The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis

Wade Davis’ The Serpent and the Rainbow (1985) is an exploration of vodou — the spiritual practice practiced throughout Haiti, the Caribbean, and parts of South America. The book begins with an introduction of Louis Mercier, a Haitian chemist and Harvard graduate. After witnessing a vodou ceremony, Davis quickly realizes that Mercier is not just an accidental bystander observing vodou, but also a practicing initiate into the tradition. Mercier explains that he is a Houngon, an adept practitioner of the sacred arts and vodou rituals, who has been studying the secret powers of sorcery and the pharmaceutical secrets of zombification.

Davis then moves the narrative to a small hamlet in the Haitian countryside where he meets the Mambo, or priestess, to whom Mercier has directed him. The Mambo reveals to him the true power and mystery of vodou. She explains the dominion of forces found among the living and the dead, the connection between sorcery and healing, and the mysterious ability of a zombie to accept or refuse commands. She also explains how to induce a zombie state as a result of a powerful mixture of substances that put a person into a trance-like state.

Davis continues his journey to the mysterious depths of Haiti's rural towns to investigate further. He meets other Houngons and Mambos, who helpfully shed further light on the secrets of sorcery and vodou. Further, Davis visits the infamous Perma cemetery and the black magic market of Port-au-Prince, glimpsing the ritualistic practices he finds there. He also interviews victims of the zombie experience, giving him a greater insight into the power of the substance used to induce the trance-like state.

Throughout his travels, Davis is constantly confronted with superstition and fear. When interviewed about the potential dangers of voodoo, an informant warns Davis that “it’s no joke. Before you start to play, you’d better know the stakes. You could lose your soul.” By only relying on evidence and his own observations, Davis explores the dark world of sorcery and zombie-hood, weaving together a narrative that suggests that zombies are quite real, but not evil creatures.

The Serpent and the Rainbow is an exploration into the spiritual tradition of Haitian vodou, a tradition that remains largely misunderstood. Davis objects the occult clichés and horror of the zombie movies that still exist today and instead, reveals a complex and spiritual set of customs, one that explores the connection between life and death. This journey is an engrossing read of cross-cultural communication and scientific inquiry, and provides an in-depth look into the Haitian cultural tradition of vodou.