h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi :) Anhaga recommended that I check with you on the subject of the influence of the indigenous cultures of the Americas on the development of Vodou. I'm currently putting together an article on Vodou (A970544), with the Peer Review thread at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F48874?thread=249622 I've found some information on the Taino and Arawak, but nothing specifically on their influence on the culture and religion of the Africans brought over as slaves. If you have any recommendations, I'd be very grateful, as this is an area I have not found covered to any extent by Vodou/Santeria/Candomble/Lukumi/Palo websites or organisations thus far (at least not in English, and I do not speak Spanish).

You can use the Babelfish for translation. It's not that accurate but it'll give you the sense if you're willing to work at it a little.

There's many common elements in the magic, partly because many tribes, especially in the eastern United States took in refugees from the plantations.

There was even a group of slaves shipwrecked on an island off the coast of Venezuela in the 17th century I think who formed a band together with some Caribs that persists to this day on the coast of Honduras and Belize. They were driven out of their original landfall by the British. Their story is told in the National Geographic, I don't remember which month or year, but you can probably find it by searching http://www.nationalgeo.com .

Practically any of this stuff that originates with the Creole would be of mixed heritage, but it's not necessarily the primary influence.

You see, it's common in tribal cultures to respect ancestors and to associate fertility with snakes and water, among other things I think. The forms of the voodoos are very much West African but the underlying beliefs are shared by many people of wide geographic distribution.

That's the problem here too. Who's an indian? That's a very convenient category but it means practically nothing. There's like hundreds of tribes, each with their own ways, so you probably have as great a range of magical beliefs in them as you do with the world population.

So, am I corrent in understanding you to say that it's common sense that the indigenous people of the Americas and the Africans brought over as slaves had contact and probably had mutual influence on each others cultures, but there's no way to prove this because of the overlapping beliefs, practices and cosmologies?

If so, perhaps what I should do is add a paragraph on that, with external links to some existing tribal groups.

Thanks muchly

Yes, I think that pretty well sums it up.

Maybe like in Guatemala where Maximo sort of resembles Baron Samedi the influence would be pretty clear but otherwise it would take a lot of detailed work to sort things out. Because from a generalized belief perspective, it would be hard to distinguish the influences.

OK, very cool! Thank you so much for your help