Voodoun as anthropology
Andre Metraux's analysis of vodoun (referred to as voodoo), written in 1959, is a richly detailed account of the African belief system as observed by the author in the late '40's in the Marbial region of Haiti, a rural area. He has covered many aspects of the loas as well as the rituals surrounding them and the roles of Catholicism and Protestantism as they relate to vodoun. Many times he covers in great length topics overlooked by other authors. That said, however, his prejudices still crop up occasionally. The powers of sorcerers and evil spirits are labelled fancies, drums used are merely poor replicas of European percussion and African customs and rituals enmeshed in an otherwise Christian rite are referred to as paganism.