Exploring Voodoo: Myths and Magick of Vodou

For many people, the word “voodoo” conjures up some rather odd images – curses involving bones and pins stuck in dolls; secret societies making sacrifices to their demonic gods; and evil priests raising zombies from the grave. In reality, none of these commonly misconceptions actually reflect true Vodou practice.

Myths in Vodou

Media has created a sensational but unrealistic view of the Vodoun religion. Although some of these are mildly accurate (sacrifice, animal bones and voodoo dolls, for example) they are but a small part of the religion that is practiced today.

Just as in Wicca and many other religions, the Vodoun make charms and create spells for money, health, and prosperity, among other things. Although many believe the Vodoun are strictly in it for self-gain, that’s not true. According to Vodou belief, magick shouldn’t be employed for selfish gain, especially if it would hurt someone else.

As in every religion, there are a few who use it for wrong or self-serving purposes. Although legitimate priests and priestesses are taught both the good and the bad, they take an oath upon initiation, vowing to avoid causing harm to others.

Magick in Vodou

Legitimate vodoun priests and priestesses can perform a wide range of services. This is generally done for a fee, as they must make a living as well.

These services would include:

• divination;
• healing;
• mixing herbal powders, teas and other recipes;
• constructing charms, ounga, or pakets Kongo;
• consulting on your spiritual life;
• giving luck baths;
• administering the lave te’t ritual;
• casting spells or making magickal potions; and
• officiating over private ceremonies, such as marriage to the Lwa (spirits).

Black Magick in Vodou

Sometimes, those who use magick for the wrong reason are considered to be practicing ‘black magick.’ While this term isn’t really accurate, it is one with which most people are familiar, and so will be used here.

The Lwa most likely to assist in black magick are: Kalfou, Ezili Danto, Marinette, Bosou, Ti-jean-petio, Maman Brijit, Ge’de-Nibo, and Baron Krimine’l.

Once a priest/priestess begins to practice black magick, they are known as a bo’ko. A bo’ko has no temple or devotees and performs all of his/her rituals in secret. Bo’ko are said to serve the Lwa with both hands because they practice both white and black magick.

When a bo’ko buys the powers of one of the dark Lwa, he/she must pay a high price, usually life-long service to the Lwa. This pact between the Lwa and the bo’ko is called an angajan. An angajan is like a shortcut intended to quickly harness the powerful forces of the Lwa. Sadly, it's believed that a majority of the time, the bo’ko becomes the Lwa’s slave and has to be at the beck and call of the Lwa.

There are four types of black magick spells:

• An air spell (kou le) is the weakest of the black magick spells, usually causing a mild illness or a little bad luck;
• A powder spell (kou poud) is a powerful magickal powder that causes extreme illness or death;
• A soul spell (kou nanm) enables the sorcerer to capture the soul of a person; the bo’ko can then use the soul for evil deeds while the soulless body slowly dies; and
• Sending the dead (voye lamo) is the bo’ko most powerful spell; he/she sends dead spirits to inhabit the victim, causing the victim to go insane or die horribly.

Magick is an important component to Vodou practice, and should not be overlooked. Legitimate practitioners of this religion would never use their magick to cause harm to another, despite the rumors that the media often spreads to the contrary.

Exploring Voodoo: Ritual in Vodou Practice

Every Vodou ritual is conducted for a specific purpose. Unlike many other religions, rituals may take place at any time, whenever need arises. There is not usually a specific phase of the moon, time of the day, or time of year, that is better for a Vodou ritual.

Why Would a Vodou Ritual Be Held?

According to Vodou tradition, the following situations are all viewed as good reasons to hold a ritual.

To request a special favor of the Lwa (the spirits of Vodou);

• To solve a critical problem;
• To counteract black magick or remove a evil spirit;
• To guard against harm or danger;
• To heal the sick;
• To escape a run of bad luck;
• To celebrate success or a change in fortune;
• To give thanks to the Lwa;
• To appease an offended Lwa;
• To satisfy the demands of a Lwa;
• To celebrate one or more ancestors;
• To acknowledge a special anniversary, such as Initiation;
• To mark a holiday, a saint’s feast, or a day sacred to a particular Lwa; and
• At the request of an individual or family.

