The World of the Orishas

by Arisel Arce Burguera, Armando Ferrer Castro

267 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Lasse Carlsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great collection of patakís giving a good portrait of the Orishas with all the contradictions and idiosyncracies expected from mythology. A good resource for anyone researching Afro-Cuban myths. I also get pleasant associations to Norse mythology and Aesop's fables, and with allusions to the deluge and tower of Babel, I wonder if it's a sign of Santerías syncretism with catholicism or just a sign that human's from all reaches of the world end up telling many of the same stories. Points withdrawn from the English translation, which I sadly find a bit lacking.

[Lemegeton Hesperus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite some minor flaws like not especially perfect grammar, this is a collection of very interesting myths, that tell the storys of gods (or spirits) that are very human-like and thus rather relatable. I did really enjoy reading about these myths that definetely have some connections with more well-known mythologys or even the most well-known of them all, Christianity. The illustrations are beautiful too, quite a unique style but works really well with this unique mythology. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes mythology, regardless which one.