James Duvalier

First of all, let me make clear that I am not a hougan, a priest of Haitian Vodou. I have not undergone the kanzo initiation and I do not pretend to be an expert on that tradition or have any knowledge beyond the basics. I am however a life long practitioner of Louisiana Voodoo and am highly knowledgeable in its traditions, am a ceremonial expert and highly skilled in the preparation of gris gris and spells. I…
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In this story we will see how some people believe that taking on animal qualities can be the result of a curse.  I first heard this story in the spring of 2004 from a Haitian woman named Yvette Antoine with whom I attended a class in Latin American literature at the University of Massachusetts.  Yvette affirms that the events described in the story occurred in her home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in the mid 1980’s and centers around…
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