Dan DellaPasqua

Bibliography of sources which research spirit possession among African Diaspora religions.

Matory, J. L. Black Atlantic Religion: Tradition, Transnationalism, and Matriarchy in the Afro- Brazilian       Candomblé. N.p.: Princeton University Press, 2005.

I discovered “Black Atlantic Religion: Tradition, Transnationalism, and Matriarchy in the Afro-Brazilian Candomblé while using the keyword spirit possession on google scholar. This source is heavily illustrates Afro-Brazilian Candomblé by examining its routes and how transnationalism effected this religion as a whole. However, this source does outline many practices in Diaspora religion and the underlying mechanisms and intentions behind those practice .

This source is from an ethnographic point of view. On this note, the information is neutral and the content is research based. The tone of the author is anthropologic, using cultural relativism to talk about the culture in a way which aims to depict the true nature of the religion from a natives viewpoint.

Matory, J. L. Rival Empires: Islam and the Religions of Spirit Possession among the Ọ̀yọ́- Yorùbá. N.p.: Wiley on behalf of the American Anthropological Association, 1994.

I found this source using the keyword spirit possession within the Bailey Howe Library research database. This source directly examines spirit possession among Yoruba people, with a specific focus on possession among women. This source outlines motives behind possession, and how this helps to shape character and identity.

The source is written by Matory, an accomplished anthropologist. Matory writes strictly research based books where most of the information is from credible sources or first hand experience. With this being said, the information published is not biased it is ethnographic research aimed to published research regarding spirit possession within a broader religion.

Matory, J. L. Sex and the empire that is no more : gender and the politics of metaphor in Oyo Yoruba religion. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1994.

This sources was recommended to me by Doctor Vicki Brennan, a professor at the University of Vermont. In this source Matory makes a case for the existence of “meta-tropes” of gender in Yoruba spirit possession, illustrating these practices are deeply embedded in Oyo politics. Matory explains possession within the social and political context of local government, as in the case of traditional Songo and Yemoja possession in Oyo Yoruba religion. While doing this Matory broadcasts a community’s negotiation of personal power and the metaphors of gender among priests and priestesses.

Matory Writes from a non biased view point, providing factual information with wise anecdotes and metaphors to help understand difficult ideas which are foreign to our culture. Matory writes and researches with the intention of understanding, therefore the information published is accurate not only factually, but to the culture being researched as well.

Eli Van Buren

The symbolism of the head has a very powerful meaning in Yoruba and the African Diaspora religions’ culture. It is said that one has two heads: the outer spiritual head and the inner spiritual head. I don’t really care about the outer head. The inner spiritual head is physically represented in the Ile Ori, or the “House of the Head.” I chose to study the Ile Ori in the Spirited Things exhibition because I’d like to realize why ancient Yoruba peoples put such a strong emphasis on the head and how those practices translated to Haitian Vodun across generations and the Atlantic ocean. The inner head is so central to Afro-Atlantic spirituality that people would almost entirely cover their Ile Ori with cowrie shells, the equivalent to plastering the steering wheel of your car with dollar bills. In Black Atlantic spirituality, the head is closely tied to the concept of Ifa; fate or destiny. In understanding the significance of something so culturally important, one can see into the values of a culture to gain a view of a much broader concept: how this specific culture approaches one of humanity’s greatest spiritual questions about fate, destiny, and free will.

A couple class readings evidence and answers can be pulled from include The Yoruba World by Drewal, Pemberton, and Abiodun, as well as Afro-Caribbean Spirituality: A Haitian Case Study by Karen McCarthy Brown. The former article touches on the importance of the inu ori (inner head), ile ori, and the individuality associated with both. “The privacy and uniqueness of a person is the theme of the ile ori (‘house of the head’)…the object holds a symbol…of a person’s inner, spiritual essence.” (Drewal Pemberton Abiodun 27) In contrast to expressing a person’s individuality, the inu ori has much to do with spirit possession; orisa inhabiting one’s head and body. The Haitian case study can lend some insight into showing what methods and symbols have changed from traditional Yoruba worship to Vodun in the context of possession. Both of these two articles provide a wealth of information as a base for my continued external research to expand upon.

