| |
|
cOnscience: Yeah, I know what you mean about that lived quality. I think that kind of concern reflects some debates in anthropological circles, about how far a participant observer should get involved with the culture they are studying.
I guess a big reason for the absence of "first hand" material is because of the socio-economic background of the practitioners. Many of them simply don't have access to "the academy" so are objects of study rather than spokespeople. From looking at the bookshelves in recent years, I get the impression that this is changing insofar as a few white people with varied hermetic or esoteric backgrounds are coming across these religions and beginning to practice them. However, most of the books that I've seen like this looked pretty lightweight, thus I have forgotten their names!
Anyway, I remembered I had a Voodoo bibliograhpy saved from a site which is now down, so here it is in it's entirety. Plenty here to keep you busy. All I know about the origin is the author's name is Aboudja. Props to her where ever she is.
Recommended Reading
(Annotated book list... with a few pieces of trash for textures sake)
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? This post was
created to speak to this issue...
Brown, Karen McCarthy (2001 Reprint and 1992 Original) Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn 0520224752. This is the account of the life of Vodou Manbo (priestess) Aloudes Champagne (Momi Lola). It is significant because it was the first book, and frankly, still the only book, to really give the reader a view of the familial/social
undercurrent inside Vodou culture. Of course, I am gonna give props to my elder in Vodou, Momi Lola. I owe her a great deal. However, the truth is that the book is incredible by any measure (thank you Karen), and an absolute must have. The new edition of "Mama Lola" can
be ordered by going here:
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/5551001.html
Deren, Maya (1952/72) Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti 0914232630 Still the classic text on Haitian Vodou. Deren waxes a bit to philosophical regarding the nature of Vodou theology and liturgy, but she clearly had a grasp on the theologic precepts... a grasp that some initiates don't even have. This is the main value of this book. However, most of her assertions regarding the Native American origins of many lwa, such as Simbi, have long since been refuted. It is not that there are not Native Taino elements... but not the one's Maya spoke of. Still, Divine Horsemen is worth every page, as Deren clearly understood what she was seeing a profound level of Spirit.
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 quite in sink, 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... if you know what you are looking at, of course.
The Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou (1995) Fowler Museum of Cultural History. Edited by D.J. Cosentino. A huge book packed full of beautiful arts and the writings of some very well informed authors, including several that are initiated Vodouwizan. Currently out-of- print and hard to find, but a must-have. Check e-bay listings. I have to say that Chapter 5 is the most valuable from the standpoint of an
initiate. This was written by Ati Bo manbo Rachel Beauvoir-Dominique. The issues she addresses in this chapter, such as the history of Vodou magic and the regleman alone are priceless... or at least worth
the books cost.
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 Vodou community in NYC, Haiti, and elsewhere.
McAlister, Elizabeth (2002) Rara: Vodou, Power, and Performance in Haiti and Its Diaspora. Whoo-hoo! What a wild ride through the Raras' of Haiti, post Lenten festivals that outsiders assume are secular but
which really are Petwo and Sanpwel society workings and obligations. McAlister, an initiate herself, also talks about how Vodou, Carnival, and Rara have morphed in the Diaspora, especially in NYC. Worth every
penny.
Desmangles, L.G. (1992) The Faces of the Gods: Vodou and Roman Catholicism in Haiti. University of N. Carolina Press 0807843938. This is a very focused book regards subject matter, and runs into only a few problems with accuracy. It is the only one I am aware of that deals with the Catholic-Vodou imagery in such detail, and to any
degree of understanding. Excellent on most accounts!
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 affected Haitian culture and history (and visa versa). Dayan approaches this understanding from the standpoint
of Haitian literature.
Dunham, Katherine (1969) Island Possessed
Writing 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.
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.
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. Good over-all information... and probably the BEST book for the absolute beginner.
Hurston, Zora Neal: Tell My Horse Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica (1938) Zora did more for the anthropology of minority culture in her lifetime than most "properly trained anthropologists" who proceeded her. Tell MY Horse isa classic, though I find some of her misunderstandings amusing. For example: according to Hurston, the boule zen ceremony means, burning the zinc fish hook... whatever that
is? She apparently didn't make the obvious connection between zonbi and poison and the sanctions by the secret societies. However, I can't fault her and this book is worth reading. Just don't take everything in it as gospel.
Gordon, Leah The Book of Vodou: Charms and Rituals to Empower Your Life. (2000). This is another "coffee table" book, and probably one of the worst books I have seen written on Haitian Vodou in a long time. The information is mediocre at best. The listed baths (which the author claims were forced upon her by the publisher) do not even
include complete prescriptions and some are mislabeled as to the lwa who should be worked with. To make matters worse, this author now is available for "lectures" as an "expert". Whatever!!! This book, and its author, is a joke... and a bad one at that.
Crosley, Reginald. The Vodou Quantum leap: Alternate Realities, Power, and Mysticism (2000). You know I was already hyped for this book when I bought it, as I am all about Quantum Theory. I The book fell short of satisfaction though. Using Quantum, the author goes to great lengths to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Vodou, the lwa, all of the things, which seem so routine to Vodou faithful are
in fact REAL! (Thank you Doctor Crosley). But then proceeds to tell us how, despite all of this, we shouldn't deal with the lwa or the Vodou because they are dangerous, but rather, we should only deal with Jesus Christ. He also goes on to say that Jesus Christ is the Christ for this solar system only, that other solar systems have
their own Christ, and something about space aliens. Uh, ok Doctor...
Bach, Marcus (1952) Strange Altars. This is a strange little book filled with one titillation after another. Bach talks about "black magic, zombies, and even alludes to cannibalism" BUT much of his info is otherwise accurate and he also gives us a good look at the infamous Doc Stanley Reser, a white man who "went native", becoming
more than just an initiate in the Vodou religion.
