Reviewed by Carine Engelbrecht for Readers' Favorite

African Narratives of Orishas, Spirits and Other Deities by Alex Cuoco introduces readers to the multi-patterned tapestry of West African myths and legends. Before the bulk of the collection kicks off, the Orishas and their spheres of influence are introduced in a section entitled 'Cast of Characters,' which is very useful to refer back to, should you get lost - and it is hard not to get lost in such a rich and detailed report. In the first section, the adventures and misadventures of the Orishas themselves take center stage. Here we meet figures such as Esu the trickster, the seductive Osun, and Olodumare, the chief god of the Yoruba. Some are wise, while others may be driven by vanities and other passions. Primarily, they dispense punishments and rewards, but their methods and their priorities might be very individual. For example, the intrigues of Oya's relations with Ogun and Sango, and Logunede's gender bending love affairs might remind you of a daytime soap opera. In the second section, interactions with other spirits and deities are chronicled. The third section of the book lifts the veil on various beliefs about spirituality and magic that underlie the mythology, while the fourth section discusses the influences of different Orishas on their devotees.


African Narratives of Orishas, Spirits and Other Deities by Alex Cuoco can serve as a valuable resource and reference guide to anyone who is interested in the mythology and folklore of West Africa. It also offers insight into the roots and origins of Vodun, popularly known as Voodoo, as a belief system and in the fragmented heritage of the diaspora of Africa, as encountered in the West Indies and the Americas. Students of world mythology in general might be interested in exploring the echoes of various universal themes found also in the narratives of the Yoruba. At the heart of it, the Orishas and other deities represent timeless archetypes and the role of these archetypes is discussed in the final section of the book. Different members of the pantheon are connected with different personality types, somewhat how we ascribe different characteristics to different signs of the zodiac. There is even a place for gender ambiguity in the cosmic dramas played out by the Orishas.