Vodou

1
Vodou
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Worldview

• Monistic
• Ashe
• Ritual actions effect the world (magic)
• Animistic /or Panentheistic?
• Lwas/loas associated with natural as well as
  cultural things
• Multi-tiered Heaven world Ginen
• Relational universe viewed as complex web of
  relationships dependencies

Ginen - land of loa and ancestors
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Theology

• Monotheistic or polytheistic, depending on
  definitions
• Bondye (God) Distant, unapproachable
• Loas (lwas)
• Many Nanchons (nations) pantheons
• Two most recognized Rada Petro
• Rada cool (Dahomean)
• Petro hot (Haitian)

Bondye God (faceless, unknowable)
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Theology

• Lwas/loas (gods, spirits, saints) very
  approachable
• - les invisibles, les mysteres
• Two main nanchons Rada (calm, cool, African)
  and Petro (fierce, hot, Caribbean)
• Some main Rada loas are
• Legba (Christ or St. Peter) Crossroads,
  communication
• Erzulie (Virgin Mary) love, motherhood,
  sexuality
• Damballah (St. Patrick, God the Father) wisdom,
  support
• Ogou (St. James) defense, iron, alchemy
• Gede/Baron Samedi (St. Gerard) cemetaries,
  death, family, sexuality
• The marassa (Christ) honoured dead, ancestors

Erzulie and daughter Anais (or Mary and Jesus)
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Theology

• Main Petro Loas
• Kafou Legba trickster figure, aggressive
  defense of gateway to Ginen
• Ezili Je-Rouge (red eye) or Ezili Danto rage
  and mothers defense of threatened child
• Ogou Ferary fierce pleasures, fierce defense,
  aggression, strategy
• Baron le Koa harm to enemies, punish
  wrongdoers, death
• Dan Petro father of Petro loas - revenge

Ogou Ferary
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Other Supernatural Beings

• Baka
• - spirits who serve both the loas and human
  magicians (bocor)
• Ancestors
• Souls
• Ti Bon Ange (little good angel)
• Gros Bon Ange (big good angel)
• Met tete (master of the head guardian loa)
• Mermaids, Loup Garou, Zombies

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Ethics

• Ethics are situational and relational
• Ethics are communal and consensual
• No set ethical code based on consensus on what
  equals morally reasonable, socially acceptable
  behavior
• Reasonableness governed by principles of
  generosity respect
• Some acceptance of Biblical ethics 10
  Commandments, Golden Rule

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Organization

• Oumphor (hounfor)
• Konesans
• 3 levels of participation
• Ordinary parishioner
• Ounsi (hounsi) - initiated spouses of loas
• Houngan (male) and/or Mambo (female)

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Varieties

• New Orleans Voodoo
• Li Grand Zombi (Damballah)
• Papa Limba (Legba)
• Doctor John (1803-1885)
• Hoodoo
• Gris-gris
• Marie Laveau (1794-1881)
• Folk Catholicism elements
• Marie the Younger
• New Orleans Voodoo Crossroads

Marie Laveaus Tomb
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Varieties

• Haitian Vodou
• Direct initiatory links to Haiti
• Most dominant form in North America
• Roots Without End

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Varieties

• Vodou (Eclectic)
• Predominantly follows Haitian model
• May or may not have initiatory links to Haiti
• Draws on other sources of inspiration, i.e. other
  Afro-Caribbean traditions, Kabbalah, Tarot,
  Astrology
• Voodoo Spiritual Temple
• Book Voodoo Visions

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Rituals

• Oumphor
• Peristyle
• Poteau-mitan
• Veves
• Fire iron Ogou
• Mound cross Gede
• Pool of water Damballah
• Djevo (initiation room)
• Pe (altar room)
• Loa symbols
• Offerings
• Pots de tete

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Ritual Tools

• Drums
• Rada drums
• Petro drums
• Assato drum
• Asson
• Calabash wooden handle, snake vertebrae
• Clochette

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Rituals

• The Kanzo (initiation cycle)
• 2 week cycle
• Bat ge
• Petro ceremony
• Priye Ginen
• Loa drum rhythms songs
• Spirit possession
• Pakets

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Rituals

• The Kanzo
• Ritual Baths
• 3 days, 7 baths per day
• Herbal baths
• Funeral songs
• Kouche Kanzo (lying down Kanzo)
• Confined to the djevo
• 4-5 days
• Kouri Ayizan
• Spirit possession
• Afterwards, baptism, wear white, abstain from sex
  certain foods for 41 days, one year later,
  sponsor a ritual to honour their lwa