In one tradition, she bore seven children. Book Rating : 7/10. Voodoo Voodoo or Vodun which means spirit in the Fon and Ewe languages also spelled Vodon, Vodoun, Vodou, Voudou, Voodoo, etc is practiced by the Ewe people of eastern and southern Ghana and southern and central Togo and the Kabye people, Mina people and Fon people of southern and central Togo and southern and central Benin. Vodun (meaning spirit) also known as Voudou, or Voodoo, is a religion originating from West Africa that eventually combined Catholicism and native African belief. During Matthew Kerekou’s Marxist military rule of 18 years which ended in 1991, voodoo was suppressed and outlawed in the country, even though about 60% of Beninese are devotees of the faith. The name comes from vodun. The vodun are the centre of religious life, similarly in many ways to the cult of intercession of saints and angels that made Vodun compatible with Christianity, especially Catho… This is vitally important because marketplaces are the focal points for gatherings and social centres in their communities. "Voodoo" is derived from Vodun, the indigenous African word, meaning spirit. Text by Marc Auge, Gabin Djimasse, Jacques Kerchache, Suzanne Blier and Patrick Vilaire. Haiti is a country that occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. A lot of the rituals in Vodun includes symbolic drawings and music. They have one supreme deity known as Bondye that has a less than hands on relationship with the Vodouisants. Louisiana Voodoo or New Orleans Voodoo, a set of African-based spiritual folkways; West African Vodun, practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups of Africa; Technology Aircraft. The entities that inhabit a fetish are able to perform different tasks according to their stage of development. But Voodoo — also spelled Vodou or Vodun — is not an evil practice. The Fon people, who ruled over the vast Dahomey empire in West Africa from the 17th through 19th centuries, incorporated the religions and gods of the people they conquered. Specifically, they are objects inhabited by spirits. Vodun is a way of life in which a number of spirits or deities are called upon and celebrated, including ancestors or elders in the spiritual world. The Dominican Republic occupies the other two-thirds. They take part in the organisation and the running of markets and are also responsible for their upkeep. Our Media Platforms tells African Stories from an Africans Perspective. And here it is an official religion. Sakpata: Vodun of the Earth, Xêvioso (or Xêbioso): Vodun of Thunder, also associated with Divine Justice, Agbe: Vodun of the Sea, Gû: Vodun of Iron and War, Agê: Vodun of Agriculture and Forests, Jo: Vodun of Air, and Lêgba: Vodun of the Unpredictable. Vodun (meaning spirit in the Fon and Ewe languages, also spelled Vodon, Vodoun, Vodou, Voudou, Voodoo, etc.) Louisiana Voodoo (French: Vaudou louisianais), also known as New Orleans Voodoo describes a set of spiritual beliefs and practices developed from the traditions of the African diaspora in Louisiana. Vodoun, Voudou, Voodoo, Sevi Lwa) is commonly called Voodoo (vû'dû) by the public. Lisa is the sun god who brings the day and the heat, and also strength and energy. In the Catholic religion, statues, paintings, and the colored glass windows within the church depict scenes from the Bible and provide the worshipper with a tool to aid in prayer. In the centuries-old African American culture, we have often called thepeople practicing the magical traditions carried into the New World from their ancestors residing in the areas of West Africa as Voodoo, Vodou, Vudu or the Vodun.The people practicing this religious tradition are mostly found in, or descended from, Ghana, Central Togo,Lagos, and Ogun, which is situated in the southwest of Nigeria. Vodun for Ogun, the God of War. In truth the Voodoo doll is used as a dedication to a specific Iwa and used to attract that Iwa’s influence. Vodun (meaning spirit) also known as Voudou, or Voodoo, is a religion originating from West Africa that eventually combined Catholicism and native African belief. "It was given official status as a national religion in 2003 by Jean-Bertrand Aristide, then Haitian president" 1. Vodun probably started as a combination of what two beliefs? Recently there have been moves to restore the place of Vodun in national society, such as an annual International Vodun Conference held in the city of Ouidah in Benin that has been held since 1991. The name was derived from the god Vodun of the West African Yoruba people who lived in 18th and 19th century Dahomey. Unveiling for the first time an exceptional group of voodoo sculptures from the West African nations of Benin and Togo, this volume brings together nearly one hundred bocio—small fetishistic figurines—from the collection of the renowned African primitive art collectors Anne and Jacques Kerchache. The name comes from vodun. Benin held its annual voodoo festival Sunday without the usual grand processions after authorities of the West African country banned large gatherings because of the coronavirus pandemic. In modern days, however, some family members to enter what is described as the first circle of worship. Vodun … It is based upon a merging of the beliefs and practices of West African peoples (mainly the Fon and Ewe; see West African Vodun), with Arawakian religious beliefs, and Roman Catholic Christianity. Vodoun, Voudou, Voodoo, Sevi Lwa) is commonly called Voodoo (vû'dû) by the public. Learn how your comment data is processed. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Voodoo is a religion practiced by people of African descent in Haiti, and by people who have emigrated from Haiti. Media in category "West African Vodun" The following 142 files are in this category, out of 142 total. The loa, or major divine beings of Voodoo, or Vodun, are spirits who serve as intermediaries between man and Bondye, the supreme Voodoo god.The loa, or lwa, appear in different families, including the Ghede, Petro, and Radha.They are typically considered lesser divine figures, with the supreme god being Bondye, the creator. