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#1099: links to the past: Dayan's HAITI, HISTORY AND THE GODS
From: ali grrl <legb_a@hotmail.com>
I have just finished reading Joan Dayan's *Haiti, History and the Gods*. In
this monumental text she posits something which I would like to explore
further. Dayan suggests that the language of Vodou, the words that are used
in Vodou liturgy and those used to describe to rites and rituals of Vodou,
reveal a deeply embedded connection between the rituals of Vodou and
experiences of slavery. Discussing terms such as servis (ceremony), monte
chwal, met tet, m sevi lwas (I serve the lwas), Dayan suggests that "the
terminology of Vodou repeats or enacts the experience of slavery but allows
the speakers to hold on to a freedom that goes beyond such intentional
signification" (70).
I wanted to ask members of the list what they think of this? Do they agree
with these translations of *Vodou terms*? And, more specifically, do they
think that these terms are mere remnants of the past? And, if so, how do
they resonate with Vodou practitioners today? What meaning do they convey
for those in the diaspora? And what meaning do they hold for those in Haiti
and the DR, facing all that they face today?
I am not sure I am comfortable with the connections being made between Vodou
and slavery, and I would greatly appreciate your opinion on these issues.
thanks,
Alexandra Boutros
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