Istwa across the water : Haitian history memory and the cultural imagination A note on spelling Groundings: tidalectics Marasa and Istwa The changing same: bok{o}fíó across the sea Of Boci{o} Bo Cakatú Zonbi Nkisi and Pakèt Kongo Boci{o} Nkisi Legba Ogun and Ghede across the water Tidalectical dishonor Epilogue: re suturing or joining the parts to the whole Drawing on the belief system of Vodou this project is anchored by three theoretical concepts: tidalectics a term for the repetitive back and forth movement of the ocean symbolizing ritual balance and cyclical unity; Marasa or twinning a principle of Vodou in which fragmented parts strive for remembrance and holism; and istwa a Kreyol term whose meaning encompasses history story and memory