CARIBBEAN RELIGION HISTORY

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T H E T E R M

VODOU

S O M E C O R E E L E M E N T S

B R I E F H I S T O R Y I N H A I T I

The Word “Vodou”

A gedevi [fon] word with varying meanings-

 spirit, gods, p , g ,  the image representing a deity  the spot where a deity’s image is located on a

compound.

Vodou as a Religion

 “vodou” is used to describe the complex of p African religious manifestations in Haiti---and other new world communities.

Vodou as an amalgam of various religions

As a Caribbean Religion religion Vodou is an amalgam of

 The traditional religion of Dahomey  Religions of the kongo basin and surrounding groups in

west and central Africa-  Folk Catholic beliefs and practices  Elements from Taino Religion

But Vodou is more than a religion-

 It is a comprehensive system of cultural knowledge transferred through oral traditions such as proverbs and myths, stories, songs, folk lore

Vodou as cultural knowledge

As cultural knowledge vodou informs

 Haitian customs  traditional medical practices,  rules that regulate behavior [economic-political-

social-]

 Its is a way of life

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Diversity-

Vodou is not a unified religious system

Beliefs, Ceremonies for the gods, the gods themselves, organization of worship etc, vary from group to group and region to region-

Even rituals are in different conceptual categories-

 Such as Rada, Nago, Kongo,Ibo,Petwo,Bizango

vodoo/voodoo

 As a negative label “vodoo” is a metaphor for witchcraft, magic, dark satanic forces and macabre rituals

 Considered a source of harm Considered, a source of harm

 A relic / sign of Africa's ”primitiveness” and “backwardness” bequeathed to Haiti

Source of negative label

 A carry-over of negative perceptions of Africa’s indigenous religions

 Earlier writers and propagandist of the nineteenth century who resented the idea of an independent “Africanized Haiti” emphasized this image.

Source of label

The western media

 Note -During the American occupation from 1915 to 1934-tales of cannibalism were spun, Stories of torture and zombies were published and informed torture and zombies were published ----and informed movies—

 Could be interpreted as attempts to portray a barbaric image of Haiti—a way to justify the “civilizing” presence of the marines

Source of label

 Activities of political figures---who sometimes spin a mythologized Haiti of Zombis, sorcery and witches to derail attention from the real cause of poverty and

ff i d i l it tisuffering and economic exploitation.

Source of label

 Westernized and elite Haitians who view vodou as a dark force that tyrannizes the land and people, - a product of ignorance.

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R I T U A L P E R S O N S P R O C E S S E S S P A C E S A N D

SOME CORE ELEMENTS

R I T U A L P E R S O N S , P R O C E S S E S , S P A C E S A N D O B J E C T S

Who are Vodou’s followers?

Term “vodouisant “[describing followers] is misleading

Vodou affects every Haitians imagination and is used by all kinds of people

But not all are active participants all the time and under all circumstances

-In times of crisis most Haitians turn to vodou-.

Vodou’s followers

 Described as Haiti’ s national religion- practiced by more than 6 million Haitians

 Haiti is described as 85% Catholic, 15 percent protestant, 100% vodou –

 Vodou’s influence is all wrapping ----it is part of what it is be a Haitian.

RITUAL -ORIENTEDNESS

 Question, “what do you believe?” is meaningless and irrelevant to an active practitioner

 Vodou, more about ritual than belief.

 Followers describe the experience in terms of action[ I “serve the loa”]”

 Demand action of hougan, and loa

Structure of Worship

 No formal worship structure or place in vodou

 Devotion could be daily or periodic---rituals are performed when needed

 No “formal” worship places necessary-

Worship-venues

A. The cemetery and cross roads are meaningful places of worship--

- cross roads are places of access to the spirit world

C. Other places of religious importance-

 Oceans, rivers, sites of pilgrimage, the parish church, fields, markets, compounds, homes.

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Venues---Domestic

 Homes of practitioners display altars with catholic saints and iconographies, rosaries, bottles, jars, rattles, perfumes, oils, dolls, and rags--- in homes

Communal worship in The HOUNFO

 In situations where rituals demand the assemblage of the community, worship is organized at a central location designed for it

 This is the hounfo [ the sanctuary-or sacred compound]

 In typical hounfo are ….

Sacred trees, various chambers, ritual paraphernalia, ritual persons

Hounfo as a chamber

 But a hounfo may also refer to a small chamber[ ghuevo

 Contains an altar [pe/sobagui] to a loa---eg damballa’s hounfo

The hounfo as a society

 In a big hounfo, initiates of who gather regularly for devotion are the “hounfo society”

[or hounfo]

Hounfo as rallying point

 The hounfo of a “lakou” is often the rallying point of its members

 Lakous = networks of extended families and  Lakous = networks of extended families and acquaintances residing together on same compound or in a village—

 Often live and farm on the same land

Temple Vodou and ritual persons

 At the centre of Hounfo’s life is a hierarchy of ritual specialists

 Hounga [or papaloa or gangan] the high priest, or the Mambo [ maman loa [if she is a priestess]the Mambo [ maman loa [if she is a priestess]

 confiance  Laplas  Oungenikon-  Hounsi [canzo and bossal]

Ounto--drummer

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Mambos and Hougans

Hougans and mambos, very well respected and have power because

 they are above the level of ordinary practitioners- --

 have undergone highest level of initiation and have have undergone highest level of initiation and have leverage in the spirits’ world---they lead on this account.

