At the moment 1% of the population owns about 60% of the land. Since its emergence in the caribbean during the era of the slave trade, the haitian religion vodou has been the subject of great controversy. Edited by patrick bellegardesmith and claudine michel find, read and cite all the research. Haitian gods or deities are known as lwas and are worshiped in temples, which do not always appear as places of holiness and sacrifice. Haitian vodou or voodoo, as it is often spelled in western accounts is no doubt one of the most interesting religions known to the world. However, nonhoungan or nonmambo as vodouisants are not initiated, and are referred to as being bossale. Lot of information portrayed in movies, tv shows, books in. The top eleven deities in voodoo mythology balladeers. Haitian vodou free download as powerpoint presentation. Haitians are lazy and are only looking for handouts. Haitian vodou breaks away from european and american heuristic models for understanding a religiophilosophical system such as vodou in order to form new approaches with an african ethos. Spirit, myth, and reality patrick bellegardesmith, claudine michel on.
It was an escape from their daily realities, writes. Damballa, the father serpent, created all the oceans and seas of the earth. Many of todays writers from haiti are very critical about the problems in haiti, and most of these problems have not gone away. Following in the footsteps of haitian scholars working in haitian creole and french, our vodou songs in haitian. A vodou flag is usually square, contains a fringe, and is representational of a single spirit. One reason vodou is easily victimized is because little vodou sacred literature is available in published form in contrast to religions like christianity, islam, or judaism. Pdf download haitian vodou flags folk art and artists paperback read online pdf. Haitian vodou breaks away from european and american heuristic models for understanding a religiophilosophical system such as vodou in. You might think of eerie magic, witchdoctors, dolls of your enemies, or even zombies. Haiti has several secret societies whose members practice sorcery. A religion, whose roots lie firmly in ancient west african thought, has inseparable ties with the cultural heritage and history of haiti. You may not know how god is viewed in haitian vodou. Authentic haitian vodou voodoo vodou spirits i am a priestess of haitian voodoo vodou. Meet the vodou priestess summoning healing spirits in post.
The mental health problems that are recognized tend to be attributed to god or spirits, and so mental health professionals are not the first choice to ameliorate these problems. Vodou in haitian life and culture invisible powers claudine michel and patrick bellegardesmith 1403971625ts01. This article introduces the basics of an african mythic science or vodou methodology by first describing myth from an african cultural perspective and then discussing how myth is a living phenomenon by applying prominent archetypes in african myths to the africanafricanamerican experience. The spirits and the law examines that vexed history, asking why, from 1835 to 1987, haiti banned many. Sep, 2012 once your spirit has departed, tip the fluid onto the floor outside. Classic spiritism textbooks by allan kardec spiritism is the basis of all afrocaribbean spiritual traditions, therefore, knowledge and understanding of spiritism is indispensable for the successful practice of said traditions. They diagnose illnesses and reveal the origins of other misfortune.
After creation bondye vacated far into the sky and left the loas to manage the earthly manners vodou theology eventually mingled this though with catholicism. The cultural place that vodou occupies today is complicated, and at first glance, almost invisible. When we had to take some team members to the airport at 5 gasp 45 in the morning, it took us well over two. Introduction the captive africans transported across the atlantic migrated with african.
In all his incarnations ogun is a fiery and martial spirit. Explore the timeless world of vodou, deep within the caves. As he moved through the endless waters, his 7,000 coils formed great valleys and mountains on the new earth. Vodou sacred sites of haiti lakou soukri danach, gonaives with spiritual leader sevite mariecarme delvas haitian vodou also written as vaudou, vodun, vodoun, and voodoo is a syncretic religion practiced chiefly in haiti and the haitian diaspora. Vodou is elusive and endangered, but it remains the soul of haitian people far from bmovie cliches, vodou is spiritual system and a way of life but even in haiti, where it became an official. Vodou is a haitian creole word that formerly referred to only a small subset of haitian rituals. Vodous role in haitian mental health global mental.
