22483: Mambo Racine - There are no "Manbos" in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Racine125@aol.com

Imagine that you are a Rabbi.  I am not a Rabbi, or even Jewish.  I write frequently about your religion, which I refer to as "Joodayizm".  I render your title as "Rabbay".  You repeatedly inform me that the name of your religion in English is Judaism, and the correct spelling of the honorific due to you as a clergy person of that religion is "Rabbi".  I decide that another spelling is what I want to use, and disregard you.

What would you think if me?  Would you consider me arrogant?  Stubborn?  Disrespectful?

The name of the religion of which I am a clergy person is Vodou, in both Creole and English.  French orthography, which features a silent "n", may give it as "Vodoun", but this is an English language list.

The honorific to which I am entitled is Mambo, both in Creole and in English.  Both "m's" are pronounced, thus:  MAM-bo.  The "a" is short and the "o" is long.  "Manbo" is incorrect both in Creole and in English, the "n" is not pronounced (in the case of English) and the word is NOT pronounced "MAH-bo" (in the case of Creole or French orthography).  There is plenty of incorrect orthography floating around in some people's attempts at contemporary Haitian Creole and this is but one example.

The unwillingness of some people to respect Vodou clergy and the information given by that clergy, especially when the clergyperson is a woman, is yet one more indication of the lack of respect for women epidemic in Haitian culture.

Now, if anyone cares to presume authority over this religion, I suggest you take the time and spend the money to become initiates, and spend at least ten years learning.  Then come and tell us how our religion is spelled.

Sincerely,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen