Voodoos and Obeahs

What It's About

This early twentieth-century study explores where Voodoo and Obeah came from and how they developed in Haiti and Jamaica. Williams begins with serpent worship in Africa, then follows it to the serpent cult at Whydah, in what is now Benin. From there he moves to the shape Voodoo took in Haiti, the origin of Obeah, and how Obeah grew in Jamaica. Throughout, he shows how African religious practice was carried across the Atlantic and changed under slavery, colonial rule and contact with European beliefs.

Key Concepts

The book is built around ophiolatry, or serpent worship, which Williams treats as the thread linking West African religion to Caribbean practice. It distinguishes Voodoo, an organised cult tradition centred on the serpent, from Obeah, a system of witchcraft and charms. It also looks at cultural syncretism, where African rites merged with outside influences. Williams writes from the viewpoint of a Catholic missionary and from the early twentieth-century anthropology of his day, so some of his theories and his tone now read as dated.

About the Author

Joseph J. Williams (1875–1940) was an American Jesuit priest and anthropologist, born in Boston. He worked as a missionary in Jamaica, where he became fascinated by African and Caribbean folklore and belief. He later taught and lectured in anthropology at Boston College.