What Is Haitian Vodou (Voodoo)?

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Many West and Central African religions involve sacred possession. In Vodou, one who is possessed is known as a cheval, a horse. This is not an involuntary possession by a malignant spirit seizing on an unlucky victim. Instead, it is a way to communicate with the loas.

During certain festivals and gatherings, which include prayers, dancing and drumming, trained initiates may fall into a trance and be possessed by one of the loas. They act and speak for that loa for the duration of the ritual. In some temples, they are given clothes and props to play the part. Sometimes they prophesy. The priest (houngan), priestess (mambo) and/or trained assistants (hounsi) monitor those in trance to make sure they come back safely.

This must have been an empowering ritual for slaves who were robbed of their names, family members, material possessions and cultural identities. As slaves they were powerless, owned against their will by strangers. Yet in a secret meeting, supported by friends and their community, they could become mouthpieces for the loas, respected and heard by everyone. The loas do not discriminate by age or gender. A man can become Erzulie, beautiful and loved. A woman can become the warrior Ogoun. For a time, anyone can be a god.

Even today, in a country beset by natural disasters, extreme poverty, and a weak government, possession by loas helps some Haitians feel like agents rather than victims. Ritual possession also lets them express what lies buried deep in their hearts. To a skeptic, it can be seen as a form of role-playing therapy.

Photo Credit: Doron. Wikimedia Commons, GNU License.

Vodou is a religion with communal ceremonies honoring loas and their ancestors. Worshipers gather to sing, dance and worship, not stick pins in dolls. So where did Hollywood's bizarre image of Voodoo come from?

From a Christian point of view, Vodou is idolatry. A few festivals and ceremonies include animal sacrifice (the animal is cooked and shared in a communal feast like Thanskgiving dinner). Sacred possession is divine inspiration for those who believe in it, but some Christians claim it's "a pact with the devil." Once you've decided people are devil-worshipers, aill sorts of wild rumors start circulating -- that's why so many "witches" were burned right up into the 1700s, accused of acts which we know are quite impossible (flying on brooms?)

Second, portraits of loas look alien to blancs (outsiders, in Haitian) when they're not portrayed as Catholic saints. They often have horns, staring eyes and dark colors meant to convey nature, power, and African skin tones. Some spirits of the dead are depicted as skeletal, while others (pictured) are warrior spirits. The horns of a bull may represent warrior's strength in a nature-based religion. But in Christianity, horns are equated with the devil. Christians and Vodouisants "read" the same image very differently, just as the sound "Sí" means "yes" in Spanish but "see" in English.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Burgin. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.

Vodou Peristyle (temple) in Haiti
Photo Credit: JoseJose

Third, Vodou has a darker side reflecting the cruel lessons of slavery, poverty and hurricanes. Vodou doesn't sugar-coat the age-old question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Vodou teaches that dangerous, unfriendly spirits may cause misfortune. Even "friendly" loas may become angry and resentful when neglected. Erzulie Fréda is a gentle virgin goddess, but Erzulie Dantor is an avenging mother who gave slaves the courage to revolt.

Fourth, as with almost any religion, there are scammers who have exploited people's belief in Vodou by extorting money from them, playing on their spiritual fears and fervor, or using religious symbols as a political tool. Worst among these abusers is the dreaded bokor, the sorcerer. Supposedly, a bokor can rip away someone's soul, leaving nothing but a mindless body, a zombie. In traditional Vodou belief, a zombie doesn't attack other people. Instead, it is forced to serve a bokor as a manual laborer, enslaved to his will. No wonder zombies stories are so full of horror: they embody the racial fear of slavery.

Finally, followers of Vodou may seek help via folk magic and home remedies, which again is disturbing to many Christians. In America, these practices are often called hoodoo. Dolls are part of some hoodoo traditions, but their use as tools in spells and hexes arose in the States. In Haiti, dolls are usually offerings to Erzulie, small portraits of loas, or (more recently) made as souvenirs catering to the expectations of tourists. However, folk magic is not Vodou, any more than the custom of tossing a bouquet at a wedding is what Christianity is all about. It's something people do, but it's not closely connected with the tenets and gods of their religion.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Burgin. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.