François Mackandal (c.1730-c.1758) was a Haitian Maroon leader in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). He is sometimes described as a Haitian vodou priest, or houngan. For joining Maroons to kill slave owners in Saint-Domingue, he was captured and burned alive by French colonial authorities. Haitian historian Thomas Madiou states that Mackandal "had instruction and possessed the Arabic language very well." Early sources identify him as coming from Mount Atlas which spans the Magreb, but contemporary scholars such as Sylviane Diouf have speculated that he may have been from the modern day nations of Senegal, Mali, or Guinea. During his interrogation he allegedly repeated the Shahada (testimony of Muslim faith) in Arabic several times and even translated its meaning to his French captors during his interrogation before being condemned to death. His significance as a leader in the fight for Haitian independence has been immortalized through Haitian currency. The association of Mackandal with "black magic" seems to be a result of his use of poison, derived from natural plants: The enslaved Mackandal, a houngan knowledgeable of poisons, organized a widespread plot to poison the masters, their water supplies and animals. The movement spread great terror among the slave owners and killed hundreds before the secret of Mackandal was tortured from a slave. Biography Mackandal created poisons from island herbs. He distributed the poison to slaves, who added it to the meals and refreshments they served the French plantation owners and planters. He became a charismatic guerrilla leader who united the different Maroon bands and created a network of secret organizations connected with slaves still on plantations. According to C.L.R. James, Mackandal had eloquence to a European orator, differing only in strength and vigor. He led Maroons to raid plantations at night, torch property and kill the owners. In 1758, the French, fearing that Mackandal would drive all whites from the colony, tortured an ally of Mackandal into divulging information that led to Makandal's capture. After six years of planning and building up an organization of black slaves throughout Haiti to poison the French, he was burned at the stake in the center square of Port-au-Prince in front of everyone. However, people from the crowd, particularly the black slaves, believed that Mackandal rose out of the flames and transformed into a winged beast that flew to safety. Beyond the sketch of historical events outlined above, there is a colorful and