There continues to be a huge gap between the rich and poor. Before nan domi, works about vodou have concentrated on the spectacular outward manifestations of vodou observancehypnotic drumming and chanting, frenetic dancing, fits of spirit possession. Vodou breaks away from european and american heuristic models for understanding a religiophilosophical system such as. Lot of information portrayed in movies, tv shows, books in popular culture about voodoo is inaccurate and. Damballah created all of the oceans, culture valleys and mountains. Many think of voodoo as a cult that deals in black magic exclusively to cause evil pinned dolls, curses, evil spirits, sorcerers etc. This article explores the beliefs of haitian vodou, a newworld variant of west african vodun practices, within the context of ecotheology. These representations can include catholic saint images, and or the veve of the spirit. As we see in unsympathethic magic, a vodou spirit trance can look frightening to the uninitiated, but its actually a sign of great favor and blessings from the spirit world. The word derives from an ayizo word referring to mysterious forces or powers that govern the world and the lives of those who reside within it, but also a range of artistic forms that function in conjunction with these vodun energies.
Vodou is elusive and endangered, but it remains the soul of. Claudine michel is the author of vodou in haitian life and culture 3. Also, bellegardesmith is a oungan asogwe, a priest of vodou. Among other works, she is also coeditor of the black studies reader routledge, 2004, as well as invisible powers.
Haitian vodou and migrating voices volume 44 issue 1 sabine kim. Spirit, myth, and reality bellegardesmith, patrick, michel, claudine on. This work explores and highlights how the african religion of vodou and its ethic i. Vodou is elusive and endangered, but it remains the soul. Request pdf on jan 1, 2010, susan kwosek and others published haitian vodou. What do you think about voodoo or vodun as it is more accurately known. Vodou, as well as its practitioners, have unfortunately suffered. As a result, vodou has been suppressed, misinterpreted and misrepresented over many centuries, and the practitioners of vodou have long been subjected to religious persecution because of this. Haitian vodou and migrating voices theatre research. Haitian vodou is a fascinating spiritual tradition rich with ceremonies and magic, songs and prayers, dances and fellowship.
Spirit, myth and reality %orrplqjwrq,qgldqd university press. Pdf download sacred arts of haitian vodou read online. Ufs department of languages, literatures and cultures the bavarian funding programme for the initiation of international projects bayintan. There are clergy in haitian vodou whose responsibility it is to preserve the rituals and songs and maintain the relationship between the spirits and the community as a.
A caribbean american response to representations of haiti at a time when increasing numbers of informed audiences in both scholarly and popular circles have begun to recognize african religious cultures and the rich contributions they have made to african diaspora civilizations, pat robertson has made another dubious. Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. The power of voodoo to impoverish and enslave a nation pdf the 21stcentury mission. Broadly teams up with academy awardwinning director, lucy walker in search of healing in haiti. Nov 07, 2015 vodou is elusive and endangered, but it remains the soul of haitian people far from bmovie cliches, vodou is spiritual system and a way of life but even in haiti, where it became an official. Spirit, myth, and reality contains mostly original material and some compelling insight into the nature of this extraordinary new world.
Im going to dispel the myths here and talk about not. Historical linguistic approaches to haitian creole vodou. Edited by patrick bellegardesmith and claudine michel. In this volume, haitian scholars and practitioners examine the intersections of vodou and haitian society. Yet outside of haiti, next to no one understands this joyous and profound way of life.
The haitian vodou handbook by kenaz filan overdrive. The earthquake, an unfortunate turn of events in haiti s unnatural history, presents robertson, and the christian cohorts supporting his ministry, yet. Vodou and christianity in haiti drcelucienjoseph, thinking. The contributors to this volume, all haitians, examine the potentially radical and transformative possibilities of the religious and philosophical ideologies of vodou and locate its foundations more clearly. This is because they are the essence of vodou and they are the basis of everything we do. Everywhere i went, i saw people working, walking to or from work, selling wares, gardening, building, cooking, doing.
