Identifier

etd-04092008-014603

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Geography and Anthropology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

This thesis explores the ways in which Vodou is practiced in New Orleans today. Tourism has capitalized off the exotic appeal of Vodou but that does not rule out the actual practice of the religion in these public retail settings. Generations of New Orleanians have been raised in the religion and while their practices are often secret, Vodou lies beneath the surface of spaces and events going on in the city. Immigrants and converts that have been trained in Haitian Vodou have come into New Orleans, influencing and interacting with the spirituality of the Crescent City. These practices separate themselves into different spheres but they intersect along a web of shared meanings, symbols and spaces. The hybridity of Vodou in New Orleans means that the believers’ history and the present is constantly being reinterpreted and recreated while still maintaining meaningful ties to the past.

Date

2008

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Miles Richardson

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.476

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