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Tash Jayasinghe
Dexter
CibbuanoThe Slave Coast's Voudun Art
October 14th 2008 23:27
On BoingBoing TV, an episode on Voudun, the traditional spiritual beliefs of African tribes on the Slave Coast, which would turn into the black arts that are labelled voodoo in America.
Xeni Jardin notes that over 1 million slaves were sent from the port city of Ouidah, most captured in intra-tribal wars and used as commerce to sell for weapons.
Werner Herzog's excellent film, "Cobra Verde", captured the atmosphere during this black period, when the Europeans traded for slaves to send to the new world. His movie looked at the tail end of the slaving period, when landowners wanted to have slaves, but were under considerable pressure to abandon the practice.
The traditions of the tribal kingdoms on the Slave Coast were rich in legend and imaginative power, which has led to art that is often used in popular culture to represent black magic. I find it beautiful, though, from the twisted human shapes to the use of animals to represent deities and power.
* the first image is from BoingBoing and the second image is from this travel page
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