Drapo

This is a drapo, or ritualistic flag used in Voodoo ceremonies as a way to honor spirits.

Each flag depicts a certain aspect of Iwa, which in Hatian Voodoo is one of the three sides of

Bondye, their God. Iwa is the spirits that represent the major forces in the universe. These

spirits come into religious ceremonies to give good or bad messages. Usually these flags

are made out of satin, velvet or rayon and are adorned with beads, applique and sequins.

This particular flag is for Bawon Lakwa, who is an ancestor in the Bawon family.

By Andrew Hanawalt

Picture from www.amnh.org. Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou, in Tools of Worship

Found April 26th

Information in Iwa from www.helium.com. Brief history of voodoo in Haiti by Linda Batey

Found April 26th

Besides Voodoo dolls being sold all over the world as pain inflicting dolls, Hollywood has furthered this misconception dramatically through movies and other forms of entertainment. Below are two clips in which this is demonstrated. The first one is actually a commercial that was banned because it upset so many people due to its nature. The second is from the show Mindfreak staring Chris Angel. He uses a doll from the band Korn as a Voodoo doll to inflict pain on his subjects using needles. Keep in mind this isn’t even a “real Voodoo Doll” it’s a doll he has from his favorite band. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JahdnOQ9XCA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH9ktru-TEs

Posted By Meghan Somerville

Voodoo Dolls

Contrary to the common belief Voodoo dolls don’t really exist in the Voodoo religion. It wasn’t even until the religion made its way to Louisiana that they even surfaced. Voodoo dolls mainly serve as a tourist attraction in New Orleans. Dolls are used but not as a way to inflict pain on and individual like most believe to today. The dolls that are used represent a certain Loa (spirit) and through this doll the spirit can be reached. Loas are spirits who can be called upon to help in a time of need and it is believed that they also will protect you from evils. The misconceptions involving Voodoo dolls is said to have stemmed from European Folk magic in which poppets are used. Another explanation is that people saw puppets nailed to trees in the Haitian culture and thought it to be evil magic. In fact this is done as a way to communicate to dead loved ones; the puppets serve as messengers to the spirits.

Ellis, Jessica. “What is a Voodoo Doll?” April 20^th, 2009. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-voodoo-doll.htm

Posted by Meghan Somerville

Voodoo Mask Dances

Throughout Africa mask dances are conducted as part of the Voodoo religion. These ceremonies are done to maintain the balance of life between the gods and humans. The Gelede dance is one of many mask dances performed throughout the year. Its purpose is to act “out daily life, and more often than not, the conflicts and misdeeds of the mortal man.” Another mask dance is the Engungun dance. In this dance the purpose is to “cleanse and reconcile the community and liberate it from burden.” If during this dance the mask touches you it shows the community you are guilty. If this happens you are “banished to a symbolic death” and you can only save yourself from this shame with an offering of money or alcohol to the mask. Men belonging to secret societies always perform these dances.

Rainier, Chris. “Masks Rock Africa’s Cradle of Voodoo, Explorer says”. April 20^th, 2009. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/11/1119_031119_dancingmasks.html

Posted by Meghan Somerville

Cult of the Twins

In West African Vodun (also known as Voodoo) religion, twins are believed to be "living deities that symbolize fertility.” These children are not only worshiped by their parents but by the rest of the villagers as well. During the Voodoo New Year that takes place some time in September (doesn’t occur the same time every year), the villagers will pray to the gods that the twins “will bring blessings to the village.” Twins are also believed to live forever and are beings of divine origin. The success of the next harvest is prayed for during New Year rituals, in which the twins of the village are featured. Since twins are believed to never pass on, dolls stand in their absence. Everyday these dolls are fed and bathed along with being spoken to. They believe these people are still with them and have conversations with the dolls as if the twins are actually there.

Matalon, Lorne. “Inside Voodoo: African Cult of Twins”. April 15^th, 2009. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0211_040211_twincult_2.html

Meghan Somerville

Haitian Voodoo Art

Haitian's like to practice there religion through art as well.  They decorate bottles, which are know as liberation bottles.  These bottles are made from empty rum containers and decorated using sequins and beads.  They also have what are known as magic bottles.  They are covered with cloth and have objects attached to it such as mirrors.  These are said to attract desired people and deflect others that are not.

