DOCSLIB.ORG

African Religion in the New World Dr. Ashley Coleman Taylor

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
African Religion in the New World Dr. Ashley Coleman Taylor African Religion in the New World Dr. Ashley Coleman Taylor Course Description: Often interpreted as witchcraft, superstition, or paganism, Africana religions remain some of the most misunderstood traditions in the Americas. In this course, we will explore the contributions of scholars and artists who engage African diaspora religions in their work through multiple conceptual approaches. The course focus includes topics such as ritual and material culture, corporeality and aesthetics, cosmology and philosophy, and decolonization and sovereignty within the traditions. Students can expect to gain an understanding of Kongo, Vodun, and Yoruba-based traditions across the Americas and the Caribbean as well as U.S. conjure culture. Course Objectives: At the conclusion of the semester, students will be able to: • Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of Africana religions and how they differ from Western religions • Understand the role of Africana religion in the creation of a diasporic consciousness • Demonstrate critical thinking skills through engaging in class discussions, developing coherent arguments through writing, and presenting a creative project • Develop a nuanced understanding of Africana religions including their rituals, cosmologies, communities, and beliefs • Course Breakdown: Class Participation and Attendance: 15% Unit Response Papers: 30% Community Talk Reflection: 15% Student-led Discussion: 10% Creative Project 30% (Including proposal and written description) GENERAL GUIDELINES Plagiarism and Academic Integrity (From https://ugs.utexas.edu/flags/faculty-resources/teaching/syllabus) Using someone else’s work in your own writing without giving proper credit is considered plagiarism, a serious form of academic dishonesty that can result in severe penalties. Copying someone else’s work, buying a paper and submitting it as your own, copying and pasting text (even with changes), or borrowing images from an online source, are some examples of plagiarism. Even if you plagiarize accidentally, you can be held responsible and penalized. Learning to cite sources appropriately is an important part of becoming a professional. When you are unsure about citation, you are encouraged to ask your instructor (who is already an expert in the discipline) what is appropriate in the context of your assignment. Consultants at The University Writing Center can also help you determine whether you are citing sources correctly—and they have helpful guides online for using direct quotations and paraphrasing. Reviewing those skills will help you feel confident that you are handling sources professionally in your writing. You can read the University’s definition of plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty in Sec. 11–402 of the Student Conduct Code. For more information, visit the Dean of Students’ site. Title IX: If you have experienced any form of sexual or gender-based harassment or violence, dating or domestic violence, or anything else which has made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, I encourage you to talk to any faculty or staff member. Please note that we are obligated as mandatory reporters to notify administrators who specialize in these types of situations. The University’s Title IX office is available to support you. Should you feel the need, you can contact the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) for additional help with mental health and/or high-stress concerns. Accessibility: Accessibility concerns often present issues in both private and public spaces. University faculty a staff strive to provide necessary accommodations and assistance so that individuals with various abilities can access programs, services and facilities on campus. If you find that you need accommodations, please provide a letter notifying me of your needs. This letter can be obtained from Services for Students with Disabilities, located in the Student Services Building. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY, or visit their website at: www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/. Flags: This course satisfies the requirements of the Global Cultures flag. You can expect to learn about diverse global cultures and perspectives. CLASSROOM GUIDELINES Attendance: All students are expected to attend each class. You are allowed TWO unexcused absences. All other unexcused absences will result in an automatic point deduction from the student’s “Class Participation” grade. Please be on time; extreme tardiness will be counted as an absence. Classroom Ethics: The topics in this course may be difficult to discuss and there may be moments where our conversations can become complicated and rather heated. Respect, civility, and decency are mandatory for this class and our time together. Listen attentively and proactively when others are speaking and be respectful when engaging one another in discussion. Each of us is here to learn and engage in healthy academic exchange. Acknowledge that some participants may have experiences that are different than your own. Please listen to the perspectives of others while remaining grounded in the course readings and academic contributions of the authors. Inclusivity: At its core, this course embraces a multiplicity of voices and perspectives. As such, it adheres to the principles of diversity and inclusion integral to the academic community. As such, we invite class participants to share their perspectives in the classroom environment which fosters healthy academic dialogue. We also understand that encountering people and ideas that challenge one’s strongly held beliefs and perspectives is a defining and invaluable feature of a university education. I invite your feedback on ways that we can, as a community of learners, respectfully and productively assist and challenge one another in our individual and collective academic growth. For a start, if you wish, please let me and the class know your preferred name and pronouns. Course evaluations: Students in this class are expected to complete course evaluations. Near the end of the semester, you will receive an email with a link to an on-line evaluation form. Your evaluation of the course is extremely valuable to me, the Department of Religious Studies, and the administration; I take your feedback seriously and will use it to try to improve the course. Electronics: YOU CANNOT BE FULLY PRESENT AND ON YOUR ELECTONIC DEVICE. Please refrain from cell phone and computer usage during class unless you have accommodations cleared through the professor. You may bring in daily readings on a tablet, but please disarm your wireless and detach your keyboard. If I see you on your phone, I will deduct points from your participation grade. Written Assignments: All written assignments should be typed in Word with Times New Roman 12pt font, double-spaced, and with one-inch margins. Your work will be graded on the clarity and technical proficiency of your writing in addition to content. Incorrect spelling and grammar will negatively impact your grade. I strongly encourage you to use the services offered by the University Writing Center. The UWC offers 45-minute, one-on-one consultations with UT students on any piece of writing. You may visit up to three times per assignment. The consultants are well trained, and the cost of the service is covered in your tuition. If you wish to make an appointment, you may do so through the UWC website: uwc.utexas.edu. Late Work: Daily assignments, quizzes, and presentations will not be accepted late. Major assignments like essays will be accepted late at a penalty of 10 points per day (1 day late, and your grade starts at a 90; 2 days late, and your grade starts at a 80). A paper or project turned in on the due date but late in the class period or after class is still considered late. I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE FINAL PAPERS. Texts: Your required textbook can be found in the Co-op. All other texts will be posted on Canvas. Grade Assignments: 93 to 100 A 73 to 76 C 90 to 92 A- 70 to 72 C- 87 to 89 B+ 67 to 69 D+ 83 to 86 B 63 to 66 D 80 to 82 B- 60 to 62 D- 77 to 79 C+ 0 to 59 F **PLEASE NOTE: I ONLY DISCUSS GRADES IN PERSON, DURING OFFICE HOURS.** Required Texts: 1) Murphy, Joseph M. Working the Spirit: Ceremonies of the African Diaspora. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2003. 2) Olmos, Margarite Fernández and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert. Creole Religions of the Caribbean: An Introduction from Vodou and Santería to Obeah and Espiritismo. New York: New York University Press, 2011. CLASS SCHEDULE (Deviations may be necessary in order to benefit all of us. I will number each revised syllabus accordingly, changes will be noted in red) DATE Introductions, Grounding, Intentions WEEK ONE TUESDAY January 21 In Class Discussion: *Debra Majeed, “How is Religion Studied?” *John Mbiti, “The African Heritage,” “What is African Religion?” “Where African Religion is Unit One: Invocation Found” “African Views of the Universe” In THURSDAY January 23 Introduction to African Religions *Tiffany Patterson and Robin Kelley, “Unfinished Migrations: Reflections on the WEEK TWO African Diaspora and the Making of the Modern TUESDAY January 28 World” *Brent Edward Hayes, “Diaspora” Hucks and Diakite, “Africana Religious Studies: Toward a Transdisciplinary Agenda in an Emerging Field” (p.28-44) THURSDAY January 30 COMMUNITY TALK #1: Dr. Brent Crosson and Melena Francis Valdez- “At the Crossroads: The Music and Philosophy of African Religions in Cuba, Trinidad, and Texas” Part of the Religion in Public Event Series, George Washington Carver Museum 6:30
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Global Mental Health
