Taking at Look at the Voodoo Culture

Voodoo

“Voodoo A set of beliefs and rites, African in origin but closely interwoven with practices borrowed from the Roman Catholic Church, constituting the living religion of both the rural and urban masses of the Republic of Haiti” (Comhaire-Sylvain, 1). Those who practice Voodoo worship a single supreme God and through this worship perform rituals welcoming and directing spirits. Although voodoo is not considered a prevalent religion and is practiced in a distinctive manner it is a misinterpreted religious practice that many claim to be about black magic, death, and evil spirits but it has assisted the Haitian community in connecting with traditions and one another despite their location.

There is no exact point in time where Voodoo was originated but many believe that it goes back thousands of years in Africa. The slaves were forced into Christianity during colonial rule and their religious practices were prohibited. Voodoo rejuvenated in the late seventeenth century when the slaves united on a sugarcane plantation to begin a Voodoo Ceremony known as Bois Caiman. The ceremony ended with a widespread fire on the plantation that stemmed into a revolution, lasting until the year of 1804. According to Rachel Beauvoir Dominique in The Social Value of Voodoo throughout History: Slavery, Migrations and Solidarity Haitian's demanded change in a prayer called 'Djo' which was later turned into an action that helped pay the colonists back for lost assets due to the debt agreement between Haitian President Boyer and Charles X of France made in 1825. After the revolution Haitians slowly started building itself back up and constantly fought to earn religious freedom. Encyclopedia of African American Society says, "Roman Catholicism was Hait...

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...oodoo, the loas are the messengers of God, revealing truths that benefit humanity” (Ciprano, Ralph & Fine, Mary Jane, 1). The most renowned loa is Papa Ogu, one of the many spiritual forces. The creator God is known as Bondeye. Many Voodoo ceremonies in major cities are frowned upon therefore most rituals take place in the basements of common homes. The ritual begins with Mambo, which is a word for Haitian priestess, or Houngan a male priest, preparing for the ritual. Spirits are then summoned, dancing and rhythmic drum playing takes place and the ritual carries on for an estimated four hours. During the ritual it is common for a possession to take place in where a specific individual acts out of the ordinary, usually squirming and acting out (1). Although the rituals differ from other religious practices does not make Voodoo a dark, malicious, dangerous practice.