In this massive work, Joseph J. Williams documents the Hebraic practices, customs, and beliefs, which he found among the people of Jamaica and the Ashanti of West Africa. He initially examines the close relationship between the Jamaican and the Ashanti cultures and the folk beliefs. He then studies the language and culture of the Ashanti (of whom many Jamaicans have descended) by comparing them to well known and established Hebraic traditions. William's findings suggest stunning similarities. And, he challenges the reader by concluding that Hebraic traditions must have swept across negro Africa and left its influence among the various tribes. While Williams presents a strong case, his evidence, including hundreds of quoted sources, also builds a strong case for the reverse - that an indigenous, continent-wide belief system among African people stands at the very root of Hebrew culture and Western religion. First published in 1931 and long out-of-print, today's reader will find Hebrewisms a valuable resource for understanding the cultural unity of African people.
Hebrewisms of West Africa
2019 Reprint of 1930 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition software. This book is the result of the author's five-year study of the West Indian Black in Jamaica followed by eleven years of research on Hebrewism in Africa. Williams attempts to trace the diffusion, from the Nile to the Niger, of the many Hebrewisms that are to be found among the tribes of West Africa, especially the Ashanti. His goal is to establish the continuity of the Old Testament concept of a Supreme Being in its diffusion throughout the world and especially among the tribes of West Africa.
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Sorcery & Witchcraft in the Caribbean
Voodoos and Obeahs: Phases of West India Witchcraft by the Jesuit anthropologist Joseph J. Williams (1875-1940) offers a careful documentation of the history and ethnography of Voodoo and reveals the connection of both Haitian Voodoo and Jamaican Obeah to snake worship (ophioletreia). In Jamaica, Obeah is the general term to denote those Africans who in the island practice witchcraft or sorcery. Williams includes numerous quotations from rare documents and books on the topic.
This work goes into great depth concerning the New World-African connection and is highly recommended if you want a deep understanding of the dramatic historical background of Haitian and Jamaican magic and witchcraft, and the profound influence of imperialism, slavery and racism on its development.
Williams is best known for his anthropological writings about African and Caribbean people, which include Whispering of the Caribbean, Whence the Black Irish of Jamaica?, Psychic Phenomena in Jamaica and Africa's God.
Read more about Williams in the Post Scriptum of Voodoos and Obeahs. Preview on www.vamzzz.com