| THE ORIGINS OF VOODOO |
The Vodun religion is possibly as old as the first humans to inhabit West Africa. It is widely accepted that the Yorube tribe that occupied Dahomey (now parts of Togo, Benin and Nigeria), were the originators of the Vodon religion. Vodon is also known as Vodoun, Vodu, Sevi Lwa and in western culture as Voodoo. The word Vodun seems to translate in several different dialects with meanings such as "The Great Creator" or "Great Spirit". Yoruba traditional belief included a chief god God named Olorun, who is remote and unknowable. He authorized a lesser God named Obatala to create the earth and all the life on it. A battle between the two Gods led to Obatala's banishment. There are hundreds of minor spirits called Rada that were added later. Many are the spirits of deceased leaders . Vodun is practiced by sixty million people world wide. Vodun is not a standardized religion. As it has spread throughout the world it has been adapted to fit whatever culture it has fallen upon. It has become like bush that spreads many seeds, each grows to fit its particular environment but all have some basic similarities. A real Voodoo Witchdoctor, (only seen like this in the day time during Marti Gra) Various local versions of Vodun are practiced throughout West Africa and in Benin it is the official religion. In the western world many of the Voodoo rites and practices are illegal but there are millions of followers of the branch of Vodun known as Voodoo. It is widely practiced in Haiti as authorities simply turn their backs to Voodoo religious ceremonies. Voodoo also has notable followings in the United States and the Dominican Republic. Though the religion of Voodoo started in West Africa then was imported with the slaves into Haiti West Indies, the Capital of Voodoo lies in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| The Truth About Zombies |
| Hollywood (always eager to find a new box office draw) has depicted Zombies to be Dead Men walking around looking for Human flesh to eat, all due to stories that have been stretched out at camp fires or sleep overs. However Hollywood never came close to telling the truth about Zombies. In the later part of the 1700's there have been people with stories about strange looking lifeless people wondering around in corn fields, however for several years all of these stories have been put into the fiction section of the mind. On the isle of Haiti, the word ‘zombie’ took another twist. In 1801, the Haitian slaves revolted and kicked the whites off of their island – interestingly, their leader was a conjurer-priest, Toussaint L'Overture, who promised his followers they wouldn’t die during the uprising. A real Haitian zombie, made ill by poison. After that, the former slaves founded the voodoo faith, a religion that is part catholic, and part African. Just like in Africa, Haitian voodoo-followers believe you can turn someone into a zombie, as a means of punishment. In Haiti, voodoo priests used and still use the poison (‘tetrodotoxin’) to accomplish this, the main ingredient of this poison is the Puffer Fish, The poison, administered as a powder, produces a deep, dead-like coma first, and then a lethargic, vegetative state of non-being. |
| Are Voodoo Dolls Still Being Used Today? |
| The use of voodoo dolls is unheard of in Haiti due to the raw practice of the voodoo religion. The only recorded serious use of the dolls, among voodoo worshippers, was in the new Orleans area in the early 1900's. Hexes were cast to bring either good or bad luck to another person. The doll was used to symbolize that person. The sticking of pins into the doll was to reinforce and direct the spells that were cast. Natural materials like clay have been used in the making of Voodoo dolls for generations. Due to its humanoid form, this Doll makes an excellent focusing tool for the spell caster to work. To make the doll more accurate the Spell Caster would require personal belongings such as hair and nail clippings, clothing, etc., the Voodoo Doll can become even more of a "twin" to the person being affected. |
| Click on the Audio link below to hear excerpts an actual Voodoo ceremony |
