The Serpent and the Rainbow

392 Pages·68.632 MB·English

by  Wade Davis

A SWASHBUCKLING SCIENTIFIC
ADVENTURE STORY." -NEWSWEEK
A Harvard Scientist Uncovers The
Startling Truth About The Secret
World Of Haitian Voodoo And Zombis
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Davis, Wade.
t iThe serpent and the rainbow
IS "A MUST READ"*
"This first-hand account reads like inspired fiction.
You can't help but sink back in your chair and
gleefully drink in the incredible journey that unfolds."
—Glamour
"Certain to enthrall both the lay and the scientifically
minded reader. He tells his incredible tale in a
straightforward, highly readable manner."
—Saturday Review
"Mr. Davis's book should become a classic in the
literature of scientific adventure. He reports his
adventures brilliantly, conjuring up characters and
settings vividly and creating sinister suspense with
the skill of an accomplished novelist."
—Atlantic Monthly
"As engaging as any fictional spy thriller... a must
read for anyone fascinated by real-life advent—ures."
*U.P.I.
"The rich flavor in this strange book is like that in
the early Carlos Castaneda."
—People
more
.
"Eloquent and dramatic... his greatest success is in
revealing the world of vodoun without sacrificing
the sense of wonder and mystery it e—vokes."
Village Voice
'The book is a thriller: David captures the excitement
of a scientist hot on the trail of an elusive
compound; he explores an exotic and beautiful country
with the eye of a poet; he insinuates himself into
Haiti's secret societies and returns to tell us about
it. It's a virtuoso performance."
—Baltimore Evening Sun
"You might call this Indiana Jones Goes Spooking.
And spooky it is." —
Playboy
"A powerful living cosmic view that questions and
challenges the basic premises of western society
A
and thought. provocative look beyond the Tblack-
magic' cliche."
—Kirkus Reviews
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AWarnerCommunicationsCompany
WARNER BOOKS EDITION
Copyright © 1985 byWade Davis
All rights reserved including the right ofreproduction in
any form.
This Warner Books Edition is published by arrangement
with Simon and Schuster, A Division ofSimon &
Schuster, Inc., Simon & Schuster Building, Rockefeller
Center, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y.
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Cover design by Bascove
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Printed in the United States ofAmerica
FirstWarner Books Printing: April, 1987
10 9 8 7 6
To my parents,
toProfessorRichard Evans Schultes, who made itpossible,
and to John Lennon.

Contents
A Note on Orthography xi
part one The Poison
1 The Jaguar 3
2 "The Frontier of Death" 13
3 The Calabar Hypothesis 26
4 White Darkness and the Living Dead 39
5 A Lesson in History 65
6 EverythingIs Poison, NothingIs Poison 94
part two Interlude at Harvard
7 Columns on a Blackboard 121
8 Voodoo Death 153
part three The Secret Societies
9 In Summer the Pilgrims Walk 171
10 The Serpent and the Rainbow 204
11 Tell My Horse 229
12 Dancing in the Lion's Jaw 265
13 Sweet As Honey, Bitter As Bile 295
Epilogue 326
Glossary 330
Annotated Bibliography 339
Acknowledgments 356
Index 360