Most rituals last only a few hours, although some have been known to go on for days. Most Vodou ceremonies follow the same basic pattern: the oungan (priest) invokes one or more Lwa, offers food and sacrifices, and the spirit is then asked to materialize on the physical plane.

Initiation in Vodou

Someone who has been called by the Lwa would have many reasons for wanting to be initiated. The first and foremost reason is that initiation is the only path into priesthood. Advantages of initiation are:

• The initiate can contact the Lwa more directly and lead a more rewarding spiritual life;
• Initiation deepens the bond with the Lwa;
• Initiation is believed to increase the devotee’s good luck and good health;
• Initiation gives the devotee better protection against magickal attacks; and
• Initiates hold a higher place in the socyete (a community of Vodou practitioners) and can participate more directly in rituals.

The first step in Initiation is the lave te’t (washing the head). This functions like a baptism, cleansing and purifying initiates. It also readies them for proceeding down the path to konesans (the complete body of knowledge of the Lwa, rituals, and herbal cures held by an oungan).

Rewarding effects of the lave te’t are:

• It removes negative energies, such as evil spirits or black magic;
• It can appease an offended law;
• It strengthens the bond with the me’t te’t (patron Lwa);
• It gives the devotee a deeper connection to the spiritual world; and
• It refreshes the soul and so can help heal sickness.

The second step of Initiation serves as a rite of passage, transforming the Initiate into a member of the ounfo’s (Vodou temple) spiritual family. This ritual is call kanzo.

Important Dates for Vodou Ceremonies

There are many dates that are considered important in the Vodou calendar. These dates typically warrant a ceremony in Vodou practice. Some of these dates are:

• January 6, Les Rois — honors the ancestral African kings;
• February 25, Manje Te't Dlo — ritual feeding of the springs, or sources of rivers;
• March/April, Souvenance Festival — a week-long festival celebrating the great Rada Lwa in Souvenance; only oungans and mambos can attend;
• March 20, Legba Zaou — honors Papa Legba with the sacrifice of a black goat;
• April 29, Case Kanari — sends the souls of those who died in the past year to the realm of the dead;
• April 30, Manje-mo — ritual feeding of the family ancestors;
• May 12, Manje-lwa — ritual feeding of the Lwa sacred to the family;
• July 16, Pilgrimage to Saut-d-Eau — pilgrimage to the sacred waterfall;
• July 25, Papa Ogou — pilgrimage to Plaine du Nord in honor of Ogou Feray;
• July 26, Day for Ezili — rituals and pilgrimages honoring Ezili;
• August 15, Soukri Kongo Festival — week-long ceremony at Nan Soukri to collectively honor the Kongo Lwa;
• November 1, New Year's Day — ritual bonfires are lit for Papa Legba;
• November 2, Fe't Ge'de — festival to honor dead family members, Baron Samedi, and Maman Brijit;
• November 25, Manje-yanm — harvest festival held in rural Haiti;
• December 12, Bato d' Agwe — afferings to Agwe and the other ocean Lwa are floated out to see on an ornamental raft;
• December 25, Fe't des Membres — devotees return home to receive purifying baths; and
• December 28, Manje Marasa — ceremony to honor the divine twins.

There are, of course, many other dates to hold rituals in Vodou. These are only the most important, the dates that should not be overlooked.

Ritual in Vodou is a complex practice. Practitioners of Vodou use rituals to celebrate, receive favor, to solve problems, and to heal, among other things. The intricacies of Vodou ritual take many years of study and discipline to master.

Exploring Voodoo: The Lwa of Vodou

In Vodou, the Lwa are of great importance. The Lwa are immortal spirits with supernatural powers. They fall somewhere between God and the human race. They are very similar to the saints, angels and demons of Catholicism. It's said that the Lwa oversee all human activities such as marriage, childbirth, health, work, money, war, and art.