    global mental health INTERVENTIONS COMMENTARY Vodou’s role in Haitian mental health E. Auguste* and A. Rasmussen Fordham University, New York, USA Global Mental Health (2019), 6, e25, page 1 of 6. doi:10.1017/gmh.2019.23 This paper gives an overview of Vodou’s history in Haiti and how Vodou informs Haitian mental health interventions. Received 11 August 2018; Revised 10 June 2019; Accepted 19 September 2019 Key words: Haiti, intervention, mental health, Vodou. Introduction The distinct cultural differences between Haitian Vodou and western understandings came to the fore- The relationship of Vodou to the mental health and front of global consciousness following the 12 identity of Haitian people is a nuanced one. While January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The massive the proportion of Haitians that actually practice humanitarian response drew attention to an insuffi- Vodou is hard to enumerate, most adhere to some cient mental health structure and resulted in several aspects of Vodou (Brodwin, 1996; WHO/PAHO, foreign and Haitian-led mental health initiatives 2010), including a substantial portion of the Haitian (Nicolas et al.y, 2012). One factor that complicated people that identify as Catholic or Protestant (Safran these efforts was the reliance on faith-based healers et al. 2011). Haitian Vodou represents a unique reli- for many problems understood as psychological in gious tradition that is based in African spiritualties North America and Europe. Vodou priests (Hougans) (Nobles, 2015). Even before Haiti’s inception as the and priestesses (Mambos), as well as Catholic and first Black republic in 1804, Vodou has been an extant Protestant priests are responsible for the majority of and powerful force in the identities of the Haitian peo- mental health care in Haiti (Méance, 2014).
    [Show full text]
  • Drapo Vodou: Sacred Standards of Haitian Vodou
    UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Barbara Previously Published Works Title Drapo Vodou: Sacred Standards of Haitian Vodou Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5mc5w4g2 Journal Flag Research Quarterly, 2(3-4) Author Platoff, Anne M. Publication Date 2015-08-01 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California FLAG RESEARCH QUARTERLY REVUE TRIMESTRIELLE DE RECHERCHE EN VEXILLOLOGIE AUGUST / AOÛT 2015 No. 7 ARTICLE A research publication of the North American Vexillological Association / Une publication de recherche de Drapo Vodou: Sacred l‘Association nord-américaine de vexillologie Standards of Haitian Vodou By ANNE M. PLATOFF* Introduction The field of vexillology is, by nature, a multidisciplinary one. It is difficult to understand the significance of an individual flag or group of flags without exam- ining the context within which those objects were created and are used. This paper will present a case study of a multidisciplinary investigation of one type of flags. Haitian Vodou flags (drapo Vodou) are little known to vexillologists, but have been studied by scholars in the fields of art, anthropology, African-American studies, and other disciplines. An investigation of prior scholarship from these areas demon- strates that this category of flags is not only significantly different than the flags usually examined by vexillologists, but they also have much to teach us about the study of flags as a multidisciplinary exercise. There are several books that are focused on Vodou flags. Patrick Arthur Polk, a prolific researcher on the topic, has produced a colorful and informative book titled Haitian Vodou Flags (1999). In his book, Polk summarizes information compiled in the preparation of his Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Hermeneutics of the Crossroads
    University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 6-1-2010 Hermeneutics of the Crossroads Jacqueline S. Farritor University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Comparative Literature Commons Recommended Citation Farritor, Jacqueline S., "Hermeneutics of the Crossroads" (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 189. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/189 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. HERMENEUTICS OF THE CROSSROADS __________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts __________ by Jacqueline S. Farritor June 2010 Advisor: Selah Saterstrom © Copyright by Jacqueline S. Farritor 2010 All Rights Reserved Author: Jacqueline S. Farritor Title: HERMENEUTICS OF THE CROSSROADS Advisor: Selah Saterstrom Degree Date: June 2010 Abstract The main question posed in my thesis is whether or not the crossroads is a paradigm that might open the event of reading and interpretation. I believe this profound place of possibility is a valid intellectual model for innovative and uninhabited modes of understanding. The hermeneutics of the crossroads is an imaginative approach that keeps us open to the transformative power of literature transpiring when we bring to the text our working scholarly knowledge, but also allow ourselves to receive what it has to offer us.
