Born of Blood and Fire
by Richard Ward
Born of Blood and Fire is a study of the origins, history, practices, evolution and influence of the Petwo rite that was pivotal in the Haitian slave revolts and subsequent revolution.
Petwo is concerned as much with magic and sorcery as it is with religious devotion; thus it continues to be perceived as dark, even evil, by many Haitians, as well as outsiders. Lurid tales of zombi, cannibalism and human sacrifice abound in the early literature. But the truth is complex and ambiguous; Petwo is neither black nor white. The Petwo rite is uncompromising and aggressive, particularly when contrasted with the gentler Rada, but as Richard Ward shows, this is for good reason:
In comparison with the Rada rite, Petwo only truly comes alive at night. That was the time when it forged its path in Haitian history, cutting the air like the crack of a rawhide whip accompanied by the ignition of gunpowder, as powerful spirits were called to help free the enslaved. Petwo is and always will be an incendiary rite.
Ward draws on over 20 years of contact with Vodou initiates to cut through the sensationalism, and carefully addresses the misconceptions of Western practitioners to tell the story of Petwo as the unifying spiritual and magical impetus to the establishment of the first Black Republic in the Western hemisphere. From that time onward, Vodou and the fate of Haiti, both culturally and politically, would be intertwined.
Petwo shares the same West African roots as the Palo traditions in Cuba and the Kimbanda lineages of Brazil, but aspects of Roman Catholicism, European Freemasonry, grimoire and Kabbalistic traditions, as well as the magic of the indigenous Taino people, have all been incorporated into the rite.
Richard Ward examines the origins, character and syncretism of the principal Petwo lwa, and discusses the figures of the oungan, manbo and bòkò, and the semi-legendary founders of Petwo. The book also covers initiation rites; secret societies; the Rara and Kanaval festivals; the lougawou (werewolf) and animal transformation; zombi; vèvè, of which 32 are illustrated; pwen; the magic of the paket; the sorcery of wanga, and traditional songs for the lwa.
The rites, pantheon and influence of Petwo now extend far beyond the island of its birth, and Ward’s study gives an account of the cult from its origins to the wild esoteric Vodou of Michael Bertiaux and the quantum Vodou of Dr Reginald Crosley; but also shows that the rites responsible for Petwo still exist in their original form in parts of rural Haiti.
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Table of Contents
Foreword
I Addressing the Stereotype & Other Preliminaries
Misconceptions of a darker strain
The Vodou language
Perceiving Pet
II The Religio-Magical Origins of the Black Republic
Traditions torn from Africa
Spirits reforged in the New World
Rebels with a cause
III Serving with Both Hands
Initiation, servis and sosyetè
The hand that steals from God
Shades of light and dark
A sorcerous celebration of remembrance
IV The Evolution of the Petwo Tree
Preserving sacred roots
Petwo quantum leap
The living tradition
Appendices
Many branches from many roots
Songs for the Petwo lwa
On the origins of the Haitian bòkò
Bibliography
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Frontispiece & 32 vèvè of Petwo lwa
Standard Hardcover Edition
192 pages. Bound in blood red cloth, the vèvè of Erzuli Dantò foiled in white on front, black and white blocking on spine, black textured endpapers.
Paperback Edition
192 pages. Sewn paperback, printed on 150 gsm paper, vermilion cover blocked with black and white foil.
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Press, reviews, endorsements
Author Talk by Richard Ward at Watkins Books - watch on YouTube here
Book Review by Foolish Fish - watch on YouTube here
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About the Author
For the best part of 30 years, Richard Ward has practiced and researched various occult traditions, with a particular emphasis on English folk magic and Haitian Vodou.
He lives in his native Essex where he sells second-hand books on esoteric subjects via Man, Myth & Magic. His published work have appeared in a wide variety of anthologies, journals and magazines, including Starfire, The Cauldron, Talking Stick, Lovecraft Studies, Pagan Dawn, and Devoted and At the Crossroads by Scarlet Imprint. Born of Blood and Fire is his second book; the first, Echoes from the Primal Grimoire was published by Von Zos in 2016.
