15084: FW: "the man by the shore" query (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: 	Dr Aviston Downes [mailto:downesav@uwichill.edu.bb]

THIS NOTE IS NOTE FROM A LIST MEMBER.  Please reply to
the address above and not to Corbett



Hi,

I have a bit of a mystery on my hands and I hope some of my fellow
Caribbeanists can help: In Raoul Peck's "The Man by the Shore" "L'homme sur
les Quais" the main character, Sarah, chants, " The little girl sitting near
the fire throws ashes at her mother's ass, throws ashes at her mother's
ass." According to one review of the film by Joanne Harris, the chant comes
from a "vodou society prayer." does anyone have any more information on the
source of the chant, what it could possibly refer to, etc.?
Thanks in advance,
Antoinette
Dept. of African lang. and lit.
uw-madison
tonisanon@aol.com