Haitian mythology

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Haitian mythology consists of many folklore stories from different time periods, involving sacred dance and deities, all the way to Vodou. Haitian Vodou is a syncretic mixture of Roman Catholic rituals developed during the French colonial period, based on traditional African beliefs, with roots in Dahomey, Kongo and Yoruba traditions, and folkloric influence from the indigenous Taino peoples of Haiti. The lwa, or spirits with whom Vodou adherents work and practice, are not gods but servants of the Supreme Creator Bondye (pronounced Bon Dieu). A lot of the Iwa identities come from deities formed in the West African traditional regions, especially the Fon and Yoruba.[ citation needed ] In keeping with the French-Catholic influence of the faith, Vodou practioneers are for the most part monotheists, believing that the lwa are great and powerful forces in the world with whom humans interact and vice versa, resulting in a symbiotic relationship intended to bring both humans and the lwa back to Bondye. "Vodou is a religious practice, a faith that points toward an intimate knowledge of God, and offers its practitioners a means to come into communion with the Divine, through an ever evolving paradigm of dance, song and prayers." [1]

Contents

History and origins of Voodooism in Haiti

Vodou originated from the Animist beliefs of the Yoruba tribes in Benin. [2]

Voodoo Ritual Voodoo Ceremony in Abomey.jpg
Voodoo Ritual

Voudon talks about a whole assortment of cultural elements such as: personal creeds and practices, including a complex system of folk medical practices. Voudon to some is more than a belief but a way of life, including: proverbs, stories, songs, and folklores. [3] Voudon teaches belief in a supreme being called Bondye, an unknowable and uninvolved created god. [3] Voudon believers worship the lwa. There are in total 180 lwa in the Vodou religion, each of them carrying a name and, a specific and exclusive function. For instance, Gede [4] are the spirit of life and death who is assigned to separate the souls and bodies of people when the time comes and also to watch over their graveyards. Gede also serve the role of connecting the past, present, and future as well as amalgamate them into one single reality. Mythology in Haiti was used not only for politics but also for the revolution. Myths like: L'Union Fait La Force (Togetherness is Strength), is a story about slaves who rose up on August 22, 1791, in a heroic battle to win their freedom, and is a story about solidarity between two different groups of people to get freedom for the collective. [5] Mythical symbols of Voudon and the tradition of the shifting from chaos to collectivity known as the religion of Vodou play a big role in the forming of Haitian mythology. [5]

Lwa Vodou Spirits

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lwa</span> Haitian Vodou spirits

Lwa, also called loa, are spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerated in the traditional religions of West Africa, especially those of the Fon and Yoruba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayida-Weddo</span> Rainbow serpent loa

Ayida-Weddo, also known as Ayida, Ayida-Wedo, Aido Quedo, Aido Wedo, Aida Wedo, and Aido Hwedo, is a powerful loa spirit in Vodou, revered in regions across Africa and the Caribbean, namely in Benin and Haiti. Known as the "Rainbow Serpent", Ayida-Weddo is the loa of fertility, rainbows, wind, water, fire, wealth, thunder, and snakes. Alongside Damballa, Ayida-Weddo is regarded among the most ancient and significant loa. Considered in many sources as the female half of Damballa's twin spirit, the names Da Ayida Hwedo, Dan Ayida Hwedo, and Dan Aida Wedo have also been used to refer to her. Thought to have existed before the Earth, Ayida-Weddo assisted the creator goddess Mawu-Lisa in the formation of the world, and is responsible for holding together the Earth and heavens. Ayida-Weddo bestows love and well-being upon her followers, teaching fluidity and the connection between body and spirit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Samedi</span> Loa of Haitian Vodou, Louisiana Voodoo and folk beliefs

Baron Samedi, also written Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi or Bawon Sanmdi, is one of the lwa of Haitian Vodou. He is a lwa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix and Baron Criminel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papa Legba</span> Ginen in Haitian Vodou

Papa Legba is a lwa in Haitian Vodou, Dominican Vodou, Winti and Louisiana Voodoo, who serves as the intermediary between God and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives permission to speak with the spirits of Guineé, and is believed to speak all human languages. In Haiti, he is the great elocutioner. Legba facilitates communication, speech, and understanding. He is commonly associated with dogs. Papa Legba is invoked at the beginning of every ceremony. Papa Legba has his origins in the historic West African kingdom of Dahomey, located within present-day Benin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezili Dantor</span> Loa in Haitian Vodou

Èzili Dantò or Erzulie Dantor is the main loa or senior spirit of the Petro family in Haitian Vodou. Ezili Danto, or Èzili Dantò, is the "manifestation of Erzulie, the divinity of love,". It is said that Ezili Danto has a dark complexion and is maternal in nature. The Ezili are feminine spirits in Haitian Vodou that personify womanhood. The Erzulie is a goddess, spirit, or loa of love in Haitian Voudou. She has several manifestations or incarnations, but most prominent and well-known manifestations are Lasirenn, Erzulie Freda, and Erzulie Dantor. There are spelling variations of Erzulie, the other being Ezili. They are English interpretations of a Creole word, but do not differ in meaning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nana Buluku</span> Female supreme being in the religion of the Fon people and the Ewe people