Haiti is the central location of the voodoo belief system but naturally it has spread throughout the world as have other faiths. Voodoo specialists, male houngan and female manbo, mediate between humans and spirits through divination and trance. During a vodou ritual, worshippers invite the loa to possess them. Free books on spiritism haitian vodou, voodoo, las 21.
Bondye created the universe and the loa, humanity, etc. Take a walk through the streets of the haitian capital, portauprince, and you might spot occasional clues. Haitian vodou and voodoo scholars at harvard harvard university. Damballah was the father of the loa spirits damballah was the creator of everything. Historical linguistic approaches to haitian creole vodou rites, spirit names and songs.
Vodou s basis in ancestor worship, nature spirits, and natural processes such as birth, death, weather, and fertility would logically lead devotees to a serious interest in ecotheological ethics, in other words, the relationship of vodou s belief system. Spiritism is the basis of all afrocaribbean spiritual traditions, therefore, knowledge and understanding of spiritism is indispensable for the successful practice of said traditions mr. Haitian vodou complex and misunderstood everlivingroots. The contributors to this volume, all haitians, examine the potentially radical and transformative. They can also perform rituals to appease spirits or ancestors or to repel magic. It recently occurred to me that you may not just know what a lwa is. Photographer phyllis galembo shows us the human and divine faces and voices of real haitian vodou in a beautiful, personal, and intimate document of a fascinating and deeply misunderstood religion. Historical linguistic dimensions of spirit migration in. Claudine michel and patrick bellegardesmith, invisible powers.
Haitian voodoo creation myth creation myth haitians believed in a sky serpent named damballah. Haitian vodou breaks away from european and american heuristic models for understanding a religiophilosophical system such as vodou in order to form new approaches with. Vodou will illuminate that the spiritual practice transcends religion alone and should be better recognized as the. Patrick bellegardesmith department of africology ritual. Three perspectives on the role of religion in haitis national history and the haitian revolution. We travel to the heart of portauprince, haiti to join prie. Vodou has often served as a scapegoat for haitis problems, from political upheavals to natural disasters. Spirit, myth, and reality contains mostly original material and some compelling insight into. Iwa can be viewed as forces of nature, but they also have personalities and personal mythologies. May 06, 2016 meet the vodou priestess summoning healing spirits in postearthquake haiti.
Responsibility edited by patrick bellegardesmith and claudine michel. Vodou loa also enjoy indulging in physical sensation when they manifest, including drinking lots of rum. Haitian vodou breaks away from european and american heuristic models for understanding a religiophilosophical system such as vodou in order to form new approaches with an. As you read these pages, you will come to the word lwa quite a bit. Explore the timeless world of vodou, deep within the caves of haiti photographer troi anderson captures the religion that has been misunderstood for centuries by jonathan m. The contributors to this volume, all haitians, examine the potentially radical and transformative possibilities of the religious and philosophical ideologies of vodou and locate its. They are extensions of the will of bondye, the ultimate principle of the universe. The six million haitians who practice vodou hail mainly from the kongo and the dahomean regions. Allan kardec born hippolyte leon denizard rivail in lyon, october 3, 1804 passed away in paris, march 31, 1869 from an aneurysm was. Haitian vodou, as well as african religions, were absorbed into the rituals of.
But practically all reports on vodou are outsider accounts, which means that they are stopped at the threshold. Spirit, myth, and reality indiana university press, 2006. This paper explores not only the ways in which haitian vodou has. Misconceptions of haitian vodou making history matter. Vodou is a folk religion that permeates haitian culture in every aspect. Spirit, myth, and reality, edited by patrick bellegarde. Patrick bellegardesmith and claudine michel are to be applauded for editing this slim volume, the firstever collection of essays on vodou written entirely by haitian scholars. Haitian voodoo creation myth by jaylin clevenger on prezi. A caribbean american response to representations of haiti. Generally, there are three main interpretations of haitis national history and the watershed historical moment of the haitian revolution 17911804, in which the dynamics between religion, myth, and history became a scholarly and intellectual investigation and. How the sun illuminates under cover of darkness jamaica.
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