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Vodoun:
The Hidden Face of Voodoo
Introduction | Origins | Vodoun in the Caribbean | Vodoun in New Orleans | Definining Religious Characteristics | The Loa | Rada | Petro | Loa Racine | The Servitors | Ceremony and Ritual | Magic and Sorcery | Misconceptions and Misrepresentations | Conclusion
Introduction
Vodoun, commonly referred to as Voodoo and alternatively referred to as Vodou or Vaudun, has been one of the most misrepresented religions in western society and popular media. The misconceptions surrounding this adaptive and eclectic religion stem from a variety of circumstances, including purposeful defamation, misperception due to religious bias, and public sensationalism. Closer examination of the basic characteristics of Vodoun, as well as its development and the social context for this development, can help to dispel misconceptions. Since Vodoun is a multi-faceted religion with the details of its practice changing from area to area, only a general idea of its overall nature can be gained. However, this may be enough to disperse some of the fallacies surrounding it.
Origins
Vodoun travelled to the Americas with the slave populations brought from West and Central Africa, with Haiti being becoming the centre of its practice. The main source of Vodoun tradition is believed to be the Dahomey of West Africa (now the Republic of Benin), who were reputed to have been followers of a serpent cult. However, elements of this religion can be traced to the Congo, Nigeria, and Ibo as well. The actual name of the religion likely originated from the West African word vodu (or vaudou), meaning “spirit” or “deity”. Many of the major Vodoun gods are from this African origin.Although the slave populations were from different areas of Africa, each with its own religious traditions, they integrated their deities with those of the Dahomean Vodoun. This creation of a common spiritual practice fostered a greater feeling of unity and support among the transposed population of slaves within the Caribbean.1 Due to the multi-cultural nature of the Caribbean at the time, Vodoun also assimilated elements of religions indigenous to the New World and European Catholicism into its own African traditions. The French in Haiti were especially central to the development of Vodoun in the New World, as their language was the source of many words or phrases for the main spiritual concepts of the religion.
Vodoun in the Caribbean
Haiti became the centre of Vodoun practice in the New World, with related religions like Santería and Obeah finding purchase in other locales in the Caribbean. Despite being the dominant religion in Haiti, Vodoun was not the religion of the upper classes.2 For them, there was pressure from both the Catholic Church and occupying powers to practise what they considered a “civilised” religion, Catholicism. Although the African slaves were generally required to convert to Catholicism as well, little effort was made to educate them as to the nature or teachings of this new religion, possibly because the slave owners feared they might take the teachings of equality in the bible to heart and revolt.3
3 Duggal, Barbara Rosendale. “Marie Laveau: The Voodoo Queen Repossessed.” Creole: The history and legacy of Louisiana’s free people of colour. Ed. Sybil Kein. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2000. p. 168.
