Voodoo:

Haitian Brazilian and American Voodoo (Below)

Soul of Africa 

by Konemann Inc. Staff (Editor)

A very thorough study of African religions with much coverage of the religions of Benin.  Great photography and comprehensive descriptions of rites, traditions and beliefs.

 Voodoo : Secret Power in Africa 

The same photographer as Soul of Africa (Above).  This book is a great coffee table book (large format, hard cover) on Voodoo in Benin.  Many full page shots of all aspects of Voodoo in Benin with solid descriptions.

Visually lush, decent information, October 17, 1998 Reviewer: A reader from Chicago, Illinois.
The imagery in this book is beautiful. Photography and printing, excellent. Focused primarily on Voodoo in Benin, Africa. Most Voodoo texts cover primarily Haitian or American practices, so this book enjoys a bit of rarity. The information is fairly guidebook/ expedition style. Not particularly sociological or studious, it presents recollections and learnings of the author and photographer as they traveled through Benin to photograph their subjects. Worth the price of admission for the quality of the images.

Divine Inspiration : From Benin to Bahia   

Bahia is a town in Brazil where Candomble (a Brazilian derivation of Vodun is practiced.  - Chris

Paperback 2 edition (June 1998)  A book with moving photographs and interesting essays., July 6, 1999
Reviewer: A reader from New York, NY
Divine Inspiration is an unusual coffee table book because the pictures do tell a thousand words, and because the text is helpful and interesting, not just filler. It is a good, respectful introduction to the Yoruba religion and its many offspring in the Americas.

African Vodun : Art, Psychology, and Power

by Suzanne Preston Blier, 1995  

Editorial Reviews From Booklist Blier has compiled an extraordinarily detailed and complex study of the vodun art of two West African countries, Benin and Togo. Her thorough analysis begins with an extended discussion of the philosophy of vodun that includes an intriguing set of possible etymologies of the word itself. The upshot is that vodun teaches "patience, calmness, respect, and order"--acceptance, that is, of what life brings--but it is not fatalistic. While composure is valued, so is action, and that's where ritual and the making and using of vodun art objects enter the picture. Vodun sculptures fall into two categories: the bochio, which are figurative, and the bo, which are objects, sometimes called fetishes or gris-gris. Neither are concerned with beauty, but, instead, focus on the grotesque, the unfathomable, and the frightful. Constructed of a broad range of raw materials, including wood, cloth, feathers, fur, straw, pottery, cowries, chains, bones, and even blood, these sculptures are activated or empowered for use in healing, protection, or effecting change. Blier's examination of the entire, often mysterious history of vodun arts from both cultural and psychological perspectives is, in a word, definitive. Donna Seaman  

Haitian Brazilian and American Voodoo 

You probably know that Voodoo was brought to the Carribean, Brazil, and the US by slaves that mainly originated from Benin.  As a result, "American" Voodoo is very similar to Beninese Voodoo.

Voodoo in Haiti   

 by Alfred Metreaux

Paperback Reissue edition (May 1989)

: Oli Hogben (see more about me) from Hokkaido, Japan.  If you want to learn something about Voodoo, then start with Alfred Metraux's "Voodoo in Haiti". It's the most straight down the line, objective, anthropological study of voodoo that one can find. Often, better editions of the book are accompanied by Metraux's photography, which in itself tells one a great deal about this religion. Factual evidence is the priority here and for that reason alone, it's a respectable book that doesn't tell any lies. Metraux is the classic 'outsider' who is looking in at Voodoo, and his viewpoint is never marred by Western conceits or judgments. "Voodoo in Haiti" firmly puts Voodoo in its place alongside every other religion in the world: it has value, merits, problems and practices. Most importantly of all, Metraux does not once mention "Live and Let Die".

(No Photo)

Dieux D'Afrique : Culte Des Orishas Et Vodouns a L'Ancienne Cote Des Esclaves En Afrique Et a Bahia, LA Baie De Tous Les Saints Au Bresil
by Pierre Fatumi Verger  (1996)  

Vodou Visions : An Encounter With Divine Mystery
by Sallie Ann Glassman (2000) 

Like many native religions, Vodou (often referred to as "Voodoo") has been scorned and ridiculed in
mainstream Judeo-Christian communities. "The word 'Vodou' sends chills down the spines of most
people, and conjures up age-old terrors of sorcery, black magic, and bogeymen lurking under the bed,"
writes author Sallie Ann Glassman (New Orleans Voodoo Tarot/Book and Card Set). This enticing
compendium of the origins and practice of Vodou makes for a fascinating read, explaining how music,
dance, and artistic expression are the heart and soul of this complicated religion. "What I discovered
was a vibrant, beautiful, and ecstatic religion that was free from dogma, guilt or coercion," says
Glassman, a thoughtful and articulate Jewish woman who first began studying New Orleans Vodou in
1975.

Its sophisticated spiritual philosophy has absorbed rituals from every place it's entered. The dances and
customs of French Colonial New Orleans mix with the Native American Indian use of rattles and
cornmeal. Yet many of its numerous magical deities come from the west coast of Africa, where
Vodou originated. It is now reported to have 50 million followers worldwide, but with compelling
invitations such as this one, it is bound to attract many more converts. --Gail Hudson 

Secrets of Voodoo
by Milo Rigaud, Odette Mennesson-Rigaud (Illustrator),
Robert B. Cross (Translator)  (1985)

Friends Network
"Secrets of Voodoo" - despite the sensationalistic title, this is an EXCELLENT book Secrets of
Voodoo gives a comprehensive overview of the origins, history, theology, beliefs and practices of
Haitian voodoo. Includes many B&W photographs of voodoo ceremonies and drawing of voodoo
"veves" (graphic representations of the gods, used in ceremonies). This is one of those books that you
will find yourself reading over and over again.

Mama Lola : A Voodoo Priestess in Brooklyn
(Comparative Studies in Religion and Society, No. 4)
by Karen McCarthy Brown  (1992)   0520077806

Amy Wilentz, Miami Herald 
"A remarkable intellectual trip. . . . A necessary mirror and map for any outsider who wants to
understand Vodou and, by extension, Haiti." 

Joan Dayan, Women's Review of Books 
"The most stunning interrogation to date of the limits of knowledge. . . . The activity of reading, telling,
or remembering in these pages jolts us out of the comforts of received polemic, as Brown questions
our conventional ways of thinking about Haiti and Vodou and about the issues of race and sex. . . . I
know of no other work about Vodou that can teach the uninitiated so fully what it means to know." 

Vodou : Visions and Voices of Haiti
by Phyllis Galembo, Gerdes Fleurant (Introduction)  (1998)

Priestesses, zombies, snakes, and swamps. Photographer Phyllis Galembo shows readers the human
and divine faces and voices of real Haitian vodou--as it is still practiced today. Brilliant color photos
are accompanied by captions and essays from experts in the field, skillfully woven together into a
beautiful, personal, and intimate document of a fascinating and deeply misunderstood religion. Full
color. 

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