    [Show full text]
  • The Emergence and Functionality of the Santeria Trickster, Eleggua
    East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Undergraduate Honors Theses Student Works 5-2018 Killed a Bird Today: The meE rgence and Functionality of the Santeria Trickster, Eleggua Megan Gauck Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/honors Part of the Folklore Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Gauck, Megan, "Killed a Bird Today: The meE rgence and Functionality of the Santeria Trickster, Eleggua" (2018). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 461. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/461 This Honors Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Killed a Bird Today: The Emergence and Functionality of the Santeria Trickster, Eleggua By Meg Gauck An Undergraduate Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the University Honors Scholars Program East Tennessee State University ___________________________________________ Meg Gauck Date ___________________________________________ Dr. Lindsey King, Thesis Mentor Date ___________________________________________ Dr. Melissa Schrift, Reader Date ___________________________________________ Dr. Thomas Jones, Reader Date KILLED A BIRD TODAY 2 i. Acknowledgements This project could not have been completed without assistance from several individuals and departments. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Anthropology Department and Honors College for providing inspiration, support, and proper motivation to complete this project. I also want to thank the Study Abroad office for providing me with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Cuba firsthand.
    [Show full text]
  • Vodou Modernism, Literary Theory and Social Justice Heather Russell African & African Diaspora Studies Program, Florida International University, [email protected]
    Florida International University FIU Digital Commons African & African Diaspora Studies Program African and African Diaspora Studies Faculty Scholarly Presentations 3-31-2011 Vodou Modernism, Literary Theory and Social Justice Heather Russell African & African Diaspora Studies Program, Florida International University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/africana_fac_pres Recommended Citation Russell, Heather, "Vodou Modernism, Literary Theory and Social Justice" (2011). African & African Diaspora Studies Program Faculty Scholarly Presentations. 3. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/africana_fac_pres/3 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the African and African Diaspora Studies at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in African & African Diaspora Studies Program Faculty Scholarly Presentations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. American Comparative Literature Association, 2011 Vancouver, Canada March 31-April 3 Title: Vodou Modernism, Literary Theory and Social Justice Panel: Disputing Diaspora: Reading Transnational Black Literature Against the Grain Heather Russell, Associate Professor of English • “Eshu-Elegbara sometimes wears the crossroads as a cap, colored black on one side, red on the other, provoking in his wake foolish arguments about whether his cap is black or red, wittily insisting by implication that we view a person or a thing from all sides before we form a general judgment.” - Robert Farris Thompson African Atlantic Modernisms • Modernism has conventionally been the vehicle through which we arrive at conceptual frameworks of African Atlantic formal production. • Despite modernism’s irrefutable efficacy, I propose here a specifically West African/African diasporic epistemological framework to read the production of the emancipatory poetics with which African Atlantic modernism is concerned.
