CHARMS, TALISMANS AND CEREMONIAL ARTICLES
There are many important religious symbols and sacred articles in the life of the Voodoo faithful. One of the most important is the Ouanga. The Ouanga is a charm worn around the neck of the believer, usually for selfish purposes such as bringing good luck, love, health or fertility. When a believer wants a Ouangn, he goes to the Papaloi (or Mamaloi) who cuts a piece from the believers clothing and sews it into a pouch. Then the Papaloi gathers the correct articles for the spell that is to be cast. Some of these things may be various powders, insects, parts of certain plants or animals, small stones or other items the Papaloi deems necessary. These items are blessed one-by-one and put into the pouch. Then he prays over it, blesses it and recites the proper incantation. The next day the pouch is given to the believer. The Papaloi is rewarded for his efforts with money or something of value.
Drums play and important part in any Voodoo ceremony. Voodoo drums are almost always in sets of three: the Maman, which is about three feet tall, the Papa, about two feet tall and the Boula (baby), about eighteen inches high. The Maman is covered in cowhide and the other two in goatskin. The drums are carved from a single tree trunk and are often carved in the shape of coiled snakes or painted bright colors. When the drums are newly made they undergo a baptism and are given individual names. They are often named after Catholic Saints.
The Asson is a sacred rattle of the Papaloi. It is a calabash filled with seeds or snake vertebrae and decorated with a loose net of beads. It is often used in Voodoo ceremonies. The Camari is a clay jar said to harbour a dead persons soul and is often broken at the burial ceremony.
The "Pacques Congo is a pouch similar to the Ouanga. The purpose of the Pacques Congo is to protect the wearer from evil spirits. Among the "magical" items it contains may be clippings of the wearers hair or fingernails. Its purpose is similar to the Roman-Catholic tradition of wearing medallions depicting various saints. It is said that to control someone's Pacques Congo is to control their soul. This may be where the legend of the Voodoo doll gets its origin.
ZOMBIES
Webster's Dictionary defines Zombie as "A West Indies superstition. Through supernatural powers a corpse may be brought to a state of trance like animation and made to obey the will of the person exercising that power."
The legend of zombies has existed in the Caribbean since the importation of slaves and probably stems from African origin. Even in the 20th century there have been many reported zombie sightings and at least two documented cases of people returning to their homes several years after being declared dead and buried. From 1980 to 1985 Harvard scientist Wade Davis spent nearly four years in Haiti studying this phenomena and consequently wrote a book, "The Serpent and the Rainbow", on this subject. Scientist Davis spent months (and lots of money in bribes) gaining the confidence of several Voodoo priests. Although he never actually saw a zombie he was able to obtain enough information on the potions used in the process of creating a zombie to deduct a probable scientific explanation for the "walking dead".
The poison Tetrodotoxin is a powerful nerve toxin. It is found in most species of puffer fish and some reptiles. The poison induces the victim into a near-death coma-like state with breathing so shallow it can often only be detected by modern medical equipment. One species of puffer fish, the Sphoeroides Lobatus, is native to the Caribbean and the island of Haiti. Taken internally or injected Tetrodotoxin is very deadly; but properly diluted and rubbed onto the skin, pressed against an open wound or breathed (in powder form), it can induce its symptoms without causing death. It is very conceivable, especially when considering the few and fairly primitive medical facilities in Haiti, that a person could be presumed dead while under the influence of Tetrodotoxin only to be exhumed after burial still alive but helpless.
There is no known cure for Tetrodotoxin poisoning. Many victims live but many more die. This leads to two more questions: how are the poisoned victims revived and how are they controlled by their masters? The answer seems to lie in the leaves of the Datura plant, which was imported to Haiti from Europe. The Datura Strmonium is a member of the potato family and its leaves contain the toxins Atropine and Scopolamine. Datura is known in Haiti as the "Zombie Cucumber". Scientific tests show that while it cannot cure Tetrodotoxin poisoning it can relieve some of its symptoms. It is also a powerful hallucinogenic and when administered regularly it keeps the mind in a state disorientation, confusion and amnesia. This would explain people returning to their homes years after being buried not knowing where they had been or what they had done.
For 300 years Haiti has been ruled by corruption, tyranny and oppression. Distrust of the central government has caused the Haitian people to maintain their own subculture based on various Voodoo sects, complete with its own justice system and punishment. All final decisions are made by the Papaloi and Mamaloi. Being "sold" as a zombie is one of the most severe forms of punishment, and is done because of wrong done to another. Often the zombie becomes the slave of the person he has wronged. The followers of Voodoo in Haiti do not openly admit this subculture exists and still believe that the walking dead are the result of magic, and not the pharmaceutical properties of certain plants or poisons.
