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Abstract
This article interrogates nineteenth-century New Orleans Voudou as American, as religion, and finally as American religion. To achieve this end, there is a focus throughout on outsider perceptions and descriptions of Voudou, as well as an attempt to understand the tradition itself. Outsiders in the nineteenth century denied Voudou's legitimacy as a religion and as American, despite evidence to the contrary. Toggling between white outsider perceptions of Voudou and a historicized examination of the tradition itself, this essay offers a multi-layered analysis of New Orleans Voudou. Perhaps one of the clearest things this study reflects is the contested nature of American religion, who draws the boundary lines around "legitimate" American religion, and how they draw those lines.
Keywords: Race and Religion, New Orleans, African Diasporic Religion, Voodoo/Voudou, Legitimate Religion, African Religions in the Americas
Resumen
Este artículo interroga el Voudou (o vudú) de Nueva Orleans del siglo diecinueve como americano, como una religión y finalmente como una religión americana. Para lograr este fin, hay un enfoque tanto en las percepciones y descripciones ajenas del Voudou, como en intentar entender la tradición misma. Forasteros a esta práctica denegaron la legitimidad del Voudou como religión y como americana en el siglo diecinueve, a pesar de la contra evidencia. Alternando entre las percepciones ajenas de los blancos sobre el Voudou y una examinación historiada de la tradición misma, este ensayo ofrece un análisis de varios niveles sobre el Voudou de Nueva Orleans. Quizás una de las cosas más claras que refleja este estudio es la cuestionada índole de la religión americana, quién determina las fronteras alrededor de la "legitima" religión americana y cómo éstos trazan dichas fronteras.
Palabras clave: Raza y religión, Nueva Orleans, la diáspora de la religión africana, vudú/voudou, religión legitima, religiones africanas en América
In the early hours of the morning on January 5, 1895, Mrs. Baptiste, "a colored woman," found "a small black coffin" in front of her residence in New Orleans at Royal Street and Caffin. As reported in The Daily Picayune, a large crowd of residents congregated at her house, and "considerable excitement prevailed." Sergeant Hevron of the Fifth Precinct arrived and "took charge of the box." With a hatchet he pried off the coffin's lid and inside revealed "several...