Maya Deren Collection of Haitian Vodou Recordings

Collection

Identifier: MSS 0344

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The collection consists of 16 reels of sound recording tape. The contents include music from vodou ceremonials and rituals, such as baptisms, ceremonies of possession, drums, and specific celebrations to Agassou, Damballah, Erzulie, Ghede, Ibo, Petro.

Dates

Creation: 1947-1954
Creation: Majority of material found within 1953-1954

Creator

Deren, Maya. (Person)

Language of Materials

Haitian Creole

Access

The George A. Smathers Libraries are unable to provide access to the physical recordings; however, digital reproductions are available via the University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC).

Biographical/Historical Note

Maya Deren (1917-1961) was born Eleanora Derenkowskaia in Kiev, Ukraine. She belonged to a Jewish family who moved to Syracuse, New York in order to escape anti-Semitism. Shortly after, her father shortened the family name to Deren. After making her first film Meshes of the Afternoon with Alexander Hammid, Deren changed her first name to Maya, meaning "illusion."

Deren's source of inspiration for ritual dance came from editing Katherine Dunham's master's thesis on Haitian dances in 1939. She first visited Haiti in September 1947, after she divorced her second husband Alexandr Hackenschmied. In 1954, she went on three additional trips to Haiti in order to document and record the rituals of Haitian Vodou.

During her time in Haiti, Deren filmed 18,000 feet of Vodou rituals; she recorded and photographed many hours of Vodou ritual, and also participated in ceremonies.

Extent

16 Reels

Additional Description

Abstract

Recordings of Vodou ceremonies made by Maya Deren during her trips to Haiti.

Physical Location

University of Florida Smathers Library Building

Alternative formats

Digital reproductions of selected items from this collection are available online via the University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC). Please read the Permissions for Use statement for information on copyright, fair use, and use of UFDC digital objects.