The forms of voodoo practiced today, however, are the results of one of the most inhuman episodes in modern history the african slave trade that took place between the 16 th and 19 th centuries. His bestknown work is christian missions in nigeria. This is a short history of africa excluding egypt, ethiopia and dutch and british south africa, which are the subjects of separate histories. A skeptics journey through sex, politics and religion. Yoruba warfare in the nineteenth century, which he coauthored with r. In october, germany sent medical supplies, and later that month a hundred additional u. One of its largest groups of adherents resides in haiti, where voodoo is practiced by close to 5 million people, nearly half of the which accounts for. Various forms of magic are used for the betterment of those who follow it.
In the centuriesold african american culture, we have often called the people practicing the magical traditions carried into the new world from their ancestors residing in the areas of west africa as voodoo, vodou, vudu or the vodun. African hominins date from at least 4 million years ago. Candomble, lucumi, macumba, and yoruba general background. African spirituality is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the black conscious community. He published four major works on africa during the early 1960smilestones in nigerian history 1962. Aug 16, 2016 books being sold on the campus of the university of abomeycalavi, benin photo by luise illigen. Vodun is only a spiritual cult in which an important part is devoted to the cult of the ancestors. Fictional movies and books often mischaracterize their use. For the purposes of this book, west africa can be said to be that part of africa which is bounded by the atlantic ocean in the west and south, by the sahara desert in the north, and in the east by a line corresponding approximately to the present eastern boundary of the british colony of nigeria.
In fact, the religion began on the stretch of west african coastline that runs from nigeria to ghana via benin, where its still the dominant religion. African masks, african art, black magic book, religion, lion sculpture, art. Dec 14, 2015 in fact, the religion began on the stretch of west african coastline that runs from nigeria to ghana via benin, where its still the dominant religion. Voodoo and west africa s spiritual life the voodoo religion, with 30 million followers in west africa, is one of the most misunderstood faiths in the world. A significant historical document, it provides basic source material for the study of the new phase of the african revolution. Some of the history of these countries, however, is naturally mentioned in this history of the rest of africa but is kept to the minimum needed to make the rest comprehensible. Course introduction, requirements and an intro to west africa september 2nd film. However, as with any religion, followers of vodou cannot be lumped into a single category. Apr 21, 2015 it has been suggested that voodoo in west africa evolved from the ancient traditions of ancestor worship and animism. Vodou, also spelled voodoo, voudou, vodun, or french vaudou, a religion practiced in haiti.
The history of africa tore linne eriksen introduction the history chapter in the previous edition of studying africa included books published up to 2004. T he vodoun vudu voodoo vodou vodun vaudou vaudaux religion at its cosmological, theological, ritual and philosophical core, is an african ancestral religion, practiced today largely in west africa, haiti and througout the diaspora its fundamental tenants are the honoring of specialized deities typically born to africans and honored along with their ancient, and recent. Dollars and dreams west africans in new yorkliving memory j the geography of west african history mabogunje, the land and peoples of west africa, in j. Vodun meaning spirit in the fon and ewe languages, pronounced with a nasal hightone u. Africa isnt a single place with a single pantheon, and wed be fools to. The voodoo religion today is influenced by its cultural context and influences its cultural context. It sent more than 460 cuban doctors and nurses to west africa. Vodun is a religion in which an important part is devoted to the cult of the ancestors. The text is very informative and wellresearched, and, as the blurb on the back of the book confirms the book is of crucial interest to anyone fascinated by african, african american, and caribbean art, the african diaspora and the traditions of voudou and vodun, and also. Vodun or vudun spirit in the fon and ewe languages, pronounced vod. Benin, west africa, bopa, dah tofa voodoo master showing the skulls criminals killed. The part that goes each vodun sect follows a different loa or lwa, mystery, again confuses african and new world vodou.
