Customer Reviews

Santería la religión (Spanish Edition)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is very hard to put down, once you start to read it your hooked. It is very informative about the origin of the religion and what it consists of. Even if you don't practice Santeria it is a very interesting book. One book you must add to your collection.

I found this book to be fascinating. I know a Santero, asked to join the ranks of Babalawo, and learned much from him. This book validated what I was fortunate enough to be taught by him and gave more detail I'd not known. I realize it is still an introduction... to truly know Santeria is to become a Santero and learn from your mentors. Otherwise, this is the best introduction in book form I've read yet! I highly recommend it for those wishng to get a look into the religion that is sincere... NOT Hollywood garbage!

Whippler is a good writer technically, but despite years in the religion, writes absolute garbage. I think Ann Rice vampire novels have more truth in them. I'm a Santero and reading a Whippler novel is about as realistic as reading a Harry Potter novel and expecting to find actually Hogwarts in England. She makes things up that are simply not part of the faith. It's insulting to us olochas to read her works. I wish her books could be moved to the fiction section where they belong. You won't find religion in these books. Just a lot of weird magic spells for the highly superstitious. I often wonder if she is mistaking Wicca or Hoodoo with the African diasporic traditions.

The Works of Migene Gonzalez Wippler are the most widely distributed and best selling books on the Subject of Santeria, and Cuban Lucumi. Her works are both liked and disliked, liked buy the community who are new to Santeria, and very much disliked buy Elders and initiates in the religion.

It is not that Wippler's books are not accurate, they are. It is just that they seam to closely resemble other published books on Lucumi and Santeria that have been written in Spanish and have no copyrights. But aside from this, "if you can put this aside, many of the Elders in the religion, will not." (That is steeling) Then you have a pretty interesting book, full of basic wisdom and knowledge that really opens the doors for new comers into the religion, or for those who have a basic curiosity. "I guess those who do not know gotta start somewhere." I recommend it to those who have no knowledge of the religion, it breaks that Voodoo stereo type, but this book is pretty much a stepping stone for other bigger and greater things. But I do not completely dislike her books, in fact I recommend this book, and Powers of the Orishas, to all Aleyos out there.