Origin & Beliefs
The origin of the Vodou emerged in Haiti in the 16th Century, as a massive amount of African slaves were transported to the island, then known as Saint Domingue. Vodou is a creolized religion, meaning its birth was the result of a mixture of different cultures such as ethnic African religions and Catholic principle present in Haiti, then a French colony.
Cosmology: Similar to Yoruba cosmology, Vodou origins tell of one supreme god, Bondye, who is responsible for the creation of the universe and overseer of human activity.
Beneath Bondye are les invisibles, spirits that act as intermediaries between Bondye and humans; these spirits could be ancestors or Iwa, the Vodou equivalent of orishas.
Broken into categories based on African origin, Iwa are divided into “nations of deities,” the two most significant being:
Rada Iwa - benevolent spirits who are wise and helpful, gifted with candy and perfume (Nigirian origin)
Petwa Iwa - malevolent spirits who are aggressive and gifted with gunpowder, rum, and firecrackers (Congo origin)
Vodou Iwa & Catholic Saints: Vodou being a combination of multiple different religious traditions and ethnic traits, Iwa were paired with a Catholic saint and represented by similar iconography and purposes:
Damballa/Saint Patrick - associated with snakes and perceived as a grandfather figure (St. Patrick drove snakes out of Ireland in Catholicism)
Ogou/Saint George - warrior deity who presides over war, politics, and fire (St. George known for fighting a dragon in Catholicism)
Papa Legba/Saint Peter or Lazarus or Anthony - guardian of the crossroads and trickster deity, he is known for being persuasive and deceptive.
Erzulie Dantor - depicted as the Black Madonna of Poland, notion brought to Haiti by Polish soldiers; became known as the Mother of All Haitians, Protector of Children and Patron Saint of the Nation.
Baron Samedi - Iwa of the dead, sex and ressurection. Commonly pictured with a top hat and tuxedo, he is known for obscenity and debauchery, and also for the guarding of the dead so they do not transform into zombies.
Vodou & the Haitian Revolution
During the period from 1791-1804, tensions began to escalate in the French colony of Haiti between enslaved Africans, white plantation owners and affranchis (freed, mixed race citizens). Seeking better trade options with Great Britain and America, settlers began to protest France. Simultaneously, slaves who had run from their plantations were slowly organizing and raiding plantations.
During this era, there were about 250,000 slaves in the colony.
These slaves were ruled by only 25,000 white settlers and 30,000 affranchis.
Two prominent slaves and Vodou priests, Boukman and Makandal, became early examples of leaders of the revolution.
Vodou was not recorded via text, so slave masters could not necessarily gain access to what was being planned; utilizing religion as a group conscience, Vodou allowed organization and mobilization of the uprising.
Ceremonies involving sacrifices were initiated at the beginning of the revolution, and many believe that Haitian Vodou played a decisive role in the victory.
In 1804, the colony permanently overthrew French control and became the first instance of a colony ruled by former slaves.
Though freedom was gained, Haiti became economically isolated due to its reputation and fear of further revolts; Catholic clergy fled after the revolution and did not return until 1860, which allowed a free mixture of Catholic motifs into Vodou religion without controversy.
Once returned, Catholic presence in Haiti persecuted followers of Vodou assuming that it relied heavily on superstition and resembled Satanic rituals and included acts like cannibalism. (1896 Anti-Superstition Campaign)
Overtime persecution ceased, yet Vodou is still seen as a symbol of backwards digression.
Rituals & Practices
Vodou rituals take place in what an ounfo, a temple of sorts. Inside the ounfo, veves are drawn with chalk on the peristyle, the floor of the temple; these veves pertain to a certain Iwa and animal sacrifices are typically made in their name.
During certain rituals, individuals may be possessed by an Iwa (typically of the opposite sex) and through this trance may give prophecies.
Trances and possessions can last for hours, with the person affected acting differently and having no memory of the event after the ritual is concluded.
People who practice vodou are known as vodouisants; priests and priestesses are known as oungans and mambos, and are called on to help people with problems they may have by utilizing divination.
A great number of people practice Vodou in the privacy of their homes, and focus on worshipping the particular Iwa they are assigned to upon initiation.
Negative connotations of magic in Vodou culture such as “voodoo dolls” and the reanimation of corpses into zombies (Haitian tradition, not specific to Vodou religion) are exaggerated in popular culture; situations such as these have some truth to it, but it is told that this is rare and only done in self-defense by harnessing the power of the Iwa.
Vodou Culture in the United States
During the years following the Haitian revolution, many Haitian refugees traveled to the United States in search of a fresh start, and brought their cultural and religious traditions with them. The blending of Vodou with other American religions is sometimes known as “Voodoo-Catholicism.” Today Vodou culture is still practiced in New Orleans.
In the mid-19th Century, after years of increased immigration of black refugees to the United States, particularly Louisiana and other southern states, Vodou became extremely popular in areas such as New Orleans.
Incorporating the principle of syncretism, once practiced in the United States, Vodou and other Afro-Caribbean religions would incorporate elements of prominent American religions such as Christianity, which would progress into the 20th Century.
In some instances, Christian ministers would also display certain Vodou traditions in their sermons or masses.
During the 19th Century as Vodou was becoming increasingly prominent in New Orleans culture, leaders of the religion, known as Voodoo Kings and Queens, were revered not only as spiritual leaders but political figures as well.
Dr. John - Also known as “Bayou John,” he remains one of the most famous Voodoo Kings of New Orleans. Born in Senegal then brought to Cuba as a slave, he eventually settled in New Orleans and became highly involved in the Vodou community, gaining a reputation as a skilled healer and fortune teller.
Marie Laveau - Legendary Voodoo Queen of New Orleans who has become the symbol of New Orleans Vodou culture. Mentored by Dr. John, she lived in the French Quarter and offered help to all, from enslaved servants to prominent businessmen. She also was a devout Catholic, attending mass on a regular basis.
Readings/Resources:
Apter, Andrew. "On African Origins: Creolization and Connaissance in Haitian Vodou." American Ethnologist 29, no. 2 (2002): 233-60. www.jstor.org/stable/3095167.
Fandrich, Ina J. "Yorùbá Influences on Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo." Journal of Black Studies 37, no. 5 (2007): 775-91. www.jstor.org/stable/40034365.
Hebblethwaite, Benjamin. "The Scapegoating of Haitian Vodou Religion: David Brooks's (2010) Claim That "Voodoo" Is a "Progress-Resistant" Cultural Influence." Journal of Black Studies 46, no. 1 (2015): 3-22. www.jstor.org/stable/24572926.
Long, Carolyn Morrow. "Perceptions of New Orleans Voodoo: Sin, Fraud, Entertainment, and Religion." Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions 6, no. 1 (2002): 86-101. doi:10.1525/nr.2002.6.1.86
Pasquier, Michael. "The Invisibility of Voodoo, Or, the End of Catholic Archives in America." American Catholic Studies 125, no. 3 (2014): 12-15. www.jstor.org/stable/44195643.
