The Magic Island
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The Magic Island is a book by American explorer and traveler William Seabrook. First published in 1929 by Harcourt, Brace & Company, The Magic Island is an account of Seabrook's experiences with Haiti
First edition cover
Haitian Vodou
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Haitian Vodou is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and C
The Magic Island
…and traveler William Seabrook. First published in 1929 by Harcourt, Brace & Company, The Magic Island is an account of Seabrook's experiences with Haitian Vodou in Haiti, and is considered the first popular English-language work to describe the concept of a zombie, defined by Seabrook as "a soulless human corpse…
A sequined drapo flag, by Haitian artist Georges Valris, depicting the vèvè symbol of the lwa Loko Atison; these symbols play an important role in Vodou ritual.
Vodou paraphernalia for sale at the Marché de Fer (Iron Market) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
An oungan (Vodou priest) with another practitioner at a ceremony in Haiti in 2011
A selection of ritual items used in Vodou practice on display in the Canadian Museum of Civilization