    [Show full text]
  • [Insert Your Title Here]
    Hoodoo in the Gulf Coast: Empowerment and Protection during the 19th and 20th Centuries: The Black cat bone and Snakes by Arielle Evans A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Auburn, Alabama May 7, 2016 Copyright 2016 by Arielle Lynn Evans Approved by Kelly Kennington, Chair, Associate Professor of History Adam Jortner, Associate Professor of History Kenneth Noe, Interim Chair, Alumni Professor of History Abstract Hoodoo during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries provided African Americans with knowledge, protection, and power. Although previous scholarship has focused on the role of different charms and herbal treatments, this research shows that the Devil played a role not only in hoodoo, but in Black communities of the South. The Devil was able to provide assistance to people with the help of two specific tools; the black cat bone and snakes. Slave Narratives/ autobiographies, interviews, and WPA Narratives provide insight on the practices and the uses for the black cat bone and snakes in hoodoo rituals. Although hoodoo was constantly evolving, the Devil’s role remained the same. The Devil was African Americans’ source of empowerment and protection during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. ii Acknowledgments I would like to thank everyone at Auburn University, especially the faculty and staff in the History Department. I also want to thank my committee members for their time, energy, and support. iii Table of Contents Abstract
    [Show full text]
  • Conjuring Moments and Other Such Hoodoo: African American Women & Spirit Work Kameelah L
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2006 Conjuring Moments and Other Such Hoodoo: African American Women & Spirit Work Kameelah L. Martin Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES CONJURING MOMENTS AND OTHER SUCH HOODOO: AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN & SPIRIT WORK By KAMEELAH L. MARTIN A Dissertation submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2006 Copyright © 2006 Kameelah L. Martin All Rights Reserved The members of the Committee approve the Dissertation of Kameelah L. Martin defended on June 29, 2006. ___________________________________ Darryl Dickson-Carr Professor Co-Directing Dissertation ___________________________________ Jerrilyn McGregory Professor Co-Directing Dissertation ___________________________________ Matt Childs Outside Committee Member ___________________________________ Tomeiko Ashford Carter Committee Member Approved: ____________________________________ Hunt Hawkins, Chair, Department of English The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii To the Unborn Child I lost during this process. May Spirit help you find your way back to me. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my appreciation and thanks to Darryl Dickson-Carr for his unwavering support and mentorship during my tenure at Florida State University. I am very pleased and honored to be the first doctoral graduate from the Dickson-Carr school of thought!!!! You have taught me how to be a scholar and how to be a professional. You taught me that Ishmael Reed’s Mumbo Jumbo can be conquered—a task in itself! I wish you well as you embark on your new position at Southern Methodist University.
    [Show full text]
  • Voodoo Dolls, Charms, and Spells in the Classroom: Teaching
    Contemporary Issues In Education Research – August 2011 Volume 4, Number 8 Voodoo Dolls, Charms, And Spells In The Classroom: Teaching, Screening, And Deconstructing The Misrepresentation Of The African Religion Alexandra Reuber, Tulane University, USA ABSTRACT “New Orleans voodoo,” also called “créole voodoo,” is an amalgamation of an honoring of the spirits of the dead, a respect for the elderly and the spiritual life, African knowledge of herbs and charms, and European elements of Catholicism. It is a religion of ancestor worship that is unknown to us, and that we are not necessarily exposed to or included in. As such, it is something foreign to our own belief system. Being ignorant about what the religion entails, people in general stigmatize it as something not worthy to discuss, nor to practice. Unfortunately, popular novels like Voodoo Season (2006) and Voodoo Dreams (1995) by Jowell Parker Rhodes, and especially Hollywood’s production of horror movies such as White Zombie (1932), I Walked with a Zombie (1943), The Serpent and the Rainbow (1987), Voodoo Dawn (1998) or Hoodoo for Voodoo (2006), do not provide the public with a truthful background of the African, Haitian, or New Orleanean voodoo tradition. All too often these fictional sources fuel the already existing misrepresentations of the religion and represent it as something shadowy, highly secretive, and fearful. This differentiated introduction to New Orleans voodoo via Iain Softley’s film The Skeleton Key (2004) exposes students to the major characteristics of the religion, makes them aware of popular culture’s falsified voodoo construct, and teaches them how to deconstruct it.