In recent years, a few books have attempted similar tasks. Voodoo has been a powerful force in the lives of innumerable people of african descent, both positively and negatively. Since then, the literature on the history of africa has grown considerably in both scope and quality, and many new themes have appeared. African voodoo by fondation cartier pour lart contemporain, paris free epub. It is largely a plateau of modest elevation and borders the sahara desert on the.
Vodoun also spelled voudun, vudun, vodon, vodun, vodou, voudou, etc, or the anglicized voodoo is a traditional monotheistic organized religion of coastal west africa, from nigeria to ghana. Beautiful site featuring an accurate portrayal of the vodoun and mami wata religion, and its dynamic comeback in america. Main political facts of wet africa since independence are summarized in an easytoremember table. The history of west africa has been commonly divided into its prehistory, the iron age in africa, the major polities flourishing, the colonial period, and finally the postindependence era, in which the current nations were formed. This book, surprisingly, is the james bond novel live and let. A serious study that concentrates on the hidden power of objects. However, its origins in africa date back over 6,000 years. What are the best books on african history and african. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. As confusing as spirituality can be, there are 4 easy ways to develop your spirituality, with or without religion. Whatever is created belongs to the creatorsnot to the god that created them, and certainly not to the colonist or slavemaster. The region may be divided into several broad physiographic regions. A brief west african history, its past civilization and tourist attractions.
Angola derived vodun beliefs in the transcendental moral powers of. Voodoo or vodun is an afroamerican religion that originated between the 16th and 17th century from the combination of catholicism with the african traditional religions of the slaves brought from africa. The practice is so ingrained in the country that christians and muslims are nicknamed 5050s, as they often. As stated above, in west africa practitioners of voodoo experience a heavily syncretized version of. Apollo offered insider knowledge, travel savvy and multilingual skills. Art, psychology, and power first edition us first printing edition. Vodun is practiced by the fon people of benin, and southern and central togo. Cartography in the traditional african, american, arctic, australian, and.
Free africa ebooks free ebooks library download pdf ebooks. Vodou is a creolized religion forged by descendents of dahomean, kongo, yoruba, and other african ethnic groups who had been enslaved and brought to colonial saintdomingue as haiti was known then and christianized by roman catholic missionaries in. The patronization that informed the white mans burden became a. The yoruba people inhabit the southwestern part of modern day nigeria and the southern part of benin. Many years ago, before african slavery, the yoruba people inhabited an area which stretched, along the coast of west africa, all the way inward and down to angola in south west africa. West african vodun simple english wikipedia, the free. Common in haiti and new orleans, vodou merges catholic and african beliefs to form a unique set of rituals that include voodoo dolls and symbolic drawings. During the period of african slavery, from the late 1500s to the late 1800s, millions of yoruba people were forcibly taken out of africa. The northern portion of western africa is composed of a broad band of semiarid terrain, called the western sudan, stretching from the atlantic ocean on the west to the area of lake chad on the east, a distance of about 2,500 miles 4,000 km. Cartography and empire building in nineteenthcentury west africa. Dreams 1993 and voodoo season 2005 are the first two books in a. Myth or reality by cheikh anta diop you can also watch his interview on youtube.
European colonialism, chiefdoms, traditional beliefs in sorcery and witchcrafts celebration after midnight, cultural heritage, how women secret societies operate and their initiation. Hence large elements of west african, particularly yoruba, religion blended with catholicism can be found in religions such as vodun also known as voodoo haiti, candomble brazil and santeria carribean. This book will be of critical importance not only to those concerned with african, african american, and caribbean art, but also to anthropologists, african diaspora scholars, students of comparative religion and comparative psychology, and anyone fascinated by the traditions of voudou and vodun. The west african area is important because this is where the majority of slaves departed for the new world. Ask 3 people to define it and you will get three different answers. An introduction to the basic beliefs of the vodou voodoo. Media in category west african vodun the following 141 files are in this category, out of 141 total. While exploring the cape coast area of ghana, we met apollo, a man with a family history in benin. Haitian vodou and voodoo scholars at harvard harvard university. New maps illustrate the major themes of west african history. Vodou or voodoo is a monotheistic religion that is often misunderstood. Although oshun also spelt osun is regarded principally as a goddess of love, there are. Includes the powerful amengansie slave tradition of calling on the dead, ritual spiritual services, ancestral lineage resurrection, initiation, books from an african diaspora perspective and much more.
