This blog brings my anthropological research on Voodoo to an end for now. I am sure that after this class has finished, I will continue to look into the subject because I have always been interested in learning about religions that are foreign to me. When I started this blog, Voodoo was perhaps the most foreign religion to me. And as far as Voodoo went, that is all I knew it as: a religion.
I have come to realized that Voodoo is not just a religion, but the people who practice have formed a community, a culture. Through my research, I have been able to look past the stereotype that all Voodoo is knit with bad intentions. With such stereotypes come fear and stereotypes of people. If I had met someone who practiced Voodoo prior to my blog, I probably would have avoided them out of fear. I have come to realize that Voodoo does not make someone evil. They may have very different religious beliefs than I do, but they have no more right to be stereotyped than I do as a Christian.
Although I do not completely agree with the practices of the Voodoo religion, I now understand them a little better. I will never understand them as much as someone who actually practices them, but I feel that I understand them more for someone in my own position. As a Christian I see no problem with familiarized myself with a religion that is so different from mine that it is considered to be dangerous. However, I feel it can only be dangerous if you are ignorant of it. Even the Satan quotes God’s words straight from the bible.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Arrest of So Anne
In my very first blog of this series, I analyzed compilation on Voodoo worship songs by a well-known singer of Haiti, Sò Anne. I have recently stumbled upon an article regarding her arrest in Haiti by the United States Marines in 2004. The United States government had believed that she been corroborating with Haitian dictator of the time, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, against then U.S. president George W. Bush, Jr. According to haitiaction.net, U.S. Marines entered the home of Sò Anne illegally, without the knowledge of the Haitian government.
Rumors had gone around that Sò Anne had conducted a Voodoo ritual which involved bathing Aristide in sacrificial blood in an attempt to put a curse on President Bush. In an interview with Democracy Now!, So Anne denied having done anything wrong, saying “That’s why I became in jail, because of Aristide, because I didn’t do nothing bad, you know? I didn’t do nothing bad. I was helping people.” (Anne) The accounted reason that the Marines had invaded her home was said to have been that they had reason to believe she was holding nuclear weapons there and was planning on using it on U.S. government stationed in Haiti. She spent two years in jail until she was released in 2006 when there was no evidence to keep her there.
Voodoo is something that frightens majority of people in the United States, despite the fact that there are members of the cult here. (Again, I use the word cult simply to refer to a religious group.) I feel that if So Anne had not been associated with Voodoo, the United States would have not felt they needed to go after her. Despite the supposed separation between church and state, her religion seemed to pose a threat. Christianity is the dominant religion and aside from atheism, Voodoo can be seen as its complete opposite. Can a viable comparison between this instance and one of the many instances of the Salem Witch Trials?
Works Cited
Anne, So. Interview. Amy Goodman. 15 August 2006.
The Haiti Information Project. "News." 12 May 2004. Haiti Action. 10 December 2009 http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/5_12_4.html.
Rumors had gone around that Sò Anne had conducted a Voodoo ritual which involved bathing Aristide in sacrificial blood in an attempt to put a curse on President Bush. In an interview with Democracy Now!, So Anne denied having done anything wrong, saying “That’s why I became in jail, because of Aristide, because I didn’t do nothing bad, you know? I didn’t do nothing bad. I was helping people.” (Anne) The accounted reason that the Marines had invaded her home was said to have been that they had reason to believe she was holding nuclear weapons there and was planning on using it on U.S. government stationed in Haiti. She spent two years in jail until she was released in 2006 when there was no evidence to keep her there.
Voodoo is something that frightens majority of people in the United States, despite the fact that there are members of the cult here. (Again, I use the word cult simply to refer to a religious group.) I feel that if So Anne had not been associated with Voodoo, the United States would have not felt they needed to go after her. Despite the supposed separation between church and state, her religion seemed to pose a threat. Christianity is the dominant religion and aside from atheism, Voodoo can be seen as its complete opposite. Can a viable comparison between this instance and one of the many instances of the Salem Witch Trials?
Works Cited
Anne, So. Interview. Amy Goodman. 15 August 2006.
The Haiti Information Project. "News." 12 May 2004. Haiti Action. 10 December 2009 http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/5_12_4.html.
Priests and Priestesses
As I discussed in my last blog, Voodoo is a polytheistic religion. As a cult (cult in this context only means “religious group”), Voodoo can also be categorized as religion of animatism. Animatism is a belief in super natural forces that do not reside in beings/souls. One example that may be familiar to most people is Charisma. Another popular example is “the force” known in the Star Wars movies. In Voodoo, that natural force is known as coeleth, which is wisdom and discipline. Coeleth is usually given to Voodoo priests/priestesses by the loas, spirits of ancestors.
