Synopses & Reviews
Vodou, the folk religion of Haiti, is a by-product of the contact between Roman Catholicism and African and Amerindian traditional religions. In this book, Leslie Desmangles analyzes the mythology and rituals of Vodou, focusing particularly on the inclusion of West African and European elements in Vodouisants' beliefs and practices.
Desmangles sees Vodou not simply as a grafting of European religious traditions onto African stock, but as a true creole phenomenon, born out of the oppressive conditions of slavery and the necessary adaptation of slaves to a New World environment.
Desmangles uses Haitian history to explain this phenomenon, paying particular attention to the role of the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century maroon communities in preserving African traditions and the attempts by the Catholic, educated elite to suppress African-based "superstitions." The result is a society in which one religion, Catholicism, is visible and official; the other, Vodou, is unofficial and largely secretive.
Review
With this book Desmangles has made a significant contribution to providing a scholarly understanding of Vodou.
Sociology of Religion
Review
An accessible, comprehensive overview of the folk religion of Haiti known as Vodou. . . . Highly recommended.
Choice
Review
Likely to be
the authoritative study on this topic for years to come.
Stephen D. Glazier, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Synopsis
Desmangles analyzes the mythology and rituals of Vodou, the folk religion of Haiti and a by-product of the contact between Roman Catholicism and African and Amerindian traditional religions. Focusing on the inclusion of West African and European elements in Vodouisants' beliefs and practices, Desmangles shows that Vodou is not merely a grafting of European religious traditions onto African stock, but a true creole phenomenon.
Synopsis
With this book Desmangles has made a significant contribution to providing a scholarly understanding of Vodou.
Sociology of Religion An accessible, comprehensive overview of the folk religion of Haiti known as Vodou. . . . Highly recommended.
Choice Likely to be the authoritative study on this topic for years to come.
Stephen D. Glazier, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [199]-209) and index.
About the Author
Leslie G. Desmangles is professor of religion and international studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.