St Lucia, An Annotated Bibliography

Voodoo is an old religion that finds its roots in west Africa. Remnants of its physical history can be found throughout the West African Coast where major slave trading markets were located. An Example of this are locations contain trees of forgetting in which slaves were “Zombified” by administering herbs to make them more compliant. Today these historical sites draw tourist learning about the horrors of the slave trade Voodoo beliefs originated from African animist religions that predate Islam and Christian influences and were not understood by the European slave owners who forbid its practice. It created a fear in the Europeans and is misunderstood even today. Its travel to the Caribbean, Haiti and America had a lasting impact and is still practiced.

It has been almost 6 months now that my girlfriend and I came back from a trip to New Orleans. This is a town rich in history, amazing food, the locals were some of the friendliest people and the music of the city truly seemed to act as a heartbeat that gave the city life. However, something that truly caught my eye, were all the voodoo shops. One of their oldest cemeteries is home to the tomb of the “Voodoo Queen” Marie Laveau. Unfortunately when we went, they weren’t giving tours. When most in modern society most hear the word Voodoo; they probably think about what they’ve seen on movies… witch doctors, dolls that are used to curse Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom or evil possession of people’s bodies through spirits. However, that really isn’t the case, for a religion that a lot of people really don’t know a lot about, the religion of Voodoo or Vodun. “The name was derived from the god Vodun of the West African Yoruba people who lived in 18th and 19th century Dahomey.” The African people were shipped as slaves to Haiti and other islands. Slaves practiced this religion but were also forced by the masters who owned them to practice Christianity. Which if you fast-forward to modern times, you will see that most adults in Haiti and some cities in the Southern States of North America not only still practice Voodoo but are also Roman Catholic.

1492 - Christopher Columbus accidentally lands on present day Haiti and Dominican Republic and conquers the island for Spain,naming the island Hispaniola.

The Ottoman Empires blockage of the once popular trade route to the east, led to the exploration of the America’s. In the late 15th century, with the European’s goal to find a new trading route, the Portuguese, with their strong maritime power, were the first to venture out. Not only was the establishment of a new trade route crucial, but so was the discovery of resources to exploit for European gain. Land empires formed, bringing about the enslavement of native populations, and control of production and labor. No more was this evident than in the Caribbean Islands. Small but crucial assets to Europe, why did the Caribbean islands have such a big impact on the slave trade? Many European countries had colonized several regions in North and South America, yet there was something about the Caribbean’s that made them indispensable to their respective economies. The politics in Europe, the Caribbean’s fertile soil, and its demographics were key factors in the Caribbean’s importance. All three factors were essential in the Caribbean becoming a staple in the slave trade.

Intro- The practice of Voodoo has been around for many centuries. The word itself means the great spirit. It originally started with the African slaves who combined their West African traditions and beliefs with Catholicism. To many Voodoo has been seen as cult and something that begets fear. This has been a common misunderstanding and misconception and that is part of the reason why I have chosen this topic. If one were to look up the definition of Voodoo it would be defined as an African religious cult practiced in the Caribbean and later in the Unites States, which involves animism, sorcery, religious rituals and spirit possession. Although some of the above is true people perceive that definition in a negative form. The portrayal of Voodoo

The goal of Voodoo is to serve the Spirits (sevi lwa)- offering prayers and numerous devotional rites to God and other spirits for health, favor, and protection. Spirit possession plays an important role in this religion. It is an oral tradition that is practiced by extended families that inherit familial spirits and devotional practices by elders. The forms of Voodoo practiced today are the results of one of the most inhumane episodes in modern history: The African Slave Trade between the 16th and 19th century. When Africans were bought here to America they bought Voodoo with them. During slavery an underground religion (voodoo) started to emerge among slaves. It was a combination of African religious traditions with elements of Catholicism. Many of the early Voodoo priest came from a Muslim background. During slave times, Voodoo equaled revolt. To

     The Voodoo religion is one of the most, if not the most misconceived religions of our time. Often when Voodoo is mentioned, it is related to evil, black magic, devious sorcery, cannibalism, and harm. Although the Voodoo religion appears to the outsider as an illusion or falsehood, it has been an instrumental political force because it has helped the Haitians resist domination and form an identity of their own. Since the end of the 17th century, Haitian Voodoo has overcome every challenge it has been faced with and has endured. The religion is based on a polytheistic belief system and represents a significant portion of Haiti’s 8.3 million people. The engaging religion plays an important role in both the family

The Caribbean is a vastly diverse area representing the effects of colonialism, slavery, and the combination of many cultures.

