ABOUT THIS BOOK

First published in Cuba in 1954 and appearing here in English for the first time, Lydia Cabrera’s El Monte is a foundational and iconic study of Afro-Cuban religious and cultural traditions. Drawing on conversations with elderly Afro-Cuban priests who were one or two generations away from the transatlantic slave trade, Cabrera combines ethnography, history, folklore, literature, and botany to provide a panoramic account of the multifaceted influence of Afro-Atlantic cultures in Cuba. Cabrera details the natural and spiritual landscape of the Cuban monte (forest, wilderness) and discusses hundreds of herbs and the constellations of deities, sacred rites, and knowledge that envelop them. The result is a complex spiritual and medicinal architecture of Afro-Cuban cultures. This new edition of what is often referred to as “the Santería bible” includes a new foreword, introduction, and translator notes. As a seminal work in the study of the African diaspora that has profoundly impacted numerous fields, Cabrera’s magnum opus is essential for scholars, activists, and religious devotees of Afro-Cuban traditions alike.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Lydia Cabrera (1899–1991) was a renowned Cuban writer, folklorist, and artist who wrote dozens of books documenting Afro-Cuban culture and religion.

David Font-Navarrete is Assistant Professor in the Department of Music, Multimedia, Theatre, and Dance at Lehman College, City University of New York.

REVIEWS

"A monumental compendium. . . . includes a priceless, botanical encyclopaedia that will be an essential resource for herbalists everywhere."

-- Gavin O'Toole Latin American Review of Books

"That Lydia Cabrera’s magnum opus El Monte is finally available in an English translation is a reason to celebrate. . . . Font-Navarrete must be complimented for his remarkable sensitivity in navigating Cabrera’s often highly idiosyncratic prose, his careful footnotes, and not the least his excellent 'Translator’s Notes,' tellingly subtitled 'Reading El Monte in the Twenty-First Century.'"
-- Stephan Palmié Journal of Religion

"Approached as a compendium of religious knowledge, a work of literature, a historical source or an experimental, outsider ethnography, this marvelous translation makes El Monte more accessible to English-language readers."
-- Kristina Wirtz Latin American Research Review

"The first English translation of an ethnographic masterwork on the constellation of religious traditions of the African diaspora in Cuba. . . . David Font-Navarrete’s translation work is masterful. . . ."
-- Zachary Schwarze Religious Studies Review

"A real treasure."
-- Richard Price and Sally Price New West Indian Guide

"The text is manageable, largely due to the excellent translation and translation notes, an insightful biographical introduction to Cabrera by Isabel Castellanos (also translated by [David] Font-Navarrete), and a thought-provoking foreword by John F. Szwed and Robert F. Thompson. . . . For those already familiar with Afro-Caribbean religions, the text is a treasure trove of detailed description and close interrelationships among Cuban religions. It would be a welcome addition to any personal collection. For libraries, academic or otherwise, serving those with an interest in Afro-Caribbean religions, this is an indispensable text and should be a part of every collection."
-- Richard C. Salter Nova Religio

"Cabrera’s audacious masterpiece of ethnographic exploration, replete with detailed methodological depictions of the ritualized practices of several African ethnic groups present in Cuba’s religio-landscape, the intimate narratives of her interlocutors, the most voluminous botanical guide of its time or kind, and photos from the original volume, are meticulously reproduced in English for an audience that will at long last have access to this treasury of Afro-Atlantic sacred traditions. David Font-Navarrete’s work promises to become an indispensable transdisciplinary text that will captivate the attention of scholars and practitioners of Afro-diasporic religious traditions across the globe, and beyond El Monte."
-- Alexander Fernández The Latin Americanist

TABLE OF CONTENTS

El Monte

REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE

If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you with an electronic file for alternative access.

Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.

It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled.