![]() ![]() Different lwa are believed to favor different food and drink for example, Legba is known to enjoy flame-grilled foods such as meats, tubers, and vegetables, Maman Brigitte prefers a nice dark rum spiked with hot chili peppers, whilst Damballah is somewhat picky- favoring only white foodstuffs such as eggs. The ritual of “feeding” the spirits is an incredibly important tradition in Haitian voodoo, and is practiced both at home and communally within the congregation. The lwa can be called upon by reciting prayers or making a sacrifice of food, drink or an animal-most often a chicken, goat, pig, or bull, depending on the lwa in question’s preference. They take control of each individual’s life, from their birth to their death. The lwa are thought to collaborate in their creation of the structure of the natural world, and of time and space. But the lwa preside over different realms and are associated with various human activities such as agriculture, war, love, sex, and death. While the lwa can enter the human body, they are also thought to manifest in all realms of nature in the trees, in the mountains, water, air, and fire. Through possession, it is believed that the lwa can communicate with the worshippers, heal them, guide them, and manifest the will of Bondye through them. Rather, it is seen as humanity’s primary means of communicating with the divine. Possession in voodoo (unlike in many other religions) is not a negative phenomenon. Unlike Bondye, they are also known to manifest through possession of a human host. It is the lwa that vodouisants pray to and only the lwa who may intervene in humans’ worldly concerns. Owing to Bondye’s aloofness, voodoo ceremonies focus solely on the lwa. Voodoo Worship and Ritual Gede Reign in the Cemetery, by Rene Exume, 1949, via The Haitian Art Society Magique Noir, by Hector Hyppolite, 1946-7, via Milwaukee Art Museum & The Haitian Art Society Since mere mortals are simply unable to communicate with Bondye, the lwa must serve their vital role as intermediaries between humanity and the highest power of the universe. Moreover, the quotidian foibles of mortals are not any concern of Bondye’s– prayers and spiritual rituals are carried out solely between humans and the lwa. As is the case with many African religions, monotheism predominates.īut, unlike Yahweh, Bondye is thought to be so distant and transcendent that s/he is beyond human cognizance. They should, instead, be understood as supernatural beings serving as mediators between humanity and God. The outward image of voodoo as a seemingly pantheistic religion is somewhat misleading, but the lwa are not in fact gods. This may come as a surprise given the plethora of lwa in the voodoo pantheon and their ubiquitous depictions in the rituals and iconography of voodoo. ![]() ![]() Voodoo originated in Haiti, where the ancient African religions and spiritual practices of the enslaved people collided with French Catholicism.įollowers of the voodoo tradition, much like Christians, believe in one supreme creator god, known as Bondye (meaning “good god” in Haitian Creole). It cannot be categorized as a mere form of anti-Christian satanic witchcraft it is a folk religion in its own right and a very mistreated one at that. The Structure of the Voodoo Pantheon Vodou Ceremony, by Gerard Valcin, 1960s, via Selden Rodman Gallery at Ramapo College & The Haitian Art SocietyĬontrary to popular opinion, voodoo has nothing to do with devil-worship. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |