Macabre and obscure, the mystical art of Voodoo carries with it a certain stigma to the imagination. Romanticized by Hollywood for years, It's practices can best be described as both taboo and awe inspiring. The prime religion of Haiti, there are also many people practice the art all around the Caribbean and even in the U.S. Voodoo is characterized by propitiatory rites and use of trance as a means of communicating with spirits.
Brief History
With the exact date of origin being unknown, Voodoo was created by many different African cultures. The vast majority of Africans who reached the new world as slaves were fated to spend the remainder of their lives outside communities of those who spoke their language or practiced their religion. As a result, they had to align common cultural practices within the constraints of their living conditions. The basic themes of all African pagan religions are found at the core of Voodoo.
The most historically important Voodoo ceremony in Haitian history was the Bois Caiman ceremony of 1791 that began the Haitian revolution in which the spirit Ezili Dantor possessed a priestess and received a black pig as an offering.
Modern Voodoo has been impacted from Haiti's turmoil with hostile foreign powers over a long period of time, and the spread of Catholicism through Haiti. Catholicism is the religion that Voodoo most identifies itself with. The meaning of the word Voodoo is 'Spirit' or 'God'.
Mysterious Practices
The altar is the centerpiece of all Voodoo rituals. The basic altar is a small wooden table or chest. It is usually adorned with candles, skulls, and some form of offering to any one of the many spirits in Voodoo. Usually an offering will be something pleasurable to people, like wine, whisky, or a cigarette.
Dancing is linked with worship in Voodoo. To the beats of drums, dancers invoke any and all gods and spirits. Songs are used as accompaniments to the dancers.
Magic is an essential part of the religion. Spells in Voodoo are called 'Gris-Gris'. The person weaving the spell is often called a sorcerer, or 'Bokor'. Priests in Voodoo are called 'Houngans'. Female priests are called 'Mambos'.
A 'Veve' is a design drawn on the ground that has the power to attract spirits. Veve are usually drawn with flour, coffee grounds, or ash. Sacrifices are usually placed upon them.
Deities
In Voodoo, spirits are called 'Loa'. The most supreme being in Voodoo is called 'Bondye'. Each of the Loa in Voodoo share characteristics with the Saints in Catholicism. For instance, the Loa 'Damballa', the sky god and one of the most important Loa, is associated with St. Patrick. The Virgin Mary is also one of the primary deities.
Voodoo Dolls and Zombies
Originally from Africa, the practice of sticking pins into a poppet made of wax is associated with Voodoo by way of Hollywood romanticism. In this practice, an individual is supposedly affected if the doll has elements that belong to the intended victim such as fingernails, body hair, or something the victim owns.
Zombies, an animated corpse brought back to life by supernatural means, also has it's place in the murals of Voodoo legends. If a Bokor was upset with someone they could turn them into a Zombie by making them ingest a powder derived from the poison of the puffer fish and other plants and snakes. Once the victim ingested the powder, they would be in a lifeless trance and then considered a Zombie. While part of Haitian rural legend, Zombie making is not part of the religious practice of Voodoo.
Voodoo's Queen
No other Voodoo practitioner is as famous as Marie Laveau(1782-1881). Born in New Orleans, she was both a hair dresser to wealthy white families and a nurse. Gaining prominence for her ability to arrange elaborate public events, it is reported that some 12,000 spectators swarmed the shores of Lake Pontchartrain to watch her perform the rites of Voodoo on St. Johns eve. Having an estimated 15 children during her lifetime, she was most famous for her abilities to help people, mainly women, find or get rid of lovers. She was buried at Saint Louis cemetery. Hundreds of visitors flock to see her tomb every year.
Although Voodoo is associated with diabolical magic, practitioners of the art insist that is mainly used for positive benefits. Almost all practitioners of the art associate their faith with Catholicism. The rituals and pageantry used in Voodoo can be justified as a means to stimulate the senses and the imagination. There are an estimated 50 million practitioners of Voodoo worldwide.
- McAlister, Elizabeth. 'Sorcerer's Bottle: The Visual Art of Magic in Haiti' UCLA Fowler Museum. 1995
- Saint-Lot, Marie-Jose Alcide. 'Vodou: A Sacred Theatre' Cocunut Grove: Educa Vision, inc. 2003
- Ward, Martha 'Voodoo Queen: The Spirited Lives of Marie Laveau' Oxford: University of Mississippi Press. 2004
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