The Voodoo Religion

A History of Vodun in
America
 General Knowledge
 Vodun is usually called
Voodoo by the public.
 The name is a form of the
African word for "spirit".
 Vodun's roots may go back
6,000 years in Africa.
 Slaves brought their
mysterious religion with them
when they were forcibly
shipped to Haiti
It’s Role Today
 In 1989 Benin formed a democratic
government and Vodun was allowed to
be practiced.
 It became the official religion of Benin
in 1996.
 Most adults in Haiti practice Vodun in
some form.
 It is also commonly practiced in the
American South.
 60 million people practice Vodun
worldwide.
 Voodoo and Vodun
 Vodun, the religious
practice is found in: in
Benin, Dominican Republic,
Ghana, Haiti, Togo and various
centers in the US - largely
where Haitian refuges have
settled.
 Voodoo, which is largely
imaginary, is found in more
commercial areas. It has
been created for Hollywood
movies, complete with "voodoo
dolls", violence, and bizarre
rituals.
Vodun in the West
 When slaves arrived in
Haiti, their owners made
them baptized Christians.
 So, although the slaves
were “Christian”, they
mainly practiced their
own Vodun faith.
 It was practiced in secret
for the most part and
many slaved also
attended Catholic mass.
 Vodun Beliefs
 Vodun beliefs:
 Vodun, like Christianity, is a religion of
many traditions.
 Devotees worship spirits, called Loa.
The word means "mystery" in the
Yoruba language.
 There is a chief God: Olorun, who is
remote and unknowable.
 In Vodun, a lesser god called
Obatala created Earth and all the life
forms on it.
 There are hundreds of minor spirits.
Vodun and Christianity
 You can see an influence of
Catholicism on later Southern
American Vodun beliefs.
 The Loa resemble Christian Saints
 Both believe in an afterlife.
 Both have the idea of a ritual
sacrifice and consumption of flesh
and blood.
 Both believe in the existence of
invisible evil spirits or demons.
 Followers of Vodun believe that
each person has a met tet which
is very similar to a guardian angel.
 The Vodun Soul
 Followers of Vodun believe that each person has
a soul which is composed of two parts: a gros
bon ange or "big guardian angel", and a ti bon
ange or "little guardian angel".
 The little guardian angel can and often leaves
the body during sleep and when the person is
possessed by a Loa during a ritual.
 There is a concern that the ti bon ange can be
damaged or captured by evil sorcery while it is
free of the body.
 Vodun Rituals
 Vodun rituals:
 The purpose of rituals is to
make contact with a spirit to
obtain help.
 Human and Loa depend upon
each other; humans provide
food and other materials; the
Loa provide health, protection
from evil spirits and good
fortune.
 Vodun Rituals
 Vodun priests can be male or female.
 A Vodun temple is called a hounfour.
 In the center of the temple is a pole where spirits communicate
with the people.
 The altar in front of the pole will be decorated with candles, and
statues of Christian saints.
 Before the ceremony starts, a veve is created on the floor.
 This is a pattern of flour or cornmeal.
 Then, drumbeats begin and rattles are shaken. Dancing will start.
 One of the dancers will eventually become possessed with a Loa.
 The possessed dancer will behave as the Loa and is treated with respect
and ceremony by the others present.
 Marie Laveau
 Premiere voodoo
priestess in New
Orleans.
 Credited for bringing
the religion to U.S.
 Kept its followers
advised of its rituals.
 Famous voodoo
practioner.
The Tomb of Marie