In Voodoo, male priests are called houn’gan and female priestesses are known as mam’bo. In regards to power, these religious leaders are comparable to the pope in the catholic church. I find it interesting that women and men can both be religious leaders, since many religions do not allow women to become religious leaders. I suspect this indicates that men and women are considered to have roles of equal importance in the Voodoo culture. Like many other polytheistic religions that worship many goddesses as well as gods, such as cults of Greek deities, I have found that there is a more equal treatment between men and women than in a religion, such as Judaism or Christianity where there is one God who is referred to as a male. Though I am not familiar with the history Voodoo’s society, I can imagine there has not been as much dispute between rights of men and women as there have been in the United States, which originated as a Christian nation.
Works Cited
Laguerre, Michel S. Voodoo Heritage. 98 vols. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1980.
In Voodoo, male priests are called houn’gan and female priestesses are known as mam’bo. In regards to power, these religious leaders are comparable to the pope in the catholic church. I find it interesting that women and men can both be religious leaders, since many religions do not allow women to become religious leaders. I suspect this indicates that men and women are considered to have roles of equal importance in the Voodoo culture. Like many other polytheistic religions that worship many goddesses as well as gods, such as cults of Greek deities, I have found that there is a more equal treatment between men and women than in a religion, such as Judaism or Christianity where there is one God who is referred to as a male. Though I am not familiar with the history Voodoo’s society, I can imagine there has not been as much dispute between rights of men and women as there have been in the United States, which originated as a Christian nation.
Works Cited
Laguerre, Michel S. Voodoo Heritage. 98 vols. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1980.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Voodoo as a Polytheistic Religion
Voodoo is a polytheistic religion. I have heard references to “the God,” but there are also many, which are referred to as mysteries. I don’t really understand how a religion can believe in “the God” and then also believe in other gods. Maybe the reasoning is that God is in charge of all of the other gods. But in that case, why would you need various gods in charge of specific aspects of life when you have the one God who is in charge of everything? To me, this seems to complicate things.
In addition to various gods, voodoo is filled with loas, which are spirits of ancestors past, comparable to saints in the Catholic church. So, when practicing Voodoo, one must make sure that they appease God, all of the mysteries, and their loas. How does one fulfill all of these needs?
I believe that to make such a system manageable, the person practicing voodoo is able to choose who they want to follow, or in the instance of a séance, who they want to so summon. Those practicing divination or using voodoo magic may choose who they call to. In this respect, Voodoo seems to be a religion for humanity. The gods are there to serve the people rather than the people to serve the gods. It seems more of a religion uplifting humanity, rather than religions like Christianity which condemn things of this humanly world. Therefore, I think the main focus of Voodoo is life on earth, especially because after someone dies, they believe their spirits remain on earth and keep in contact with the living. I could be completely wrong here. So, I’ll keep looking into it.
In addition to various gods, voodoo is filled with loas, which are spirits of ancestors past, comparable to saints in the Catholic church. So, when practicing Voodoo, one must make sure that they appease God, all of the mysteries, and their loas. How does one fulfill all of these needs?
I believe that to make such a system manageable, the person practicing voodoo is able to choose who they want to follow, or in the instance of a séance, who they want to so summon. Those practicing divination or using voodoo magic may choose who they call to. In this respect, Voodoo seems to be a religion for humanity. The gods are there to serve the people rather than the people to serve the gods. It seems more of a religion uplifting humanity, rather than religions like Christianity which condemn things of this humanly world. Therefore, I think the main focus of Voodoo is life on earth, especially because after someone dies, they believe their spirits remain on earth and keep in contact with the living. I could be completely wrong here. So, I’ll keep looking into it.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Applying What I Have Learned to My Own Life
As I stated in my blog proposal, I grew up in a predominantly Christian neighborhood. Religion has always been a big part of my life. I would go to church every Sunday and learn bible stories in Sunday School. I am still actively involved in my church community at home. I have always taken to heart the teachings of my church and my family.
I was taught at an early age by the media and the people around me that Voodoo is something evil and only used for bad and, as most children do, I believed what I was told. When I recently returned home for a weekend, I had briefly discussed with my mother the research I have been doing on Voodoo in the United States. As soon as I said Voodoo, her eyes showed a glimpse of fear. When I attended church with my family that Sunday, she told my pastor that I was “studying” Voodoo at school. In response, he raised his eyebrows and exclaimed “Get out of that stuff!”
Of course, I was a little discouraged because there is a clear line between studying/observing a religion and practicing a religion. Since I am doing the former and not the latter, I see no problem in what I am doing. I believe that I am firmly grounded and secure enough in my own religion that I may be able to study another without affecting my personal beliefs as a Christian.