    [Show full text]
  • Haitian Vodou: “Pwen” (Magical Charge) in Ritual Context
    HAITIAN VODOU: “PWEN” (MAGICAL CHARGE) IN RITUAL CONTEXT by Kimberly Ann Greenough-Hodges APPROVED BY SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE: ___________________________________________ Thomas P. Riccio, Chair ___________________________________________ Monica Rankin ___________________________________________ Antoinette Sol ___________________________________________ Richard Brettell ___________________________________________ Charles Hatfield Copyright 2020 Kimberly Ann Greenough-Hodges All Rights Reserved HAITIAN VODOU: “PWEN” (MAGICAL CHARGE) IN RITUAL CONTEXT by KIMBERLY ANN GREENOUGH-HODGES, BA, MA DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The University of Texas at Dallas in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN HUMANITIES - AESTHETIC STUDIES THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS May 2020 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To begin, I humbly thank God, Jesus and Mary, the Saints, the ancestors, and all of the lwa of Haitian Vodou for granting me the determination, fortitude, and tenacity to see this project from conception through its completion. I also would like to thank the numerous people I have met over the span of 15 years who helped make this project possible. The most important person to me during this process has been my initiatory mother, Mambo Racine of the Roots Without End Society. (Ono ak Respe Mambo!) Mambo Kathy initiated me, educated me, sang for me, taught me Creole, taught me about Haitian culture, translated for me, allowed me to interview her and photograph her peristyle in Jacmel, Haiti. For all of this and much more, I thank you. Additionally, I owe much to the Haitian Roots Without End Society membership for my proper ceremonies, Vodou education, and complete acceptance into their house. I also would like to thank my initiatory siblings: Mambo Margaret for keeping me sane, Mambo Kineta, for the knowledge you passed to me and fun Vodou adventures together in California and in Massachusetts, Mambo Ke Kontan, for all the Vodou Jeopardy texting and always being grounded, pithy, and helpful.
    [Show full text]
  • The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook by Denise Alvarado
    The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook by Denise Alvarado The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook, Copyright © 2009 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopy, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the author and publisher, except in brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. All artwork and photography is by Denise Alvarado or in the public domain. Other books by this author: The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook A Guide to Serving the Seven African Powers Voodoo Dolls in Magick and Ritual A Guide for Invoking the Divine Power of Exu A Pictorial Guide to Voodoo Dolls The Gypsy Magic Spellbook ii Table of Contents DISCLAIMER AND LEGAL NOTICE ........................................xiii Introduction......................................................................................... i CHAPTER I: The Basics ................................................................... 1 WHAT IS NEW ORLEANS VOODOO....................................... 2 HOODOO? ................................................................................... 2 Crossing and Uncrossing............................................................. 6 Foot Track Magic........................................................................ 7 Floor Washes.............................................................................. 7 Laying Tricks .............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Sample of Translations of Vodou Songs and Annotations Drawn from Benjamin Hebblethwaite's Vodou Songs in Haitian Creole
    Sample of translations of Vodou songs and annotations drawn from Benjamin Hebblethwaite’s Vodou Songs in Haitian Creole and English (2011) * ------- * ------- * 1. Beauvoir (2008b) in Hebblethwaite (2011) ...Si pa te gen Lwa, nou tout nou ta neye! If there weren’t Lwa1, as for us, we’d all drown! Si pa te gen Lwa, nou tout nou ta peri o If there weren’t Lwa, as for us, oh we’d all perish nan peyi letranje. in foreign countries. Nou soti nan Ginen, We come from Ginen2, Men nan men, pye nan pye! Hand bound to hand, foot bound to foot! Nou prale yon kote, lè n rive n a va posede! We’ll go to a place, when we arrive we’ll own it! Anba kal negriye, nou prale yon kote, In the hold of the slave ship, we’re going somewhere, Tou benyen, tou poudre ak Gwo Lwa a, All bathed and powdered3 with the Great Lwa, n ape navige! We’re sailing! General comments: Slavery became a national industry in Dahomey, in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti), and, financially and managerially, in France (Métraux 1958: 20). The torture of slavery and the spiritual resources needed to survive and overcome it remain a permanent theme in Vodou songs. This song refers to the Middle Passage and the central role of the Vodou lwa in protecting the lives of enslaved Africans. From its point of view in the colony, the song also looks forward to a time when Haiti is independent. 1 Lwa The lwa are pulsating and vital forces that sustain the universe (Beauvoir 2011).
    [Show full text]