Posted By Jon Harris

The skeptiseum. Haitian Voodoo Bottle. April 26, 2009. www.skeptiseum.org

Worshipping in Haiti

Worship ceremony's in Haiti are a big deal and take many days to prepare for. Foods, rituals and altars are all prepared and set up for these worship events.  Ceremony's start with Catholic prayers, songs in French, and then a litany in Kreyol, which goes through all the European and African Saints.  Then, songs for the individual spirits are sung where the spirits are said to visit and take over the bodies of some communicating through there soul.  The spirits will then cure those who come to them with problems.  Much later, in the early hours of morning, the last song is sung and the attendees begin to leave.

Posted By Jon Harris

Haitian Vodou: Serving the Spirits. Mike Rock. April 26, 2009. www.witchvox.com

Voodoo Zombie Powder

Now if your a bokor, the spiritual sorcerer in Voodoo culture, then you would know what different powders that you transfuse with corpses to make them a zombie.  Three main ingredients are puffer fish, the marine toad, and the hyla tree frog.  All of these animals contain some kind of poison that affects the human mind.  Intresting enough, the poison found in puffer fish can cause paralysis and eventually death.  But if your already dead, it doesn't matter to you if the poison is going to cause death.  But it will also prevents the subject from reacting to stimuli, giving you what we think as traditional zombie characteristics.

By Andrew Hanawalt

Zombie Powder on www.howstuffworks.com by Tracy V. Wilson

Clairvius Narcisse - Real life zombie

The year is 1962 in Haiti.  Clairvius Narcisse didn't want to give up his part of his family land.  So his brothers sold him to a Voodoo bok0r, a spiritual sorcerer in voodoo culture.  Soon after he died, the bokur dug him up and performed a spell on him to make him the walking dead.  He worked on a sugar plantation until his master died in 1964.  So Clairvius traveled all over Haiti and one day he recognized his sister in a market.  She didn't recognize him, but he told her events about his childhood that only his family would know.  This marked him as one of the only documented cases of a zombie in Voodoo culture.  Clairvius describing being treated by a bokor as if underwater.  And he remembers the blanket being pulled over his head after the medical examiner declared him dead.  

Andrew Hanawalt

www.abc.net.au. Zombie, by Karl S. Kruszeinicki. Retrieved April 24

Creepy Voodoo in Haiti

This video shows a brief display of some Voodoo practices. The man is cleansing his body with fire to call spirits out of his body and enter a state of happiness and relaxation. He does some crazy things that are not normal, but I guess this is what he believes in and he is worshiping his religion. This video shows one of the many public gatherings to watch a voodoo practice.

by Adam Trader

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g5NQxooy9w&feature=related

History of Haitian Voodoo

Haitian Voodoo is what we now refer to as the ancient form of African Voodoo.  When Columbus arrived on what he thought was India in 1492, was actually the land known today as Haiti.  He first named this land Hispaniola, which means little Spain.  The colonist, who arrived, then needed slave workers to help them harvest crops such as sugar, coffee, and indigo on there plantations.  The colonist brought slaves over from northern and central Africa.  These slaves practiced the religion of voodoo.  The colonists had a code though that saw to it that all slaves must be baptized as christians.  With slaves not being able to practice their religion freely, they stole many aspects from Catholicism, which helped keep intact their voodoo beliefs.  They then related their spirits to Catholic saints, used prayer and hymns at ceremony's, and used the Catholic holidays to celebrate their spirits.

Posted By Jon Harris

How Stuff Works by Tracy V. Wilson. April 24, 2009. www.howstuffworks.com

Beliefs of Haitian Voodoo

Haitian Voodoo is much like Christian beliefs as in they believe in one God or creator of all.  The name of this God is Bondje.  This originated from the French words Bon Dieu, which means good God.  People who practice Voodoo turn to the spirits and ancestors for help because they say that Bondje is distant from them.  There are 21 nations of spirits, the important one's being; the Rada, the Nago, and the Kongo.  Voodo spirits are divided according to the characteristics of being either hot or cool.  The cool spirits are in the Rada category and the hot spirits are in the Petwo category.  The Rada spirits come mostly from Africa as to where the Petwo spirits come from Haiti and are much more demanding than the Rada.  Both, however, can be dangerous if angered or upset.  Finally, the Haitians are each said to have there own spirit individually.  This spirit "owns the head" of his or her body, but might not always be the strongest spirit in there lives.