To find some answers, or at least the information I need to form my own answers, I should consult our UVM library to find some published sources on the Ile Ori. Ideally some sort of in depth analysis of the sculpture, explaining the different parts and meanings of each, though I may need to look through a few sources to find consistencies. Additionally, I am sure Duke University’s African religions website has quite a few articles on what I’m looking for. Context-providing secondary sources could be anything from traditional stories pertaining to the importance of the Ile Ori, to anthropological articles detailing how people relate to their Ile Ori and treat it in an everyday context.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wn4-n9Ij01RA9pvItlslwNflXLrl7opU4wnmL0PVLr8/edit?usp=sharing

I am studying the Cuban House for Elegguá. It is a wooden model house covered in red and black beads, a wooden face, and cowry shells. It is a representation of the god Elegguá or Eshu who is the crossroads god. Elegguá has the power to make all things happen. He represents all the possible paths of life. He is the messenger for all Orisha (gods). I am researching this object because I want a better understanding of how the crossroads work in the Cuban Santeria religion, and what sociological significance they hold. Understanding the sociological significance of the crossroads will help my reader understand the indigenous concepts of power and how western society demonizes what they cannot fully understand.

In class, we have talked on multiple occasions about Eshu and his powers as the crossroads god. Elegguá/ Eshu is this little god who has the ability to make life problematic or painless. Elegguá has power over everyone due to the fact that he is the messenger for all Orishas. In Flash of the Spirit Thompson talks about Eshu and his characterization as “ ‘The devil’ ”(Flash19) by missionaries. Thompson then continues to describe Eshu and show the reader that he isn’t “The Devil” but is “Outwardly mischievous but inwardly full of overflowing grace”(Flash 19). Thompson caps it off by saying that he cannot be characterized even by his own people “Even his names compound his mystery” (Flash 19). This is due to the fact that Eshu has many different names such as Eshu, Elegbara, Elegguá, and Elegba. He is known as “The childless wanderer” (flash 19) or “owner of power”(flash 19). It is incredibly interesting how Eshu has this power that connects all of these followers with their gods and for the most part binds their society together.

To fully develop my understanding of Elegguá/Eshu and indigenous concepts of power I am going to look at articles on Eshu to increase my understanding of his responsibilities and his ties to other Orisha. I would like to look at journals and recordings of Elegguá festivals and ceremonies so that I can build background knowledge. Finally, I hope to find some sort of interview with a religious figure in which questions are asked about the significance of Elegguá/ Esu in these religions.

Jack Bechtold

I am studying the Votary sculpture for Esu found in the Sacred Arts of the Black Atlantic exhibit. The sculpture is carved from wood, stands two feet tall, and features Esu, with a typical Janus-like projection from the rear of his head, riding a horse and surrounded by ritual assistants. I would like to further understand a concept briefly outlined in the sculpture’s description found in exhibit’s website, the concept of Esu and other Orisha being visually depicted as foreigners. This topic will better allow myself and readers to understand some of the blending and hybridity that occurs in Yoruba religion and culture.

Johnson’s “Syncretism and Hybridity” is particularly relevant to my research. In his writing, Johnson notes that, “This [hybridity] has value for students of religion because it reminds us to distinguish the deliberate efforts towards combining parts of various religious traditions from unintentional or unconscious or interpenetration. “Syncretism and Hybridity” and other writings will allow me to better understand and explain the concept of visual depiction of Esu and other Orisha as foreigners.

To aid my research, I will need to utilize several sources. Primary sources I can utilize include other depictions of Esu or other Orisha as hailing from a foreign land or culture. Other useful sources include documents and readings on cultural blending and hybridity. Sources containing detailed descriptions of the construction and meaning of details in an Esu statue, such as the one found on the Sacred Arts of the Black Atlantic website, will be extremely helpful in furthering my knowledge on the subject.