THE HISTORY OF THE VOODOO RELIGION IN THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI
The island of Hispanola lies in the Caribbean Sea approximately 600 miles southeast of the southern tip of Florida. The western third of the island is the Republic of Haiti and the rest of the island is the Dominican Republic. The capital of Haiti, and it's largest city, is Port-au-Prince. Other major cities include Cap-Hatian, Les Caynes, Jacmal and Saint Marc. Haiti is approximately the size of the state of Maryland with a land mass of 10,714 square miles. The population is about 6.6 million.
The main industries in Haiti are coffee bean, cocoa and sugar cain farming. The average Haitian income is less than $1,000.00 per year. Eighty five percent of Haitians are illiterate, making manual labor their only means of support. The climate is typically Carribbean, hot and fairly humid. The official language is French, however, Creole is commonly spoken in Haiti today. The population density is one of the highest in the world with almost 600 people per square mile. About one fifth of the population lives in urban areas.
The first French settlers arrived on the island of Hispanola in 1644 and founded the colony of Port-au-Prince. The predominantly Roman-Catholic French imported tribesmen from Africa to work as slaves in their sugar cane fields. The slaves brought with them their religious beliefs and languages from Western Africa. Life in Haiti today is a mixture of these two cultures. The French tried to suppress the African beliefs and force their Roman-Catholic beliefs upon the slaves and a mix of the two religions evolved.
Laws were passed in Haiti making the practice of African religions illegal, and these laws remained intact through the 1700's but Voodoo churches still existed in secrecy.
In 1804 a revolution by the slaves and the remaining Arawak Indians, the original inhabitants of Hispanola, gave Haiti its independence and its name (Haiti is the Arawak name for the island). The rebels could not establish a stable government until Jean-Pierre Boyer took power in 1814. In 1843 Boyer was overthrown and Haiti endured a series of coups and assassinations into the 20th Century. Throughout the 1800's Voodooism flourished in Haiti.
In 1915 the United States gained extensive mineral rights in Haiti in exchange for foreign aid. A revolution in Santo Domingo (now the Dominican Republic) and continual civil unrest in Haiti believed inspired by Voodoo priests were the chief reasons for the annexation of Haiti by the United States in 1915. With annexation came an occupation force of U.S. Marines to restore law and order. Part of this action included enforcing the laws that made Voodooism illegal. In enforcement of these laws the Marines, often aided by Catholic Priests, raided and burned Voodoo temples. Many Voodoo sacred items of worship were confiscated and destroyed. Often found in the temples were statues and pictures of Catholic Saints and the Virgin Mary. The priests believed these were in the temples as objects of ridicule.
The period following annexation prohibited all actions even suspected of being connected with Voodoo. All forms of dance accompanied by drums were abolished and many people were arrested on suspicion of practicing Voodoo. Believers in Voodoo again practiced their beliefs in secrecy. As time went on it became apparent that any possibility of revolution had been crushed, but the practice of Voodooism was going to continue.
Eventually the laws banning Voodoo became unenforceable and Voodooism was tolerated and ignored. Today Voodoo is practiced somewhat secretly in urban areas and more openly in the rural areas of Haiti.
THE HIGH PRIEST AND PRIESTESS OF HAITIAN VOODOO
The high priest (Papaloi or Houngun) and priestess (Mamaloi or Mamba) are the central figures in any Voodoo congregation. The word "loi" is French for law, so the Papaloi and Mamaloi are the interpreters of Voodoo law. They are often referred to as "two headed doctors" because it is believed they can see into the spirit world as well as the physical world. The gain their position by being able to cast spells, make magic potions, powders or charms and being able to communicate with spirits. They are very influential figures in the life of the Voodoo believer.
RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES AND SUPERSTITIONS
Like any religion Voodoo has its ceremonies and sacred beliefs. One of the most common ceremonies is the Communion Ceremony. During Voodoo communion statues of both the serpent-god Dambella and the Virgin Mary are on the alter. The idea of communion stems from Roman-Catholic influence. The ceremony begins with the blessing of animals such as sheep or goats. After the blessing the animals throats are slit and their blood is caught in bowls and poured into a trough which stands before a sacred black bull adorned with ornaments. This is done to the accompaniment of drums and women dancing in white robes. The bull is then slaughtered in the same manner and his blood is also dumped into the trough. The Papaloi and Mamaloi then drink the blood and sprinkle it on the dancers. The Papaloi then announces "All the world approach" and cups of blood are passed to the congregation and everybody drinks. During this part of the ceremony the drum beat picks up speed and all begin to dance. At this point many of the congregation will become possessed by spirits or gods and begin screaming, rolling on the floor or jumping around wildly. As the drum beat continues the congregation, alone or in pairs, wander off into the night.To be initiated into a Voodoo congregation the "novice" must first announce his reasons for wanting to belong. For a week he prays to Gods and Goddesses in the Voodoo temple, or "Houmfort", from dawn to dusk asking forgiveness for his sins. After that he is secluded in a room in the Houmfort for a week and fed only meager amounts of food. Palm leaves are hung by the door to ward off evil spirits. During this week he is visited by the Papaloi and Mamaloi who teach him prayers, songs and the secret passwords and gestures of the congregation. Each day his head is washed with leaves to keep his thoughts clean and clear. On the last day of this week he is lead to a ceremony where he and other novices stand before a pot of boiling oil. Rags are soaked in the scalding hot oils and are pressed into the hands of the novice. Then the oils are dumped onto the fire and the novice passes his arms and legs through the flames. After that the he is seated at a table, baptized with a leaf dipped in water and given his new Voodoo name. At this point the drums begin to play, all begin to dance and the gods possess the bodies of their new servents.
Each year before Easter life-sized effigies of Judas are made by the congregation and are hidden nearby. On Easter day all the faithful join together in a mock hunt of Judas. When these effigies are found they are hacked to pieces with machetes or burned to avenge the act of Judas turning Christ over to Tiberius for execution. These hunts are followed by fiesting, drinking rum and dancing to drums.
Voodoo has an abundance of superstitions. It is believed that the shadow is the reflection of the soul, and children are not allowed to play with their shadows for fear they will tie their souls in knots. High noon is considered a dangerous time of day. Since the sun is overhead the shadow is very small and it is very easy for evil spirits to enter the body.
If a woman wants a man to fall in love with her, she may serve him food containing a piece of bacon she has kept in her shoe for three days, or laced with her hair clippings or minstrual blood. If a woman wants a divorce she will sprinkle magic powder about the house that is said to cause quarrels. A powder to defeat an enemy can be made from dead men's bones; and, if the corpse of an enemies relative can be dug up it can be used to perform strong magic. Smearing an enemy's door with human dung can cause him great anxiety, and a great number of potions and incantations can cause him great harm.
