jacmel enact and subvert myth, legends and the nation's own histories, their improvisational costumes and surreal narratives a Vodou-charged blend of folk memory, political satire and personal revelation."--Printed Matter, Inc. website (viewed on June 6, 2022)
Considered the best book ever written about Haiti, now updated with a New Introduction, “After the Earthquake,” features first hand-reporting from Haiti weeks after the 2010 earthquake. Through a series of personal journeys, each interwoven with scenes from Haiti’s extraordinary past, Amy Wilentz brings to life this turbulent and fascinating country. Opening with her arrival just days before the fall of Haiti’s President-for-Life, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, Wilentz captures a country electric with the expectation of change: markets that bustle by day explode with gunfire at night; outlaws control country roads; farmers struggle to survive in a barren land; and belief in voodoo and the spirits of the ancestors remains as strong as ever. The Rainy Season demystifies Haiti—a country and a people in cruel and capricious times. From the rebel priest Father Aristide and the street boys under his protection to the military strongmen who pass through the revolving door of power into the gleaming white presidential palace—and the buzzing international press corps members who jet in for a coup and leave the minute it’s over—Wilentz’s Haiti haunts the imagination.
Secrets of Voodoo traces the development of this complex religion (in Haiti and the Americas) from its sources in the brilliant civilizations of ancient Africa. This book presents a straightforward account of the gods or loas and their function, the symbols and signs, rituals, the ceremonial calendar of Voodoo, and the procedures for performing magical rites are given. "Voodoo," derived from words meaning "introspection" and "mystery," is a system of belief about the formation of the world and human destiny with clear correspondences in other world religions. Rigaud makes these connections and discloses the esoteric meaning underlying Voodoo's outward manifestations, which are often misinterpreted. Translated from the French by Robert B. Cross. Drawings and photographs by Odette Mennesson-Rigaud. Milo Rigaud was born in Port au Prince, Haiti, in 1903, where he spent the greater part of his life studying the Voodoo tradition. In Haiti he studied law, and in France ethnology, psychology, and theology. The involvement of Voodoo in the political struggle of Haitian blacks for independence was one of his main concerns.
