Having traveled extensively in Haiti over the years, LIFE.com photographer Anthony Karen offers an inside look at Haitian Vodou, one of the world’s most misunderstood religions. Continue reading and see photos after the jump.
For Karen, who has become known for his extensive documentation of “self-marginalizing” groups including the Ku Klux Klan, Vodou was a natural subject choice. “About 13 years ago,” he told LIFE.com, “I was in a difficult, transitional point in my life. Out of nowhere, I felt Haiti calling to me. I traveled there, and saw two Vodou ceremonies in person. On the same trip, I discovered my passion for photojournalism.”
Take a look at a selection of Karen’s gallery, along with the photographer’s thoughts on the ceremony, below.
(NOTE: PHOTOS ARE GRAPHIC & MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME VIEWERS)
