by Thomas Altmann » Wed Oct 08, 2008 4:12 am
Hi Firebrand,
"Los Orishas en Cuba" by Natalia Bolivar Arostegui is certainly one of the good books. However, it focusses merely on the characterizations of the Orishas. It does not give a comprehensive view over the structure of the religion. Then, most books that try to outline the cult or religion on the whole are condemned to superficiality. My first (literary) introduction to the religion was Migene Gonzalez Wippler, but we don't want to discuss that. Her books were the only material available in German bookstores at the time. I think, one of the better books in that regard is Joseph M. Murphy's "Santería. African Spirits in America". All the other books, such as Michael Atwood Mason's "Living Santería" may be better in some way, but they are no "primers". Anyway, for several reasons you don't find everything you want to know in just one single book, plus, different sources contradict each other, too. So you might end up building a whole library (like me) and/or become a cult insider (by initiation) to get access to information (not the information itself).
No es fácil ...
Thomas