The Serpent and the Rainbow
The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis is a reissue published by Simon & Schuster on August 5, 1997. This 304-page book presents a scientific investigation intertwined with a personal adventure, focusing on zombis and the vodoun culture of Haiti as explored by ethnobotanist Wade Davis. The narrative begins with Davis’s arrival in Haiti in April 1982, where he investigates documented cases of zombis—individuals who reemerged in society after being declared dead.
Readers will find a deep exploration of vodoun rituals and celebrations, as Davis delves into the complexities of zombification within the cultural context of Haiti. The book connects the history of vodoun to the broader narrative of Haiti, tracing its African roots and the journey toward independence. Through this blend of anthropology and personal experience, The Serpent and the Rainbow sheds light on a phenomenon that has intrigued many, offering insights into the social sciences and life sciences, particularly in relation to botany and biology.
Official synopsis Publisher
A scientific investigation and personal adventure story about zombis and the voudoun culture of Haiti by a Harvard scientist.
In April 1982, ethnobotanist Wade Davis arrived in Haiti to investigate two documented cases of zombis—people who had reappeared in Haitian society years after they had been officially declared dead and had been buried. Drawn into a netherworld of rituals and celebrations, Davis penetrated the vodoun mystique deeply enough to place zombification in its proper context within vodoun culture. In the course of his investigation, Davis came to realize that the story of vodoun is the history of Haiti—from the African origins of its people to the successful Haitian independence movement, down to the present day, where vodoun culture is, in effect, the government of Haiti’s countryside.
The Serpent and the Rainbow combines anthropological investigation with a remarkable personal adventure to illuminate and finally explain a phenomenon that has long fascinated Americans.
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