From: eddie@hermes.oit.unc.edu (Edward M. Averett)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan,alt.magick
Subject: Santeria and Voodoun
Summary: Let's get a grip
Keywords: I'm Ba'acck. ...
Date: 8 Nov 92 16:58:35 GMT
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

In article <BxCqFI.Jtq@ddsw1.mcs.com> eshin@ddsw1.mcs.com (Eshin-Fun) writes:
>>>altheimm@nextnet.csus.edu (Murray Altheim) writes:
>(stuff deleted for the sake of brevety)
>: [long flame excised...]
>Many Cubans have been born with Santeria as a family religion, and even
>initiated and yet at their forties and fiftees knew nothing of the religion.
>
>I have been writing a number of posts on Santeria/Lukumi and have made
>references on Voodoun for sometime now. None of which you reference.
>What seems to be the outrage is the usual attitude that everything is
>"white" or "black" that Santeria is merely an aspect of Voodoun.
>
>Voodoun is, as I have pointed out, a religious contrivance of the New World,
>not Africa. And in fact, it is created by the Haitian. In Voodoun there are
>the Rada and Petro rites the latter which is full of "black" oriented magick
>that is so fearful to your friend.
>Voodoun is suggested by scholars was brought into western africa later after
>its conception was initiated in Haiti by the Arada tribe.
>
>That a discussion could be initiated, there is no problem. But you cannot
>start a discussion for example about magick by saying that it is "evil" and
>godless hocus pocus" because everyone that will arouse annoyance of those
>people that may view it with a different color.

Hi there, ya'll.  I thought I'd throw in my glove here, also.  If you want to
learn about Santeria and Voodoun, then here's a short bibliography: 

Divine Horsemen: Living Gods of Haiti, by Maya Deren is excellent as a source
book about Haitian Voodoun. It also has probably the best bibliography for 
historical purposes up to its time.  Joseph Campbell was an advisor to Ms.
Deren. 

Migene Gonzalez-Wippler has written a bunch of books on the topic; some of 
them have been rewritten several times, like the Santeria Experience, try 
to get later editions: they're better. Also, Tales of the Orishas is pretty
good, and Rituals and Spells of Santeria is ok.

For those with a more generic viewpoint on religion and paganism-style stuff,
try Jambalaya by Luisah Teish.  It is subtitled "The Natural Woman's Book".

Your local university library will have more.  Caveat, Caveat.  As my own 
babalawo says, "There is much good in books, and much you can learn, but 
remember that they don't know everything, things can be wrong, things change, 
people have different experiences, and there is much written on this subject
that is contradictory." There seem to be some folks around here who have 
forgotten that, which is why the rest of you have to hear it again. 

Voodoun specifically is generally used to refer to the primary Dahomeney
source which is based in Haiti.  Santeria is generally used to refer to the
Yoruban based sources which are rooted in Cuba, among other places.  They
are truly syncretic religions, in that they are not only African/West Indian
blends with European gracenotes, but also in that they are a blend of 
African traditions which were pushed together in the new world. Voodoun and
Santeria are two words for the same thing, But they are syncretic to each 
other and overlap a lot. 

Voodoun and Santeria are horizontally based hierarchies. There are initiates,
and priests. In Santeria, there are the Santeros and Babalawos, two levels 
of priest, but there isn't a Vatican of Truth in Santeria out there anywhere.
It boils down to if you serve the loa, then you serve the loa.

Since Voodoun and Santeria have been heavily acculturated religions due to their
history of being formed by oppressed peoples, it can be important to understand
the socio-economic-political circumstances surrounding them. Study it. If you
want to practice, or learn a lot, then you should try to understand, maybe 
even sympathize. 

Mr. Eshin-Fun does seem to know more about Santeria than some other topics
he has written on. I don't agree with a substantial part of it, but I have
also not had an opportunity to study his own sources.  Nonetheless, the 
general line of conversation has not been very illuminating up so far. 

			I serve the Loa, 
				Edward M. Averett
				Bunny with a Thousand Faces...