Vodou is a religion created in Haiti. It is a very complex religion. The word Vodou means spirit. The creator is called Bondye. The deities of this religion are called Loa. Vodou priests are called Houngans and the priestesses are called Mambos. A Bokor works with the left hand more often. They help people that seek revenge. Haitian Vodou is very diverse, it has no pope. Vodouists believe there are several aspects of personhood. People like to get possessed by the Loa during their religious ceremonies. They feed the deities by sacrificing animals. The people that follow this religion want to give back to the community.
Vodou is a mixture of different African Traditional Religions, Taino beliefs, French magic, Freemasonry, and Roman Catholicism. Different tribes of Africans were brought to Haiti. The Fon, Ewe, Hausa, Yoruba, Bakongo, Igbo and other tribes. But most Haitians came from Dahomey. The people in different tribes combined their beliefs together and called it Vodou. They came in contact with Tainos and incorporated their beliefs into Vodou. They also incorporated French magic and Freemasonic rituals. There were indentured servants from various European nations. Some of their beliefs became a part of Vodou. Brigette was a Celtic goddess, now she is a Loa. Once Vodou became outlawed they became Catholic, but they kept believing in Vodou. When Vodouists were caught praying to Loa, their tongues were cut out. The French tortured Haitians in many ways. Duty Bookman told Haitians Yahweh feed on their tears. Dutty Bookman was a Jamaican man and the spiritual leader of the Haitian Revolution. He is my hero. Haitians were able to defeat the French with the aid of the Petro Loa. The Petro Loa made Haitians warriors incredibly strong. Once they became free they helped other people get their freedom. 400 Haitians soldiers helped the colonists defeat the British. They also helped people fight the Spanish in South America.
Beliefs
There are 21 nations of Loa. The most popular nation of Loa is the Rada nation. They are from Africa and they are very peaceful. Damballah is the leader of the Rada nation. He is a giant albino serpent and he's very wise. He loves goodness and cleanliness. His wife is Ayida-Weddo. She is a rainbow serpent. She represents unity and collective strength. Papa Legba connects the physical world to the spiritual world. You have to go through him to get to the other Loa. Erzulie Freda is the Loa of love. She as 3 husbands, but she's their 2nd fiddle. One her husbands is Damballah! The Ghede are the ancestors. They are ruled by Papa Ghede. He is similar or the same as Baron Samedi. Baron Samedi is like Anubis. He leads people into the afterlife and determines when people die. You don't die until he digs your grave. Baron Samedi is black, skinny, silly, and wears a suit and top hat. Flavor Flav seems like his incarnation. Flav had a white girlfriend named Brigette. Baron Samedi has a white wife named Brigette. Ogous comes from the Nago (Yoruba) nation. They are great warriors and protectors. There many other Loa and nations.
Vodouists believe humans have 5 parts. The Gros Bon Ange(soul), Ti Bon Age(ego), N'ame(life force), Zetoile(Star of Destiny), and the corpse. The Gros Bon Ange is the enteral self. The Ti Bon Age is what we think of as self. The N'ame is what keeps the body alive. Zetoile is your reason for being. The corpse is the physical body.
Rituals
Vodouists do a lot of singing and dancing, like praise and worship at church. The practitioners get possessed by Loa. Ti Bon Age flees the body during a possession. The Loa speak and dance in the people they possessed. I dance like I'm possessed by the Loa. They sacrifice animals to give Loa energy. The Loa need energy because they are in the bizzness keeping the universe stable. There is a lot of healing rituals in Vodou. They use herbs to heal.Conclusion
I love Haitian Vodou! It helped the Haitians get free. It so amazingly complex. I can spend a lifetime learning about it and still wouldn't know all its mysteries.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Vodou
http://www.thaliatook.com/AMGG/aidawedo.php
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Nyp9dxMNo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QWkvYT3WUs
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