Studying Voodoo has not convinced me to abandon my own culture to take up a life practicing Voodoo. It has, however, enabled me to see past the stereotype placed upon the Voodoo culture. I have been able to remove the label to see Voodoo as what it really is: a religion. And just like every other religion, there are the forces of good and evil. For some reason, it has been stigmatized as a purely evil religion. To the people who practice Voodoo, it is not something evil; For them, it is a way of improving life, of helping others, and of answering the questions we all ask: What are we here for? And what happens to us when we die?
I was taught at an early age by the media and the people around me that Voodoo is something evil and only used for bad and, as most children do, I believed what I was told. When I recently returned home for a weekend, I had briefly discussed with my mother the research I have been doing on Voodoo in the United States. As soon as I said Voodoo, her eyes showed a glimpse of fear. When I attended church with my family that Sunday, she told my pastor that I was “studying” Voodoo at school. In response, he raised his eyebrows and exclaimed “Get out of that stuff!”
Of course, I was a little discouraged because there is a clear line between studying/observing a religion and practicing a religion. Since I am doing the former and not the latter, I see no problem in what I am doing. I believe that I am firmly grounded and secure enough in my own religion that I may be able to study another without affecting my personal beliefs as a Christian.
Studying Voodoo has not convinced me to abandon my own culture to take up a life practicing Voodoo. It has, however, enabled me to see past the stereotype placed upon the Voodoo culture. I have been able to remove the label to see Voodoo as what it really is: a religion. And just like every other religion, there are the forces of good and evil. For some reason, it has been stigmatized as a purely evil religion. To the people who practice Voodoo, it is not something evil; For them, it is a way of improving life, of helping others, and of answering the questions we all ask: What are we here for? And what happens to us when we die?
Friday, November 6, 2009
Connections Between Christianity and Voodoo
Although Christianity preaches so strongly against Voodoo, I have noticed many similarities between the two religions. For example, both religions acknowledge Moses(represented in Voodoo by the God Damballah) and Aaron as religious figure. The only difference between the two is whom the phenomenons he produced were given credit. In example, when Aaron’s staff was turned into a snake in response to the pharaoh’s request to see a miracle(Ex 7:8-13). Christianity attributes this act to God and Voodoo attributes this act to magic. In voodoo, there is thought to be a spell to hypnotize snakes so that they become stiff and people were able to carry them like rods and then wake them out of the trance. In the passage in Exodus referenced above, it says “Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake…”(Ex 7:11-12) The use of the term “magicians” indicates that there must have, in fact, been a known way to hypnotize snakes. However, later in the passage it is said that Aaron’s snake had eaten all of the other snakes, indicating its superiority. The same is true in Voodoo tale, however, unlike, Christianity where the power of the snake is said to have come from God, the superiority of Aaron’s snake is said to have come from a higher magic than that of Pharaoh’s magicians.
In addition to similar religious figures, Voodoo also shares the use of elements and symbols such as Holy Water and a cross. Another similar aspect between the two is the inhabitance of a spirit inside a mortal body. During Voodoo rituals, it is not uncommon for a person’s body to become inhabited by a loa, or spirit. “This was believed to be a valuable experience, warding off illness and misfortune.”( http://www.neworleansghosts.com/voodoo.htm) Loas are the spirits of passed ancestors, and are treated much like saints are in the Catholic church.
This process can be compared to presence of the Holy Spirit said to reside within Christians. The Holy Spirit is meant to be a guide and protector, similar to the loa. Again, similar to this idea is the possession of humans by demon spirits. Although this is not a beneficial type of possession, it is the same idea of a celestial being entering and taking control of a human being.
When Voodoo migrated from Africa to Haiti with the slave trade, it came into contact with Catholicism by the European settlers. Therefore, Voodoo has come to integrated many aspects of Catholicism into its practices. For example, even though Voodoo has its own set of deities and loas, the images used to portray them are actually the images of saints used in the Catholic church. For example, the picture of St. Patrick(patron saint of Ireland) is used to represent Damballah Ouedo, the supreme God of Voodoo. His picture is used because it is the only one in which there are snakes; Damballah, who symbolizes Moses, bears the symbol of the serpent, another frequently used symbol in Christianity—however, the serpent is used to represent Satan.
By nature, people are afraid of what they do not know or understand. Clearly, there are many similarities between Christianity and Voodoo, many which I have not even mentioned. I think that with so much in common it is ok not be afraid of Voodoo and to accept it as a religion searching for meaning in the same way that Christianity and Judaism and Islam are searching for meaning. I believe that if more people could see how similar Voodoo is to their own religion, their images would not be so distorted by the media and it would be more accepted and understood. I am not saying that I believe in Voodoo, but I am beginning to understand it as a legitimate religion.
Works cited:
Life Application Study Bible: New International Version. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, Inc., 1991. Print.
