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.

Desmangles is one of the first scholars to study these connections at length. His book provides solid historical evidence of Catholicism's role from the earliest days of Vodou, when Haiti was still St. Dominique and slavery was still the order of the day. He discusses how the Haitian Revolution led to the official Catholic Church pulling out of Haiti... and how an unofficial group of "priests" took over. Less educated than their predecessors, and less concerned with orthodoxy, they helped join Catholicism and Vodou together in the Haitian mind. Even after the return of Official Catholicism, and several "anti-superstition campaigns," this juxtaposition has not been erased.

If you're looking for a how-to guide (i.e. "How to Cast Spells," "How to be a Super Elite Voodoo Houngan"), you will be disappointed. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a solid and well-researched guide to Haitian Catholicism and its impact on Haitian Vodou, you'll be more than satisfied with this book.


Concise and understandable.   December 18, 2002
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

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 are impressive and are much easier to read than Maya Deren's prose (though it is beautiful and rich as well).