Nana Buluku, also known as Nana Buruku, Nana Buku or Nanan-bouclou, is the female supreme being in the West African traditional religion of the Fon people and the Ewe people (Togo). She is one of the most influential deities in West African theology, and one shared by many ethnic groups other than the Fon people, albeit with variations. For example, she is called the Nana Bukuu among the Yoruba people and the Olisabuluwa among Igbo people but described differently, with some actively worshiping her while some do not worship her and worship the gods originating from her.

<i>Oungan</i> Male priest in Haitian Vodou

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Homosexuality in Haitian Vodou is religiously acceptable and homosexuals are allowed to participate in all religious activities. However, in West African countries with major conservative Christian and Islamic views on LGBTQ people, the attitudes towards them may be less tolerant if not openly hostile and these influences are reflected in African diaspora religions following Atlantic slave trade which includes Haitian Vodou.

A bokor (male) or caplata (female) is a Vodou priest or priestess for hire in Haiti who is said to serve the loa, "'with both hands', practicing for both good and evil." Their practice includes the creation of zombies and of ouangas.

<i>Manbo</i> (Vodou) Female priest in Haitian Vodou

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haitian Vodou</span> Religion from Haiti

Haitian Vodou is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism. There is no central authority in control of the religion and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as Vodouists, Vodouisants, or Serviteurs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana Voodoo</span> African diasporic religion in Louisiana

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Vodou drumming and associated ceremonies are folk ritual faith system of henotheistic religion of Haitian Vodou originated and inextricable part of Haitian culture.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akan religion</span> Traditional religious beliefs and practices of the Akan people

Akan religion comprises the traditional beliefs and religious practices of the Akan people of Ghana and eastern Ivory Coast. Akan religion is referred to as Akom. Although most Akan people have identified as Christians since the early 20th century, Akan religion remains practiced by some and is often syncretized with Christianity. The Akan have many subgroups, so the religion varies greatly by region and subgroup. Similar to other traditional religions of West and Central Africa such as West African Vodun, Yoruba religion, or Odinani, Akan cosmology consists of a senior god who generally does not interact with humans and many gods who assist humans.

The religion of Haitian Vodou has been present in Cuba since at least the 18th century. It was transmitted to the island by Haitian migrants, the numbers of whom grew rapidly in the early 20th century, and is primarily practised by their descendants. It is distributed primarily in eastern parts of the island, especially in Oriente. In Cuba, some practitioners of Haitian Vodou have also become involved in the related Afro-Cuban religion of Santería.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haitian Vodou art</span>

Haitian Vodou art is art related to the Haitian Vodou religion. This religion has its roots in West African traditional religions brought to Haiti by slaves, but has assimilated elements from Europe and the Americas and continues to evolve. The most distinctive Vodou art form is the drapo Vodou, an embroidered flag often decorated with sequins or beads, but the term covers a wide range of visual art forms including paintings, embroidered clothing, clay or wooden figures, musical instruments and assemblages. Since the 1950s there has been growing demand for Vodou art by tourists and collectors.

Bondye, also known Gran Maître, is the supreme creator god in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. Vodouists believe Bondye was responsible for creating the universe and everything in it, and that he maintains the universal order. They nevertheless deem him to be transcendent and thus inaccessible to humans, who must instead interact with spirits called lwas.

Voodoo in popular culture encompasses various representations of practices associated with different forms of voodoo, including Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo, and other elements attributed to African diaspora religions, with such representations often deviating substantially from any actual voodoo practices or beliefs. Tropes regarding voodoo appear most often in supernatural fantasy or horror films, with common themes including the activity of witch doctors, the summoning or control of dark spirits, use of voodoo dolls to inflict pain on people remotely, and the creation of zombies.

References

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  2. Weber, A. S. (December 2018). "Haitian Vodou and Ecotheology". Ecumenical Review. 70 (4): 679–694. doi:10.1111/erev.12393. S2CID   151028156.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "MYTHOLOGIES OF HAITI". Indigenous Peoples Literature. 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  4. Scalora, Sal (March–April 1993). "A salute to the spirits". Americas. 45 (2): 26.
  5. 1 2 Laroche, Maximilien (September 2005). "The Founding Myths of the Haitian Nation". Small Axe. 9 (2): 1–15. doi: 10.1215/-9-2-1 . ProQuest   195818093.
  6. Gandhi, Lakshmi (December 15, 2013). "Zoinks! Tracing The History Of 'Zombie' From Haiti To The CDC". npr.