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Agõtĩme: Her Legend
The story of 19th-century West African Agotime, the daughter of a Mall priest, captured by the King of Dahomey and made one of his queens. Their son is chosen by the oracles as successor, but upon the king's death he flees into the jungle and Agotime is sold into slavery. Before she leaves, Agotime consults the voodoo priest, who insinuates a special destiny for her, soon verified by the successive appearances of Zomadonu, Dahomean water spirit, who consigns her the task of establishing his cult in Brazil. Surviving the "Middle Passage," Agotime is bought by a family in San Salvador where she works for several years trying to establish Zomadonu among the local Condombles. She joins the Hausa Uprising of 1807 and escapes, dogged by her impatient voodoo, appearing "out of fountains or waterjars or the nearest stream." Taking over a deserted Jesuit seminary, Agotime fulfills her pact with the Dahomean deity, and (apparently in exchange) her son takes the throne in Africa, and sends ambassadors to find his mother and bring her home.
303 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 13, 2021
How the Gods Migrated from West Africa to Brazil
In Gleason's richly-descriptive novel, we are introduced to Agõtime, a beautiful former queen, too intelligent to be tolerated by her dead husband's son, now turned King of Dahomey. She is thus sold into slavery and shipped off to Brazil. The first section of the novel describes her life in Dahomeyan culture, with all its rich ritual and cruel history, following her career down to the Atlantic shore, where she is rowed out to a waiting Brazilian slaver in an open canoe, after having been branded on the breast. The second section of the book is entitled "Middle Passage"; the final section takes place in Brazil. While you can read the novel as a painful journey through exotic cultures and distant times, written in beautiful language, it is something more, a most pleasing, literary work of history and anthropology-in-fiction. What was the ultimate fate of Agõtime ? How did she die? Did she get revenge for the treatment she got? The answer is bound forever to the fact that African religion is today alive and well in every Brazilian city and village. The African gods are twinned with Catholic saints and who is to tell which is in front ? How did this synthesis occur? How did African culture come to the New World--Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, the West Indies, and the USA--and become the powerful force that it still is ? Read this book for a deeper understanding of the tragedy of West African history and slavery, for one of the great human tragedies. This volume is a perfect companion to Bruce Chatwin's "The Viceroy of Ouidah", concerning the same period and locations, but trying to speak from the African viewpoint, unlike Chatwin's. Frank Yerby's novel, "The Dahomeyan" too, though not as strong, fits together with Gleason's powerful novel. If you are interested in either West African or Brazilian history, in the religion known as Vodun ('voodoo') with its mythology, or in a generally thoughtful, original novel, read this book. It will definitely haunt you for some time.
In Gleason's richly-descriptive novel, we are introduced to Agõtime, a beautiful former queen, too intelligent to be tolerated by her dead husband's son, now turned King of Dahomey. She is thus sold into slavery and shipped off to Brazil. The first section of the novel describes her life in Dahomeyan culture, with all its rich ritual and cruel history, following her career down to the Atlantic shore, where she is rowed out to a waiting Brazilian slaver in an open canoe, after having been branded on the breast. The second section of the book is entitled "Middle Passage"; the final section takes place in Brazil. While you can read the novel as a painful journey through exotic cultures and distant times, written in beautiful language, it is something more, a most pleasing, literary work of history and anthropology-in-fiction. What was the ultimate fate of Agõtime ? How did she die? Did she get revenge for the treatment she got? The answer is bound forever to the fact that African religion is today alive and well in every Brazilian city and village. The African gods are twinned with Catholic saints and who is to tell which is in front ? How did this synthesis occur? How did African culture come to the New World--Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, the West Indies, and the USA--and become the powerful force that it still is ? Read this book for a deeper understanding of the tragedy of West African history and slavery, for one of the great human tragedies. This volume is a perfect companion to Bruce Chatwin's "The Viceroy of Ouidah", concerning the same period and locations, but trying to speak from the African viewpoint, unlike Chatwin's. Frank Yerby's novel, "The Dahomeyan" too, though not as strong, fits together with Gleason's powerful novel. If you are interested in either West African or Brazilian history, in the religion known as Vodun ('voodoo') with its mythology, or in a generally thoughtful, original novel, read this book. It will definitely haunt you for some time.
August 12, 2011
This is the story of Agõtĩme, a Dahomean queen, who became part of the exodus of slaves from West Africa to Brazil. She is a historical figure, a legend, as well as this book's main character. Part I recounts the real country of Dahomey (modern-day Benin)--the intertwined royal heritage, religious cult of Water Spirit vodũ, and divination system of Fa. One of many wives of the former king, Agõtĩme is not the new king's favorite, being outspoken and independent, and consequently becomes part of the caravan of captives to be sold. Part II recounts the Atlantic voyage, a novella that holds its own. Part III recounts the destiny she fulfills after she reaches Brazil to reenergize the Dahomean cult of nature and ancestor worship, which will thereby send vibes(?) to oust the Dahomean king and enthrone her royal son Gãkpe, all of which occurs. The last chapter mentions how legends are made and how Brazilian Dahomean religious customs remained vital while prominent African Dahomeans became Europeanized.
January 17, 2012
A lyrical mix of West African folklore, New World historical fact and one of the more hallucinatory renderings of the Middle Passage that I've ever come across. Gleason's prose is sometime lush to a fault. Long sections of exposition are so mired in poetry that simply going from one town to the next can be a near impenetrable proposition. Whether this stylistic device is intentionally evocative of 18th century Dahomey or early 19th century Brazil or 20th century post-colonial theory, I honestly can not say. That said, I won't easily forget certain scenes from this book. I'm just not sure I'd recommend it to you, whoever you are, unless you like a book to seem far, far longer than it actually is.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews