HISTORY OF VOODOO |
Where It All Started?
Voodoo, also known as Vodoun, Voudou,
Vodun, Sevi Lwa is one of the oldest religions. The name is traceable to an
African word for "spirit". Voodoo can be directly traced to the West African
Yoruba people who lived in the 18th and 19th century Dahomey. The Africans that
were brought as slaves to Haiti were from the Guinea Coast. People did not know
that their descendants are the primary practitioners of Voodoo. Slaves brought
their religion with them when they were shipped to Haiti and other islands in
the West Indies. Slaves were baptized into the Roman Catholic Church upon their
arrival to these islands. Moreover, there was little Christianity present during
the early 19th century to maintain the faith, The result was that the slaves
largely followed their original native faith. They practiced everything in secret,
even while attending Mass regularly. Voodoo in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora
today is the result of the pressures of many different cultures and ethnicities
of people. More
on History!!
The Issue
Since there was a lot of restrictions to what
the Africans were allowed to do the began to invoke not only their own God but
to practice rites other than their own. Within this process, the Arficans cominglyed
and modified rituals of various ethnic groups. The ending result of such fusion
was that the different religious groups integrated their beliefs, thereby creating
a new religion:Voodoo. The word Voodoo comes from the West African word Vodun
in other words meaning spirits. This Afro-Carribean religion mixed practices
from many African ethnics groups such as the Fon, the Nago, the Ibos, Dahomeans,
Congos, and many more.
Voodoo Beliefs
Voodoo, like Christianity, is a religion of
many traditions. Each group worships and follows a different spirital path.
The spirit they worship is called a Lwa. The word means "mystery" in the Yoruba
language. Youruba traditional belief included a chief God Olorun, who is remote
and unknowable. He authorized a lesser God Obatala to create the earth and alllife
forms. A battle between the two Gods led to Obatala's temporary banishment.
The Voudouisant worships God, and serves the spirits, who are treated spirits
, also sometimes called "Iwa-yo". Some of the more important nations of Iwa
are the Rada, the Nago, and the Kongo. The Ezili Dantor and Ezili Freda are
two indiviual spirits in that family. The Ogou family are soldiers, the Ezili
govern the feminine spheres of life, the Azaka govern agriculture, the Ghede
govern the sphere of death and fertility.
Ghede is the more dangerous spirit of them all. The are lots of Lwa's out there.
There are said to be hundreds out there. Now for the Voodoo that is celebrated
in Haiti they are divided according to their nature in roughly two categories,
whether they are hot or cool. Cool spirits fall under the Rada category. Rada
is said to be the good of voodoo. Rada spirits are mostly from Africa. People
often use these spirits to heal the sick, get jobs, and to have money.The hot
spirits fall under the Petwo category. Petwo spirits are the spirits most common
in Haiti. They are more demanding than other spirits. They also require more
attention and time. However, in all honesty both Rada and Petwo and be dangerous.
Vodouisant are required to stay and to keep in touch with their following spirit.
Being a part of voodoo is more like a family tradition in Haiti. Family members
pass it down to their children and then to the next generation. Voodoo is not
a joke. It is just like every other religion. In matter of fact, not to long
ago was it that Voodoo was announced a religion.