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Recommended Reading
It is very difficult to find books and other
resources with authentic and accurate information on the Vodou religion. Interest in the
religion has grown exponentially over the past decade, and many people, often
uninitiated, are writing. But what are they writing, and how accurate is the information
they provide?
Haitian Vodou
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Brown, Karen
McCarthy (2001 Reprint and 1992 Original) Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn
0520224752. The account of the life of a Vodou manbo (priestess). It is significant
because it was the first book to really give the reader a view of the familial/social
undercurrent inside Vodou culture.
The new edition of "Mama Lola" can be
ordered online: http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/5551001.html
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Deren, Maya (1952) Divine Horsemen: The
Living Gods of Haiti 0914232630 Still the classic text on Haitian Vodou. Deren
waxes a bit philisophical regarding the nature of Vodou theology and liturgy;
and, most of her assertions regarding the Native Indian origins of many lwa have
since been
refuted. Still, Divine Horsemen is worth every page. |
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Deren, Maya (1972) Divine Horsemen: The
Living Gods of Haiti (Video) This video is full of wonderful images from Deren's
many trips to Haiti. Unfortunately, the music is not in synch, so what is claimed to be a
service for Gede, is really footage of Kouzen Azaka, and so forth. The video is
currently hard to find, but remains well worth the effort. |
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The Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou (1995)
Fowler Museum of Cultural History. Edited by D.J. Cosentino. A huge and packed
book full of beautiful arts, and the writings of some well informed authors, including
several whoa re initiated priests in the Vodou. Currently out-of-print, hard to find, but
a must-have. Check e-bay listings. |
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Wilcken, Lois (1992) The Drums of Vodou,
featuring Frisner Augustine. 0941677168 A must have book for all aspiring Vodou
drummers. Frisner is a generational icon on drums, and well known throughout the
Vodouwizan community in NYC, and elsewhere. |
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Desmangles, L.G. (1992) The Faces of the Gods: Vodou and Roman Catholicism in Haiti. Univerity of N.
Carolina Press 0807843938. This is a very focused book regards subject matter. It
is the only one I am aware of that deals with the melange in such detail. |
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Dayan,
Joan (1998) Haiti, History, and the Gods. university of Calif. Press. 0520213688
Another must have book for those who are interested in how Vodou culture has effected
Haitian culture and history and vice versa. |
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Dunham, Katherine (1969) Island
Possessed
Writting many years ago, Manbo and First Lady of Black Dance, Katherine Dunham recounts
her first initiation in Haiti in 1938 as hounsi, having received the kouche lave tet. |
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Galembo, Phyllis (1998) Vodou: Visions and
Voices of Haiti. Phyllis Galembo, already a well-known photographer turns her
lens towards Haiti and the results are stunning. Many of the houngan and manbo, such as
Mme. Nerva of Jacmel, and Houngan Silva Joseph of Port-au-Prince, are well respected
both in Haiti and in the Diaspora. Incredible pictures, but very little information. |
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Hurbon, L
(1995) Voodoo: Search for the Spirit. Harry N. Abrams Publishers
0810928574. A very slick little book with great artwork, sort of a coffee-table piece. Not
much value though in information. |
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Crosley, Reginald. The Vodou Quantum leap:
Alternate Realities, Power, and Mysticism (2000). Dr. Crosley attempts to
prove the existence of the lwa through the use of quantum physics. It's a
dry read but has some interesting concepts.
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Metreaux,
Alfred (1959) Voodoo in Haiti. NYC: Schocken Books. 0805208941. This is one the
early books on Vodou by a well-known ethnologue of his day. It is quite dry, and the
information is ultimately of limited value. Still, it gives good description of some of
the more common services in Vodou. |
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Wilentz, Amy (1989) The Rainy Season:
Haiti Since Duvalier. An excellent book written at a time of transition in the
Haitian political landscape. It is a thoughtful look into the life of Haitians at all
levels. It also details the role that the Vodou continues to play in
Haitian politics. |
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The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the Santo Domingo
Revolution, by Cyril Lionel Robert James. One of the better accounts of the
Haitian revolution. It is detailed and well-documented. |
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Written in Blood:
The Story of the Haitian People, 1492-1995, by Robert and Nancy Heinl (Revised and
Expanded by Michael Heinl), 1996 0761802304. A consice historical document,
detailed, accurate, and updated (as of 1996). Has time not passed since
publication it could easily be the only book on Haitian history
needed. A true tome at 889 pages! Absolutely fascinating. A must-read for anyone seeking
to understand Haiti, it's politics, and it's culture. The history of Vodou, and it's fate
under both repressive and supportive political regimes, is also depicted. |
Vodun in West Africa
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Rosenthal,Judy (1998) Possession, Law and Ecstacy
in Ewe Voodoo. University of Virginia Press. 0813918049 This is one of the best
books on the subject, however limited. Rosenthal writes mostly about Gorovodu, one of
three branches of Vodun in West Africa, and the youngest. Still it is a
fascinating book. The concepts regarding the veneration of the slave ancestors by the
decendants of their owners is particulary interesting, as is Rosenthal's thoughts on
possession and its meaning. |
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Chesi, Gert, Voodoo: Africa's Secret Power, Austria, Perliner, 1980. (Currently Out of Print). Another excellent book giving the
reader a direct view into the world of Ewe-Fon Vodun. Unfortunately, the written material
is limited, but the pictures alone are worth several times the book itself.
Chesi, has
partnered with my good friend, photographer Henning Christoph. Herr Christoph maintains
offices in Cotonou, Benin and imports some of the most beautiful art I have ever seen,
as well as, spiritual goods.
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Thompson, Robert Farris (1984) Flash of the Spirit. NYC: Vintage
This is a classic work known far and wide as one of the most authoritative. His views on
Haitian Vodou and its Kongo influences may be a bit over-done, not to mention arguable.
However, those issues are minor compared to the wealth of information here. |
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Thompson, Robert Farris (1993) Face of the Gods: Art and Altars of Africa
and African Americans. Northwestern Univ. 1998.
Beautifully done. the pictures are great. However, the material here really isn't new,
and can be found in Flash of the Spirit. |
Santeria
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Murphy,
Joseph M. (1993, 1989) Santeria: African Spirits in America. Considered by most
to be the best book on Lukumi in the English language. Murphy proves himself to be an
excellent ethnographer. His arguments regarding syncretism vs. dissimulation have almost
become textbook. |
New Orleans Voodoo
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Glassman, Sallie Ann (2000) Vodou Visions: An
Encounter with Divine Mystery. Villard Books. and The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot.
Glassman
is a great artist with an interesting style. |
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