Posted By Jon Harris

About Haitian Voodoo- Haitian Voodoo, History, and Beliefs. By Mike Rock. April 23, 2009. www.erzulies.com

Hoodoo

Hoodoo is another practice that has been derived from Voodoo. Originally, Voodoo began in tribal Africa and migrated with the slave trade. Hoodoo is similar. While Voodoo is recognized as a religion, Hoodoo is not. It is considered folk magic. It’s focus is spiritual and medicinal healing through the use of roots and herbs. Part of Hoodoo was persevered in it’s original practice in Africa while what was spread with the slave trade evolved, this is one of the parallels between Voodoo and Hoodoo. Because of many similarities, Hollywood misinterpretations have presented Hoodoo as part of Voodoo.

Posted by Elly

"What is Hoodoo?" Online posting. 16 April 2009.

Marie Laveau

Marie Laveau was one of the most well-recognized VooDoo priestesses in the world. She lived from 1794-1881 in New Orleans. As a free woman, she worked as a hairdresser and nurse. She was a devout Catholic, attending mass on a daily basis, and was permitted to practice her Voodoo behind St. Louis Cathedral. Today, her tomb is a shrine to her legend. Many pay homage to her by visiting her grave on Basin Street. She supposedly still helps people who perform a ritual when visiting her grave site known as “The Famous X.”

Posted by Elly

“Who is Marie Laveau?” Online posting. 14 April 2009.

Voodoo Spells and Psychic Readings

There are Four very common powerful forms of Voodoo Pshycic Readings that voodoo followers take part in. The first is Voodoo Bone Readings. This spell casts the bones and asks them to answer your questions or to see into the future. The second is a Spirit Reading. This spell consits of speaking to the spirits to find out one's future. The third is Crystal Ball Readings. This consists of a priest looking into a claear ball to see pictures, events, and images to determine the future. Finally, there is the Voodoo Tarot Cards Readings. This consists of a special deck of cards that hold different futures, and a priest reads the cards and determines the future of a believer.

Posted by Adam Trader

DePrince, Thessolonia. "Welcome To The Most Powerful Voodoo Spells On The Internet ". 4/19/09 http://www.voodoodeprince.com/

Voodoo History

Voodoo originated in the West African slave population. The basic practices were developed with the use of dolls to get back spiritually at their owners. The slaves worshiped the god Vodun, where the name is partially derived from. The religion migrated from West Africa to its now main resting place in Haiti. Although it has existed for a while, voodoo was not recognized as an official religion in Haiti until 2003. Voodoo was recognized in its place of origin Benin, in 1996. With the spread of the religion, different countries have adopted their respective names. In Jamaica, voodoo is also known as pocomania and in Brazil, voodoo is also known as candomble.

Posted by Adam Trader

"Voodoo". The Columbian Encyclopedia. 4/19/09 .
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/voodoo.aspx

Voodoo Zombies

Just so we are familiar on what a zombie is, they are the living dead.  Now in popular culture, zombies look and behave differently depending on how they are depicted.  Zombies is a common story and folklore in Haitian culture.  Basically in voodoo culture, zombies are created by a bokur, or sorcerer, after a human dies.  And unlike popular belief, zombies in voodooism don't feast on brains, but they are slaves and do whatever their master tell them to do.  These mindless zombies are not dangerous until you feed it salt, then their senses are restored.  Now interesting enough, research shows that there are a lot of stories and rumors, there is little evidence to prove the phenomenon or explain it...but they still can't disprove that Voodoo zombies don't exists.

How Zombies Work by Tracy Wilson. Retrieved from www.howstuffworks.com on April 14, 2009

By Andrew Hanawalt

Voodoo Priesthood

Like in most other religions, voodoo also has the priesthood. Unlike most other religions there is no discrimination between men and women when it comes to being a priest. The Voodoo priesthood and the Christian priesthood almost serve the same purpose. Almost all priest carry duties as do Voodoo priests and the majority of the duties are universal. Some of those duties include: healing, carrying out rituals, and religious ceremonies to call on spirits. The Voodoo priesthood carries a whole lot more duties than any other priesthood does. Some of the extra duties are telling fortunes, reading dreams, casting spells, invoking protections, and creating potions for many different purposes.

"Voodoo Religion Rituals and Beliefs". All About the Occult. 4/13/09 .

by Adam Trader