A handbook is a unique work that seeks to fill gaps in public knowledge and to provide muchneeded correctives when public perception diverges from facts. Outline of history early history to 1500 africa has the longest human history of any continent. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Within the present decade guerrilla warfare has emerged. Free africa ebooks free ebooks library download pdf. Contrary to popular beliefs, in west african vodun, spells are not cast upon someone. The history of the rise, progress and accomplishment of the abolition of the african slavetrade, by the british parliament 1839 thomas clarkson. Eric ed037464 an introduction to west african literature.
Feb 05, 2012 vodun cosmology centers around the vodun spirits and other elements of divine essence that govern the earth, a hierarchy that range in power from major deities governing the forces of nature and human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, and rocks, as well as dozens of ethnic vodun, defenders of a certain clan, tribe, or nation. The practice is so ingrained in the country that christians and muslims are nicknamed 5050s, as they often follow voodoo in addition to the bible or the koran. Vodoun, voudou, voodoo, sevi lwa is commonly called voodoo vudu by the public. Yorubaland, bamana, and mande territories in west africa, with. The name was derived from the god vodun of the west african yoruba people who lived in 18th and 19th century dahomey.
This page provides you free ebooks of african history, flora and fauna, anthropology and geography of africa, travels in and througha africa, biographies of africans, slave trade in africa, fictions in africa, etc and more. The origins of voodoo, the misunderstood religion ancient. These fetish origins of worship predate many religions by 10,000 years and keep a link of ancestry alive in west africa. A history of fifty years of independence by martin meredith. Readings and films africa and the politics of knowledge. The power of voodoo california state university channel. Practitioners of traditional yoruba religion believe in a pantheon of 401 gods known as orisha who govern various aspects of the world and human life. Trade, islam and the great sudanic empires september 7 th. Its strongest influence came from the west african kingdom of. Discover the best west african history in best sellers. Voodoo is derived from vodun, the indigenous african word, meaning spirit. It is based upon a merging of the beliefs and practices of west african peoples mainly the fon and ewe.
Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. Even if the origin of humanity and the world are explained in vodun mythology, it is not a centered question of the faith. Vodun cosmology centers around the vodun spirits and other elements of divine essence that govern the earth, a hierarchy that range in power from major deities governing the forces of nature and human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, and rocks, as well as dozens of ethnic vodun, defenders of a certain clan, tribe, or nation. It is estimated to have existed for more than ten thousand years, having its roots in ancient mesopotamia, egypt and east africa, before spreading to.
The handbook of revolutionary warfare was published toward the end of 1968 by panaf books, ltd. T he vodoun vudu voodoo vodou vodun vaudou vaudaux religion at its cosmological, theological, ritual and philosophical core, is an african ancestral religion, practiced today largely in west africa, haiti and througout the diaspora. Chapter 3 in the history of cartography volume 2, book three. Adam mcgee, department of african and african american studies. Includes the powerful amengansie slave tradition of calling on the dead, ritual spiritual services, ancestral lineage resurrection, initiation, books from an african. Intended to provide help for those interested in studying west african literature, this book is divided into three parts. A documentary and pictorial history of the african american role in the westward experience of the united states. King leopolds ghost by adam hochschild, the fate of africa. Bibliography from traditional to contemporary aesthetic. In west african traditions, land belongs to the person who works it. It has been suggested that voodoo in west africa evolved from the ancient traditions of ancestor worship and animism. The term vodun is derived from the god vodun, who was worshiped by west african yoruba men and women who lived in 18th and 19th century dahomey.
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