 As moral examplers and “students” of the sprits they are teachers

 They are healers, guardians, intermediaries, and importantly purveyors of “konesans”-

Houngas and Mambos & “konesans”

“Konesans” refers to  Esoteric and traditional knowledge as it has been passed

down from the African past and negotiated by experience of down from the African past and negotiated by experience of slavery, neocolonialism and diverse forms of cultural imperialism—

 Mambos and Hougans are custodians of tradition in and out of Haiti

Temple Vodou-key figures

Confiance –hougan’s righthand man in administration of hounfo

Laplas

Swordbearers / [hougan’s assistant- in ceremonies[hougan s assistant in ceremonies

In charge when hougan is absent or mounted by loa

Master of ceremony-prepares sacrificial animals—draws veve- signs and ensures loa’s food is well prepared

Cuts throat of sacrifical animal during sacrifices

OUNGENIKON

Lead singer-

Standard of liturgical singing depends on her

Launches devotional songs in proper hierarchical orderLaunches devotional songs in proper hierarchical order Controls tempo of singing Recognize when loa arrives and initiate song of salutation

 Determine duration of song

Temple Vodou-Hounsi-Ounsi

“Ounsi”/ “Hounsi” [ initiates][usually women]

 From fon “ahu”[deity] and “asi”[wife]

 initiates described as “Wives of the deities”---

 Relationship between devotees and deities described in terms of “marriage”

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Hounsi-categories

 Hounsi bossal= initiates in early stages of training [ engage in menial tasks/errands]

 Hounsi canzo advanced initiates Hounsi canzo=advanced initiates

 Hounsis are choirs

Hounsis at Worship

OUNTO-DRUMMERS

 Not part of the hierarchy of ritual specialists

 But role is crucial as lynch pin of vodou ceremoniesy p

 Music, dancing, depend on them

 Their rhythms crucial in inducing /terminating a Loa possession

Important ritual space- the Peristyle

At the center of hounfo is a public dancing space called peristyle

The potomitan

At center of the Peristyle is a post called the Potomitan-

this incarnates ancestors and lwas---

it is the link to Nan ginen[west Africa, where the loas come from]

Worshippers Dance around the potomitan

PERISTYLE SHOWING THE POTOMITAN

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A S S O N

D W A P O

Some ritual objects

D W A P O

V E V E

P A Q U E T T E

Symbol of priestly profession

“Taking the asson” ceremony marks the beginning of a hounga or mambo’s vocation

The Asson or sacred rattle

Used for summoning loa

Each hounfo has at least 2 flags symbolizing its association with a saint or loas

Kept in hounfo, brought out at beginning of

dwapo or flags

out at beginning of important ceremony or when a great loa possesses one of the faithful

Sogbo is the protector of flags

Symbolic drawings representing the loa

Enables loa to manifest itself during ceremony

Veve or sacred signs

Ceremonies begin with drawing of veve on the ground[ using corn flour, brick dust, powdered bark, ashes etc]

Special kind of talisman

They are wallets padded with cloth or silk- decorated with objects such as chains— ornaments, tufts of feathers-

Charge with magico li i Th

Paquett [parcel ]

religious power. They attract presence of loa by exciting him or her. Important source of loa’s power-pwen

Used mostly in healing ceremonies rejuvenate the healing power of hougan----to heat up the hougan spiritually-

paquett

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S T A G E S A N D H I S T O R I C A L C O N T E X T O F

BRIEF HISTORY OF VODOU IN HAITI

S T A G E S A N D H I S T O R I C A L C O N T E X T O F V O D O U ’ S E V O L U T I O N

Vodou’s history in Haiti

 2 broad stages in the evolution of vodou

A. Its incipient [very early] stage

B. Its formative stage—when it acquired its various elements

Incipient stage--

 Neglect of the initial group of African slaves enabled slaves to cultivate their indigenous religions.

 marked the beginning of “Vodou”

 -BUT IN THE BEGINNING IT LACKED THE DAHOMEAN [FON ] FLAVOR.

Events leading to arrival of Fon people

 1697

 Spain is overwhelmed by steady growth of the French populations cede the western Half of Hispaniola to the French.