Neale., Hurston, Zora. Tell my horse voodoo and life in Haiti and Jamaica. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print.
Smith, Kalila K. "New Orleans Voodoo, Voodoo in New Orleans, Marie Laveau, Voodoo." New Orleans Ghosts, New Orleans Vampires, New Orleans Voodoo, Marie Laveau, at New Orleans Ghosts! Web. 05 Nov. 2009..
In addition to similar religious figures, Voodoo also shares the use of elements and symbols such as Holy Water and a cross. Another similar aspect between the two is the inhabitance of a spirit inside a mortal body. During Voodoo rituals, it is not uncommon for a person’s body to become inhabited by a loa, or spirit. “This was believed to be a valuable experience, warding off illness and misfortune.”( http://www.neworleansghosts.com/voodoo.htm) Loas are the spirits of passed ancestors, and are treated much like saints are in the Catholic church.
This process can be compared to presence of the Holy Spirit said to reside within Christians. The Holy Spirit is meant to be a guide and protector, similar to the loa. Again, similar to this idea is the possession of humans by demon spirits. Although this is not a beneficial type of possession, it is the same idea of a celestial being entering and taking control of a human being.
When Voodoo migrated from Africa to Haiti with the slave trade, it came into contact with Catholicism by the European settlers. Therefore, Voodoo has come to integrated many aspects of Catholicism into its practices. For example, even though Voodoo has its own set of deities and loas, the images used to portray them are actually the images of saints used in the Catholic church. For example, the picture of St. Patrick(patron saint of Ireland) is used to represent Damballah Ouedo, the supreme God of Voodoo. His picture is used because it is the only one in which there are snakes; Damballah, who symbolizes Moses, bears the symbol of the serpent, another frequently used symbol in Christianity—however, the serpent is used to represent Satan.
By nature, people are afraid of what they do not know or understand. Clearly, there are many similarities between Christianity and Voodoo, many which I have not even mentioned. I think that with so much in common it is ok not be afraid of Voodoo and to accept it as a religion searching for meaning in the same way that Christianity and Judaism and Islam are searching for meaning. I believe that if more people could see how similar Voodoo is to their own religion, their images would not be so distorted by the media and it would be more accepted and understood. I am not saying that I believe in Voodoo, but I am beginning to understand it as a legitimate religion.
Works cited:
Life Application Study Bible: New International Version. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, Inc., 1991. Print.
Neale., Hurston, Zora. Tell my horse voodoo and life in Haiti and Jamaica. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print.
Smith, Kalila K. "New Orleans Voodoo, Voodoo in New Orleans, Marie Laveau, Voodoo." New Orleans Ghosts, New Orleans Vampires, New Orleans Voodoo, Marie Laveau, at New Orleans Ghosts! Web. 05 Nov. 2009.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Haitian Voodoo: Making Love to a Goddess
Haitian voodoo is “a religion of creation and life.”(Hurston 113) Even in death, voodoo gives life to those who have passed; their spirits are known as loas. Above loas in the Spiritual hierarchy are deities and still above deities are gods. The gods control all aspects of life and therefore all aspects of life in Voodoo are devoted to them. For example, Erzulie Freida, the goddess of love, is known to have come between and ended numerous marriages and relationships. Once a man is courted in a dream by Erzulie, he must devote himself to her and she becomes his wife, regardless of whether or not he was already married. In such cases, the man’s mortal wife is brushed aside and eventually the marriage ends in divorce.
This practice is something that would not be accepted in the United States. Majority of Americans would not be able to understand how a spirit could be a home wrecker, let alone how a man could possible cheat on his wife with an immortal spirit. Even for those in the United States who are religious(the majority being Christian, Jewish, or Islamic), this is an abstract concept because there is no such relationship between god and human. However, the sensual relationship which is accepted between man and goddess is a common occurrence among practicing members of Voodoo in Haiti. I don't think such a concept would do well in the United States where the predominant religions are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam--all regligions that preach against any form of sexual relations outside of the purpose of procreation.
Work cited in this blog: Neale., Hurston, Zora. Tell my horse voodoo and life in Haiti and Jamaica. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print.
This practice is something that would not be accepted in the United States. Majority of Americans would not be able to understand how a spirit could be a home wrecker, let alone how a man could possible cheat on his wife with an immortal spirit. Even for those in the United States who are religious(the majority being Christian, Jewish, or Islamic), this is an abstract concept because there is no such relationship between god and human. However, the sensual relationship which is accepted between man and goddess is a common occurrence among practicing members of Voodoo in Haiti. I don't think such a concept would do well in the United States where the predominant religions are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam--all regligions that preach against any form of sexual relations outside of the purpose of procreation.
Work cited in this blog: Neale., Hurston, Zora. Tell my horse voodoo and life in Haiti and Jamaica. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)