The Bahamas The Bahamas is full of a vast array of inimitable little islands, populated by the laid back people of the Caribbean. Great Exuma is one of these, a place of warm tranquillity and relaxation, a place where peace can be found. A minute number of people inhabit the 90 mile stretch of land where you will find an amazing variety of wildlife.

Voodoo is a religion rich in heritage and founded in faith and community. The religion has been villainized by western culture and has been wrongly portrayed as malignant and dangerous. The religion is not founded in any of the (known) "black magics" or fear popularized by Hollywood films, but rather it is based on balance and tradition. The religion is not something that should be encountered with inhibition or fear induced from childhood horror stories, but embraced for its strength and history.

     Derek Walcott’s Omeros is an epic story which fits well into the classical tradition. Its numerous echoes of Homeric writing combined with the use of characters’ names from Homer’s stories are clear evidence to the fact that there is a major parallel to Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. There is no debate in this obvious fact. Omeros and Derek Walcott’s writing, however, are much more than a mere reproduction of classical Greek and Roman themes. Arguing this fact is an insult to Walcott and his masterful work. There are specific references in Walcott’s writing which make this work more than a reproduction of someone else’s

Weeks before my trip to Martinique in February, I spent many hours brushing up on my high school French and trying to perfect the nasally sounding tone of the French accent. I spent a lot of time trying to get the right amount of phlegm in my voice and committing key phrases to memory. I was determined to blend in with the locals as much as possible in order to have an “authentic” Martiniquan experience without any hiccups. Well the hiccups came. There’s nothing more terrifying than halfway during pouring coke into the finest rum Martinique has to offer, hearing the captain of your boat yell in a heavily French accent, “What are you doing?! You’re ruining it! It is better without cola!” I sheepishly replied, “Je suis Americaine,” and the boat

The Bahamas is known for its warm sunshine, perfect climate, and pristine beaches with crystal clear water lapping at the shores. It is one of the most popular and beautiful tourist destinations in the world and attracts thousands of travelers every year. Though gorgeous strips of sand ring every island of this 700-island archipelago, it is a multifaceted destination and offers a variety of exclusively Bahamian experiences for every type of traveler.

Being one of the last islands to be colonized in the Caribbean, the island of Dominica is an impartially small island. The island was colonized last due to the “chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs” (“Lonely planet”). It is south of the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. It is a very small island and it is only 751 square feet and is only approximately 4 times the size of Washington D.C. The geography of the island is vastly rugged. The island has 5 active volcanos making it very mountainous as well. The island was first settled by the Spanish in their search for gold. The Spanish eventually left the island due to the islanders fierce rebelling and due to the lack of gold. The island was then colonized by the French when they took over. Finally, the island was given independence in 1978. The island is primarily Roman Catholic and the people are very spiritual on the island (“CIA Fact Book”). 91% of the island is black and the other 9% is mixed races that come from refugees in the island (“A virtual Dominica”). In the past years of the island there has been many growing issues that have caught the eyes of the government officials. One of the main issues on the island are the growing environmental issues on the island. The environment of the island once was a clean and a very attractive place for people to visit for vacations, and now ever since then the issues have arisen due to the island being abused in numerous ways by the citizens. Some of the island

The evolution of Caribbean Literature started centuries before the Europeans graced these shores and continues to develop today. Quite noticeably, it developed in a manner which transcended all language barriers and cultures. Today the languages of the Caribbean are rooted in that of the colonial powers - France, Britain, Spain and Holland - whose historical encounters are quite evident throughout the region. The cosmopolitan nature of the region's language and cultural diversity develop from the mixture of European languages with Native American languages (mainly the Caribs and Arawaks) in the formation of creoles and local patois (hybrid languages) and those of Africans brought to the Caribbean as