Voodoo

by Alfred Métraux, Hugo Charteris (Translator)

2016 Reprint of 1959 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. What is voodoo? To the outside world the word is usually associated with the black magic of sorcerers, werewolves and zombies; a mysterious cult of secret rites and sudden deaths. But Voodoo, with its African origins and Christian observances, is also a religion of “white magic”, with the emphasis on the comfort and support of its members. Based on his friendship with a Voodoo mambo [priestess] Metraux has written a sympathetic account of this religion in Haiti. Besides describing the actual ceremonies, the author introduces the gods and spirits who form the Voodoo pantheon, and discusses the relationship between Voodoo and the Church, magic and the darker aspects of this religion.

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 1998

About the author

Alfred Métraux (Lausanne, 5 November 1902 – 12 April 1963, Paris) was a Swiss and Argentine anthropologist, ethnologist and human rights leader.