The Nanchons and Their Origins

Lwa are divided into several groups called nanchons. There are at least seventeen different nanchons but only a few are known by name:

• Rada – originated in Dahomey;
• Petro – originated in Haiti;
• Ibo – from on of the major Yoruban tribes;
• Nago – another of the major Yoruban tribes;
• Ginen – originated in Guinea;
• Bambara – originated in Sudan;
• Wangol – originated in Angola; and
• Siniga – originated in Senegal.

Of these, the Rada and Petro nanchons dominate the others. There are far more Lwa in these two nanchons than in the others.

The Great Lwa and Their Symbols

In Vodou, the most important of the Lwa, the Great Lwa, are each given realms that they rule. They also each have symbols to represent them. Many of them also have two or more names.

Danbala rules the realm of wisdom and ancestral knowledge. His symbol is the serpent.

The ruler of the realm of fertility is Aida-Wedo. The symbol of Aida-Wedo is the rainbow.

Papa Legba, also known as Kalfou, stands at the gateway between the spiritual world and the material world. His symbol is the cross.

The realm of love and beauty is ruled by Eziti Freda. The symbol of this Lwa, also known as Elizi Danto, is the heart.

Ogou rules war, fire, and metalworking. It is not surprising then, that his symbol, the machete, is a weapon. The Ogou, as describes below, has many different aspects.

The Ogou Spirits of Vodou

The family of Ogou spirits is larger than the family of any other major Lwa and each aspect of Ogou takes on a slightly different role. For example:

• Ogou Baba — Represents a military general;
• Ogou Badagris — Lwa of the phallus;
• Ogou Batala — Patron of surgeons and doctors;
• Ogou Fer — Lwa of fire and water;
• Ogou Feray — Patron of blacksmiths and metalworkers;
• Ogou La Flambeau — Represents the fiery rage of battle;
• Ogou Shango — Lwa of lightning; and
• Ogou Tonnerre — Lwa of thunder.

The Ge’de of Vodou

Another important group of Lwa is Ge’de, or death spirits. Ge’de is an enormous group of spirits made up of the spirits of formerly living people who, after death, became Lwa. Below is a list of the major Ge’de and their symbols.

• Ge'de Black — Cross, skull, shovel;
• Baron Samedi — Cross, coffin, phallus;
• Baron Cimetie — Bones, cemetery;
• Baron Crois — Cross; and
• Maman Brijit — Cemetery, elm, weeping willow.

Of the Ge’de, the majority are male. Listed below are some of the best known Ge’de and the roles they play.

• Ge'de-Brav — Represents the phallus;
• Ge'de-Double — Endows people with second sight;
• Ge'de-Fouye — The gravedigger;
• Ge'de-Janmensou — He is never drunk;
• Ge'de-Loraj — Protect those who die violently;
• Ge'de-Loraye — Small woman who reveals herself during storms;
• Ge'de-Masaka — Female spirit who carries an umbilical cord and poisoned leaves in a bag;
• Ge'de-Nibo — Cares for the tombs;
• Ge'de-Soufrant — Suffering Ge'de;
• Ge'de-z-Aragne'e — Imitates a spider; and
• Linto — Child spirit of the Ge'de.

It's believed that Baron Samedi is the lord of all the Ge’de. Maman Brijit, wife of Baron Samedi, is the guardian of cemeteries; he is also said to be an evil spirit of black magick and money.

Other Important Lwa in Voudou

Despite the importance of Baron Samedi and Maman Brijit, the following Lwa are still powerful and just as frequently honored. No study of the Vodou spirits would be complete without these important Lwa.

Azaka is the Lwa of agriculture. His symbol is the makout, which is a small sack made of straw.

The tree is the symbol of Gran Bwa, the Lwa of forests.

The Lwa of medicine and the priesthood is Loko. His symbol is the red rooster.

Ayizan is the Lwa of marketplaces and priestesses. The palm frond is the symbol of this Lwa.

