Dohardt R (2025)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
DOI: 10.1080/14788810.2025.2517004
This article discusses language choice during Voodoo spirit possession practised on Hispaniola. “Mounted” by a spirit, people adopt the respective gestures, mimics, etc., and the linguistic repertoire, which can differ from that of the unmounted person’s. The linguistic aspects of such happenings are controversial due to diverging views on religious authenticity and legitimacy. Whilst some argue spirits can speak any language–this being a miracle–others state that a spirit-specific repertoire signals authenticity. I explore the historical roots of this controversy and its contemporary sociolinguistic implications, drawing from anthropological, observational data, and practitioners’ commentaries, collected from print and social media, as well as interviews. The metalinguistic debate results from more subtle issues: divergent views on the relation between spirits and humans; and different evaluations of those elements in Voodoo, which practitioners do not consider African heritage. Understanding this phenomenon requires comprehending the Atlantic as a transcontinental, intersectional life-world.
APA:
Dohardt, R. (2025). Voodoo on Hispaniola: Language choice and spirit possession (mounted speech). Atlantic studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14788810.2025.2517004
MLA:
Dohardt, Raphael. "Voodoo on Hispaniola: Language choice and spirit possession (mounted speech)." Atlantic studies (2025).
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