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History of Voodoo
Impact on Society
Resources
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Though 80 percent of Haiti is Catholic and 15 percent is Protestant, nearly 100 percent of Haitians practice Voodoo. The religion remains at the heart of all practices, including herbal healthcare and class distinctions. Voodoo rituals tie individuals to society, their community, and the surrounding environment. Voodoo and Haitian culture have become so intertwined that the two cannot be separated.
Voodoo spirits are also very closely associated with political life. These spirits are even credited with starting the Haitian Revolution in 1804, when Haiti won independence from France.
Houngans and Mambos, Voodoo priests and priestesses, advise citizens on everything including fertility, serious illness, poverty disputes, and politics.
Most Haitian presidents use Voodoo to promote their programs and maintain power. Duvalier, president from 1957 to 1971, was notorious for his use of Voodoo rituals to protect his militia, the Tonton Macoutes, as they terrorized Haiti.
Former President Jean Bertrand Aristide was the first Haitian president to formerly invite houngans and mambos to the National Palace because of their role in shaping Haitian society.
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