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The Faces of the Gods: Vodou and Roman Catholicism in Haiti
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 299.67
EAN: 9780807843932
ISBN: 0807843938
Label: The University of North Carolina Press
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 240
Publication Date: December 14, 1992
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Studio: The University of North Carolina Press
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Editorial Review:
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.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Excellent study of Catholicism's Influence on Vodou
There is a tendency among many Neopagans and Wiccans to distance themselves from Christianity and Christian symbolism. Among the African Diaspora traditions, this is far less common. At a Fet (Vodou ceremony), one frequently sees statues of saints standing in for the lwa -- and may even see festivals in honor of popular saints like St. Clare and St. Philomena. These religions have been strongly influenced by Roman Catholicism, and retain many of the symbols and preconceptions found in that venerable ... Read More
Rating: - Concise and understandable.
Vodou, while shrouded in mysticism and magic for many U.S. citizens is a rich and storied traditional practice and way of life in Haiti, with its variations of Santeria in Cuba and manifestations in Brazil and other Latin America.
Leslie Desmangles' stance on Vodou and Roman Catholicism being in a symbiotic relationship is interesting, and he defines the relationship adequately, though I would disagree with that assessment. However, his descriptions and depictions of Vodou to the Haitian practitioner ... Read More
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