 Hispaniola [Haiti] becomes St Domingue and under French control

Events leading to arrival of Fon people

 By 1730, new breed of businessmen began to migrate to st Domingue----from France

 They revamped the economy-Began to cultivate crops for export to the European market---

 By the latter half of the 1700- Haiti [St Domingue] was exporting 163 million pounds of sugar--- representing 60% of the world’s sugar consumption

 St Domingue becomes a valuable asset for France-

Events leading to arrival of Fon people

 Sustaining economic boom based on plantation agriculture - required expansions-

 This called for constant supply of labor

 Demand for slave labor expands.

 Slaves came from Dahomey--

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Events leading to arrival of Fon people

 Arrival of Slaves in St Dominingue [Haiti] introduces g [ ] Fon element into vodou.

Formative Phase

 an emerging Vodou enters its formative phase after g g p introduction of fon religious elements

How vodou developed

Formative phase Marked by 3 major developments.

 The integration of African beliefs and practices around the dominant Fon religion.

 Synthesis with/absorption of/ Catholic elements

 Appropriation of Amerindian religious symbols

Blending of Afcan beliefs and practices

A. because Fon slaves were numerically dominant

Fon beliefs, practices and Deities became dominant , p among slave populations

 A blending of african religious beliefs and practices began with Fon religion providing the main framework

blending

 Thus Haitian Vodou lwas are originally Fon [ Mawu-Lisa, Legba, Aido Whedo, Damballah, Agwe, nana buluku etc

 Also Fon words such -vodou, boccor, mawu, Rada, hounga, g hounsi, hounfo, yanvalou [a dance, means supplication in whydah]

 Vodou rituals are mainly based on Fon practices predominantly

The integration of African beliefs and ..

 But other African religious were also influential in shaping vodou

 E.g Term for gods—loas /lwas likely from the congo-[loa - spirit] [or yoruba] lord [oluwa]

 “Mambos”-priestesses-Congo word

 Loas such as Shango, Ogun derive from the Yoruba people of Nigeria

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Catholic elements become a part of vodou

 In 1685 French Parliament passed the “The code noir”- a complex of rules and regulations intended to regulate life in all French colonies

 Articles 2 and 6 of the Code noir required every slave to be  Articles 2 and 6 of the Code noir required every slave to be baptized.

 stated categorically that each slave’s acceptance into the church must be preceded by a period of religious instruction in the Catholic faith.

C.Vodou and catholic beliefs

Underlying motive of Articles 2 and 6

-to eradicate beliefs Africans had brought with them-

By delegitimizing them

C.Vodou and catholic beliefs

Measures taken to enforce the Articles-

1] Passing of laws that restricted movement of African slaves.  Slaves were not to be absent from the plantation at any time

 Prohibition of day or night slave gatherings especially in the absence of a supervising catholic priest.

 Prohibiting African ritual forms

Marriage rituals, funerals, singing, dances

C. Vodou and catholic beliefs-measures

 Banning of the use of objects ‘masters identified as ritual objects-—eg sale of goats were prohibited, and

-sale of fetishes for use in magic was banned.

Publicly humiliating offenders-flogging etc

result

 Forced conversions explain the strong presence of folk Catholic elements in Vodou-

 [ e.g the use of rosary, the assimilation of saints with loas, identifying Cathedrals as shrines, influence of Christian theological ideas, borrowing from catholic liturgy

Scholarly explanations

Scholars draw on 3 theories in explaining the nature of the Catholic - Vodou encounter

 The Synthesis theory

 The symbiosis theory-

 Theory of dissimulation

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-scholarly x’planations

The Synthesis theory –

The two religions have become fused together as one religion [it is not possible to distinguish their elements]

The symbiosis theory-

 Says that in vodou African elements and catholic elements exist side by side as part of a mosaic— without any true fusion--

-results

Theory of dissimulation [the cover-up theory]

 According to this school, under duress slaves adopted Catholic elements.

 But Catholic elements of ritual and symbolism were merely draped over the African, in efforts to conceal traditional religious practices in an environment that was hostile to their survival.

Catholicism therefore is only a veneer in Vodou

Presence of Taino Religious elements

 Was result of activities of maroons [run away Slaves]

 Maya Deren- suggests that it is very likely maroons made contact with Indians in the Hills

 As a result -African Religious beliefs and practices blended with native Indian beliefs and practices.

 Common hatred of white slave holders and striking similarities between these two religions facilitated blending

Evidence of Taino influence

 Sacred veve drawings- designs made by dropping flour or ash to form a symbolic

figure on the ground each lwa has a veve symbol

Symbol consecrates the ground for lwa during ceremonies.

offerings are often placed on the veve drawing

 these certainly did not originate from Africa/.

Taino influence

 Some vodou deities such as Baron Samedi- and deities from the simbi family that cannot be traced to Africa

 Zaka

Taino

The asson-

 which is today the sacred rattle

of the priests---

is dominant in Taino mythology –where it appears as the calabash filled with bones- in which the bones become fish.

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