Sacred Spaces and Religious Traditions in Oriente Cuba

"Spaces set apart by religious practitioners to represent their understanding of their world's sacredness provide useful windows into the collective history and expression of ideas about a religion and its followers. Jualynne Dodson explores sacred spaces constructed between 1998 and 2007 by contemporary practitioners of four popular religions in Cuba's eastern Oriente region. Three of these religions, Palo Monte/Palo Mayombe, Vodu, and Muertera Bembe de Sao are Africa-based traditions, while the fourth, Espiritismo, is indigenous to Cuba and Oriente, although it evolved from U.S. and European traditions. While the religions vary in historical development, in material artifacts, and ritual activities that comprise their content, images in this book reflect inherited and shared cosmic orientations."--BOOK JACKET.