Voodoo Book list

To: alt.religion.voodoo
From: "tribble"
Subject: Re: Books?
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 09:34:30 -0500
guitargirl wrote in message
news:a0me7.16569$1p1.1320795@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> Hi there!
> (snip)
Can anyone recommend some good books/authors for me?
Hi!
Here is a list a few titles that my local Houngan feels give a fair picture
of the Vodou, & a few, which he finds a little questionable in value, but
that have some merit none-the-less.
Starting with the best & in descending order..
Mama Lola; A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn. Karen McCarthy Brown, Univ.
of calif. press, 1991 ISBN 0520077806
Divine Horsemen: the Living Gods of Haiti. Maya Deren, Documentex
1991 (most recent). ISBN 0914232630
*Deren tended to wax a bit philosophical, but still a great book.
The Faces of the Gods: Vodou & Roman Catholicism in Haiti. Leslie G.
Desmangles, Univ North Carolina Press 1992 ISBN 0807843938
The Drums of Vodou (featuring Frisner Augustine). Lois Wilcken, White
Cliff's Media Company (no, not Wycliff"s), 1992 ISBN 0941677168
*If you fancy yourself a drummer, this one is for you.
Written in Blood: the Story of the Haitian People 1492-1995. Rober &
Nacy Heinl- revised by their son Michael Heinl, Univ Press of America
Inc. 1996 ISBN 0761802304
*Not about Vodou per se, but a must read to understand Haiti & hence
the politics of Haitian Vodou. This is the only recognized written
authority on the subject. It is a TOME folks.
The not so great..
Secrets of Voodoo. Milo Rigaurd, City Lights 1985 ISBN 08728671
*I think this is a mostly worthless book.
The concepts are far to esoteric & matched with Kabalism, which
really has nothing to do with Vodou. Go figure.
Voodoo in Haiti. Alfred Metrux. 1959.
Dancing Spirits: Rhythms & Rituals of Haitian Vodou, the Rada Rite.
Gerds Fleurant, Greenwood Press 1996 ISBN 0313297185
*Another book of music, drumming & so forth. The main problem with
this book is that Gerds is an idiot. He seems to think he has his
own drum style. Also, most of the translations in the book are off.

Still it is decent info.

Voodoo: Search for the Spirit. Lannec Hurbon, Discoveries, 1995
(English Trans.) ISBN 0810928574
*Pretty, pretty pictures, very..VERY basic info.
+++++++++++++++++++
Now here is a more Esoteric Vodou List by Manbo Jo:
Esoteric Vodou Reading List:
Le Tradition Voudou et Le Voudoo Haitien by Milo Rigaud Paris 1953
This is in French and is the 430 page book that the Secrets of Voodoo
is a summary or partial translation of. This is a rare, rare, book.
My copy came from Cuba!
VeVe- Diagrammes Rituels du Vodou - Milo Rigaud in English, French
and Spanish - still in print
Les Daimons du Cult Vodou- Arthur Holly ( Her-Ma-Ra-el)1918 Paris
a classic and rare book. I copied this whole book from microfiche at
the Schomberg Library in Harlem. They have an extensive and
impressive selection of books on Vodou.
Rigaud and Holly both were members of some of the secret societies
within Vodou and were also Masons. That is why their books have an
esoteric turn.
General Reading on Vodou:
Dancing Spirits: Rhythms and Rituals of Haitian Vodun, the Rada Rite
Gerdes Fleurant 1996
An Haitian emigrant goes back to his roots to learn the Drum and be
initiated. Mr. Fleurant is a college professor in the Boston area.
Good information on the Bonpo area of Haiti.
The Veve of Haitian Vodou: A Structural Analysis of Visual Imergery.
Karen McCarthy Brown
This is her Ph.d dissertation from Temple University circa 1976
available through UMI Dissertation Services 1-800- 521-0600
Island Possessed - Katherine Dunham 1969
The African-American Manbo tells her story in this sensual tale. Not
to be missed.
Tell My Horse- Zora Neale Hurston- 1938
A Belle Femme, an African- American woman who was a pioneer in
cultural anthropology and though this is not an account of any one
ritual, and the information is sketchy, it sets a tone and maintains
a feel of Haiti's magic. This book served as my introduction to Vodou
in my youth.
For Art Lovers:
Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou- Donald J. Cosentino, editor 1995
A most beautiful art book. A feast for the eyes. I saw the exhibit
when it was in Brooklyn. Wow!

Sequin Artists of Haiti- Tina Girouard 1994

This Art book looks at Drapo or Vodou flags- a small but good book
with quite a few funny stories!
Hope that helps!
Tribble