Simbi is the Lwa of freshwater and magicians. The snake, with its connection to the mystical, is the symbol Simbi.

The Lwa of evil works is Marinette. The screech owl, often associated with evil, is the symbol of Marinette.

The symbol of Bosou is the bull. He is the Lwa of male virility and black magick.

There are three important Lwa connected to the weather. These are Agau, Sogbo, and Bade. They rule storms and earthquakes, lightning, and wind, respectively. Their symbols are quite easy to determine — thunder, thunderstone, and the wind.

The Lwa play an important role in the practice of Vodou. All Lwa are important, whether good or evil, for they all, in some way, effect human activities. They patronage is sought in many aspects, from marriage and death to art and war. They are an intricate part of Vodou.

Exploring Voodoo: The History of Vodou

Although the word Voodoo tends to conjure images of zombies, pins stuck in dolls, animal sacrifices, priests drinking blood, etc., it’s not exactly a realistic portrait of what Voodoo truly is. In fact, because of the images associated with this word, some practitioners prefer the term Vodou, among other terms.

The Origins of Vodou

Vodou came from the tribal practices and beliefs of the slaves who were brought to Haiti from West Africa. In the 17th century, slaves bound for the West Indies were taken from over one hundred different African ethnic groups. The beliefs and customs of all these groups combined to form the beginnings of Vodou. The two groups who had the greatest influence by far were the Fon and the Yoruba.

Beliefs and Practices of Vodou

The most important religious practice among these groups was ancestral worship. By remembering their ancestors and passing down their knowledge from generation to generation they ensured that their religious traditions would live on.

The Fon believed in hundreds of immortal spirits called vodu. Because the people had personal relationships with the spirits, they needed to communicate with the vodu on a regular basis. Ritual enabled them to talk to the spirits. The most important elements of the tribal rituals were:

• dancing, drumming and chanting to communicate with the spirits
• animal sacrifices made as offerings to the spirits
• a priest or priestess who interpreted messages from the spirits
• possession of the bodies of participants in ritual by the spirits

The main purpose of the ritual was to communicate with the vodu and receive their guidance in making important decisions. They did this by communicating indirectly with the spirits via the priest/priestess. The priests and priestesses helped their followers determine who their personal vodu were and also interpreted the messages from the vodu for them.

Priests and priestesses were chosen for their ability to connect with the spirits. They were said to have inherited this talent from their mothers or fathers. They were “born into priesthood”. Priests became the religious and community leaders of the slaves. In the times of slavery, any rebellious priest was usually sold by their ‘owners’ to prevent them from “sowing the seeds of dissent” in that area.

The Connection Between Christianity and Vodou

Despite the numerous spirits the Vodoun communicate with, they believe in only one God. The spirits are the immortal souls of their ancestors, not gods themselves. That is why the spirits are honored and served rather than worshipped like gods.

Christianity was forced on the slaves to rid them of their “superstitions”. Their religion, in other words. Because of this, the Catholic Church saw the conversion of the slaves as justification for slavery itself. The belief was that by enslaving these people, they were saving their souls.

However the Church’s efforts backfired on them. The slaves found the Christian religion to be the perfect cover to hide their true religious practices. Because of the days of using Catholicism to hide their true religion, many Vodoun still have images of Catholic saints on their altars.

However it’s not the saints they are worshipping. The pictures are just that — pictures representing pre-existing African spirits. Each major spirit of Vodou was matched with a Catholic saint based on similarity. An example would be Saint Patrick, with the image of him driving the snakes out of Ireland, being identified with Danbala, a snake spirit.

Vodou took on other things from Catholicism as well. Catholic prayers and hymns were incorporated into rituals. Candles, crosses and other symbols appeared on Vodoun altars, although they had very different meanings. They even took communion wafer and holy water to guard against danger and evil magick.

Obviously, there is much more to the history of Vodou than has been described here. It would be nearly impossible to explore the various history and evolution of Vodou. Instead, the purpose of this overview is only to generate an interest in Vodou and its practices. Further information, if desired, can be sought.