Gothic "Voodoo" in Africa and Haiti
eTropic electronic journal of studies in the tropics May 30, 2019 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.25120/etropic.18.1.2019.3666 via OpenAlex 8 citations
Summary
The paper argues that both "Voodoo" religion (Vodun in West Africa and Vodou in Haiti) and the Gothic genre are misunderstood and wrongly conflated in popular culture. Elements central to the Gothic—supernatural characters, mystery, spirits—are also central to Vodun cosmology and liturgy, but equating the two distorts both. The authors contend that a racialized Eurocentric hegemony devalues Vodun by linking it to distorted Gothic tropes, ignoring that Vodun is an ancient organizing principle and way of life for millions. Rather than being a cognate of the "American Zombie gothic," Vodun offers a mode of survival and a way of seeing in an unpredictable world.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Vodun/Vodou are not cognates of the American Zombie gothic but are instead a mode of survival and way of being in an unpredictable world. |
Abstract
This paper seeks to historicize and demystify “Voodoo” religion in Africa and Haiti while also drawing comparisons and contrasts to concepts and themes related to “the gothic”. What is assumed to be “supernatural” or “paranormal” in Western and Gothic circles has long been a part of everyday reality for many peoples of African descent and devotees of Vodun in Western Africa and Vodou in Haiti. Tropes that are essential to realms of the gothic (supernatural characters, mystery, the macabre, spirits, and paranormal entities) — are also central to the cosmology and liturgy of so-called “Voodoo”. As “the gothic” undergoes a resurgence in academic and popular cultures, so too does “Voodoo” religion. And yet, both terms continue to be conflated by popular culture, and by equating “voodoo” with “the gothic”, the true spirt of both concepts become confounded. A certain racialized Eurocentric hegemony devalues one of the world’s least understood religions (“Voodoo”) by equating it with equally distorted concepts of “the gothic”. As globalization transforms society, and the neo-liberal order creates more uncertainty, the continued distortion of both terms continues. Vodun does more than just speak to the unknown, it is an ancient organizing principle and way of life for millions of followers. Vodou/Vodun are not cognates of the “American Zombie gothic”, but rather, are a mode of survival and offer a way of seeing and being in an unpredictable world.