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The child learns from the wisdom of their elders, as the believers of Vodun learn from the wisdom of those that have left this world and entered the spiritual world. Being old he is seen as wise, but when seen as a child he is one who is rebellious. She is also seen as the god who owns all other gods and even if there is no temple made in her name, the people continue to pray to her, especially in times of distress. Spiritual ways originated from the traditions of afrikan diaspora. Vodun (Voodoo)The transatlantic slave trade removed Africans from their lands, families, and cultures. Vodun cosmology centers around the vodun spirits and other elements of divine essence that govern the Earth, a hierarchy that range in power from major deities governing the forces of nature and human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, and rocks, as well as dozens of ethnic vodun, defenders of a certain clan, tribe, or nation. ( Log Out /  It works for those who believe it. The word voodoo, which has many different names and spellings (like vodun, vodou, voudou, vudu, vodoun, vowdown, vooodooo, vundun) is the name of a West African animist, spiritual folkway. Though the path they take is not the same, and the Higher Power may go by a different “name”, ultimately the idea is the same. European colonialism, followed by some of the totalitarian regimes in West Africa, have tried to suppress Vodun as well as other traditional religions. ( Log Out /  Writing about my mystical journey through the universe. Benin is the place where the Voodoo, or vodu, was born and today is the official religion of the country; voodoo means “soul” or “strength” in Fon, and at the time of the Kingdom of Dahomey it has had its maximum development and has remained unaltered over the centuries, although in the period of the European colonization this religion is said to have been demonized. Template:Alternateuses. [African Culture Vodun Voodoo] In the footsteps of my ancestors: Voyage to Benin West Africa. "It was given official status as a national religion in 2003 by Jean-Bertrand Aristide, then Haitian president" 1. Vodun for Ogun, the God of War Spiritual ways originated from the traditions of afrikan diaspora. Haitian Voodoo is has some features that distinguishing it from African Voodoo. These beings are more involved in the day-to-day life than Bondye, and the Iwa are divided into three families, Rada, Petro, and Ghede. Vodun (Voodoo)The transatlantic slave trade removed Africans from their lands, families, and cultures. The word 'Vodun' and the Haitian word 'Voodoo' come from the African Fon language, which is still spoken today in Benin, a country in Africa located between what is known today as Togo and Nigeria. Vodun dates back thousands of years, but in the 1800’s during slavery in Haiti, living history provides a clearer understanding of its origin. Its roots may go back 6,000 years in Africa. Other popular Lwa, or spiritual entities, include Azaka who rules over agriculture, Erzuli has domain over love, and Ogoun who is in charge of war, defense and who stands on guard. Vodun talismans, called “fetishes”, are objects such as statues or dried animal or human parts that are sold for their healing and spiritually rejuvenating properties. She is one of the most important members of community. Vodun has many names that it is referred to such as Voodoo, Vodoun, and Vodou. Vodoun, Voudou, Voodoo, Sevi Lwa) is commonly called Voodoo (vû'dû) by the public. A group of Africans from around America come to the palace to receive in-depth spiritual readings and personal advice. It is a cultural form of the Afro-American religions developed by the West and Central African populations of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Voodoo was born in the West African nation of Benin. is an indigenous organized religion of coastal West Africa from Nigeria to Ghana. Shrouded in mystery and often misunderstood, Voodoo was acknowledged as an official religion in Benin in 1989, and is increasing in popularity with around 17 percent of the population following it. The believers of this religion hold a high level of wisdom with those that have died and seek their advice and learn from them on a spiritual level. Your email address will not be published. Priestesses, like priests, receive a calling from an oracle, which may come at any moment during their lives. They then treat the doll in an unfavorable fashion, such as sticking pins into it, causing pain to the person that they assigned to the doll. The divine Creator, called variously Mawu or Mahu, is a female being. African Vodun. Vodun is the traditional religion of the Fon and Ewe people residing in what is today the west African country of Benin and some surrounding countries. the practice of vodun has always been confined to an intellectual elite. Haitian Vodou;12 also written as Vodun,34 or Vodoun,13 and frequently rendered in English as Voodoo) is a syncretic5 religion that originates in the Caribbean country of Haiti. Vodun cosmology centers around the vodun spirits and other elements of divine essence that govern the Earth, a hierarchy that range in power from major deities governing the forces of nature and human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, and rocks, as well as dozens of ethnic vodun, defenders of a certain clan, tribe, or nation. A cultural form of afro-american religions developed by west africans rooted in Dahomey Vodun… It is only through contact with Legba that it becomes possible to contact the other gods, for he is the guardian at the door of the spirits. ‘vodun’ african voodoo fondation cartier, paris, france until 25 september, 2011 . The history of Voodoo does not start, as many people believe around 1500 CE in… Vodun is still practiced by the majority of Haiti even though the majority also call themselves Christian. Haiti is a country that occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Since voodoo is considered a “bad” or “evil” religion by many, chaos can erupt. Syncretism is the process of attempting to combine principles or practices of differing ideas, such as religion. The vodun are the center of religious life. She holds the right to lead the ceremonies incumbent to the clan: marriages, baptisms and funerals. 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