Macandal is a slave on M. Lenormand de Mézy's plantation in northern Santo Domingo. Macandal is a Mandigue, and the slaves from that part of Africa are reputed to be troublemakers. Macandal brings with him stories of Africa, and in his role as a storyteller, he unites the black slaves and builds up their culture. Macandal is a practitioner of voodoo, and the voodoo gods play a large role in the stories he tells of Africa and its kings.