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, but the information is quite accurate and worth the look. It gives good descriptions of some of the more common services in Vodou. In fact, Metreaux manages, using interviews with initiates who clearly talked to much, to give a
rather accurate accounting of what transpires inside the initiation djevo during a kanzo ceremony.
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, and also details the role that the Vodou continues to play in these same politics.
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, detailed and well documented.
Written in Blood: The Story of the Haitian People, 1492-1995, by Robert and Nancy Heinl (Revised and Expanded by Michael Heinl), 1996 0761802304. This is a concise historical document, detailed, accurate, and updated (as of 1996). This is really the ONLY book on Haitian history needed. Absolutely fascinating. A true tome at 889
pages, and a must-read for anyone seeking to understand Haiti, it's politics, and it's culture. The history of Vodou, and its fate under both repressive and supportive political regimes, is also depicted in
the appendix.
Bell, Madison Smartt, All Souls' Rising & Master of the Crossroads (1995 & 2000- Penguin Books). Historical fiction. In these two books Bel takes us through the entire history of the Haitian Revolution. But this fiction is poetically written and the reader is taken through the events of 1789-1804 as witnessed through the eyes of
various characters that lived through this period of history. Some of these characters are fictitious; some are not. The reader is able to empathize even with the antagonists. I could not put this book down
until it was finished. This is significant since the books are each 450 pages! Buy it and read it!
Rosenthal, Judy (1998) Possession, Law and Ecstasy 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 descendants of their owners is particularly interesting, as is Rosenthal's thoughts on possession and its meaning.
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. Bring your checkbook. This one is expensive!
Thompson, Robert Farris (1984) Flash of the Spirit. NYC: Vintage. This book 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 found here. A must-read.
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 largely be found in Flash of the Spirit.
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.
Tallant, Robert (1946) Voodoo in New Orleans. Tourism keeps this horrid little book in print. While it may have value for the history it records, it is filled with sensational and improbable material. In fact, the major account (the supposed earliest historical account) of a "Voo-Doo" ceremony in Louisiana is wholly plagiarized directly from
St. Mery's accounts of Vodou in Haiti 1791 complete with priestess dancing on the box containing a live snake. This fallacy was first plagiarized in 1890 and copied by the author without checking his sources. Tallant also betrays his own racism repeatedly. Of course, I suppose he was just a man of his own era (1930's and 40's). Buy "Voodoo in New Orleans to laugh. Don't take it to serious though. If New Orleans' Voodoo, or the history thereof, is what you want, I advise taking time to sort through the Louisiana Writer's project (WPA material) archived material on the subject from the 20's and 30's. You have a better chance of finding accurate information there.
Black, S. Jason and Christopher S. Hyatt (1995). Urban Voodoo: A Beginner's Guide to Afro-Caribbean Magic. Falcon Books. This book is ridiculous! One of the worst books I have ever seen published. In fact, it's a wonder it was ever even released except to make a buck. First, there is not a single thing in this book that even remotely
resembles the Vodou religion of anywhere or anytime. There is not a single authentic item at all. Urban Voodoo is one titillating sensationalism after another, all the mish-mash "magical" nonsense of two people with no clue save what they "think" they may have squeezed out of some equally lurid book on Vodou.
Osuwu, Heike, Voodoo Rituals: A User's Guide. This book of nonsense was cooked up by some wanna-be who plagiarized Luisa Teish's book Jambalaya. Every work given in "Voodoo Rituals" is exactly like that in Teish's book. The author ought to be ashamed of him/her/itself for publishing this mish-mash nonsense... bits and pieces of Haitian
Vodou and Whippleresque-style Santeria all culled from various books on the subject, and clearly bad one's at that. All of this mess is neatly crammed into a Wicca mold wherein it most certainly does not belong! What a load of sh**! This book, together with the so- called "Urban Voodoo" is completely disrespectful of African-based
tradition, and both tie to win the 2003 CULTURE-VULTURE AWARD! Certainly, these are the kind of culture rip-off artists that give the Vodou, and other African-based tradition a bad name. Not fit to
wipe your a** with.
Glassman, Sallie Ann Two books. Vodou Visions: An Encounter with Divine Mystery, 2000 Villard Books and (with Louis Martinie) The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot, 1992 Destiny Books. True, Glassman is a great artist with an interesting style that unfortunately is not her own, but rather largely plagiarized directly from other earlier Haitian
artists. See the book Journal de voyage "Chez les peintres de la Fote et du Vaudou en Haiti" by Jean-Marie Drot, 1974 SKIRA Paris: Imprimeries R�unies for what obviously appear to be examples of Glassman's contemporary work, but which are actually the work and style of other Haitian artists. This is not inspiration in style, but the appropriation of style. How unoriginal...
This aside however, the material in both of these books is also hardly worth the trees sacrificed to print them. Glassman's (and Martinie's) attempts to force Vodou (and even Lukumi) into the construct of Western Ceremonial Tradition are ridiculous at best. The
major problem with these books is that the author(s) do not make clear the lack of actual Vodou content. Thus, many readers are left to believe Vodou is actually practiced by anyone, anywhere in this fashion. This is simply a highly researched but well-hidden mish-mash of Haitian Vodou, Lukumi, Western Ceremonial Tradition, and whatever
else the author(s) felt like pulling out of a hat. The images in the tarot deck itself are lovely. But it is equally limited. The deck is currently hard to find due to a pending lawsuit currently against Glassman, so naturally it is not being distributed under these circumstances. Vodou Visions has also been out of print for similar
reasons, though it may be back in print currently. |
|
|
