Voodoo means god, spirit or sacred object. It was formed in Haiti and brought to the Western Hemishpere by slaves. Voodoo traditions, beliefs and practices come from African religions, Roman Catholicism and Native American religions. Devotees worship one high God, called Bon Dieu, the dead, twins and the Loa, African tribal Gods. The term Voodoo has become associated with evil, but it is simply a religion with its own beliefs, practices and traditions.
Voodoo originates from the Guinea coast and was formed in Haiti. When black slaves were brought to the Western Hemispher, they brought their religion with them. However, their white masters felt threatened by Voodoo and forbade slaves to practice their religion. Slaves were baptized as Catholics and taught Catholic beliefs. They continues to practice Voodoo in secret but incorporated Catholic statues, candles and holy relics into their rituals. Prayers, baptism and the sign of the cross were added into their Voodoo practices. The Loas took on forms of Catholic saints.
Voodoo's supreme being or higher God is called Gran Maitre or Bon Dieu. It is believed that this God made the world. Bon Dieu is too remote for personal worship. Therefore, devotees of Voodoo worship smaller more personal Gods called "Loas".
Loa means spirit or mystery. They control the well being, fortune and fate of devotees. They can also do good or evil. Devotees try to please the Loa in order to recieve favors in return. There are two major categories of Loa: Rada and Petro.
The Rada Loa are gentle and perform services without harmful consequences. They originated in South Africa and represent the warmth and emotional stability of the country. The main Rada Loa are Damballah, Ogou, Aida-Wedo and Loco Atisou.
Petro Loa are more violent, powerful, menacing and ill-tempered then the Rada Loa. They originated during the days of slavery and represent the rage, violence and delirium of slavery. They emphasize death and vengeance. The major Petro Loa are Legba, Erzulie, Baron Samedi and Guede.
Voodoo devotees believe that the human being is made up of five main components. The corps cadavre is the body that decays after death. The n'ame or spirit of the flesh allows the body to function. Z'etoile is the star of destiny and decides a person's fate. The gros-bon-ange and the ti-bon-ange are the two parts of the soul and the most important part of a human.
Important people in the Voodoo religion are the houngan or mambo, La Place and the houngenikon. A houngan is a priest and a mambo is a priestess. They are spiritual and community leaders and can act as confessors, doctors, magicians, confidential advisors and prophets. They oversee rituals and conduct relations with the Loa. Houngans and mambos understand and know how to practice black magic because they must know evil in order to fight it. This balances the forces of the universe which is very important to Voodoo.
A Hounfort is a place where rituals are performed and Voodoo communities called societe come together. Each Hounfort is headed by a Houngan or mambo and follows Voodoo traditions, modifying rituals with its own unique practices.
All Voodoo rituals involve drumming, dancing, chanting and ecstatic trance. The ritual opens with the invocation of Legba. Water is poured before the perisly and before the poteau-mitan which is kissed twice. The Houngan or mambo traces veves on the ground and calls the Loa. Offerings are made to the Loa.
Voodoo devotees do not consider death as the end of life. Death is seens as a change of activities from one condition to another. The body decays and the n'ame returns to the ground as earth energy. The gros-bon-ange returns to high solar regions where it joins other Loa and becomes a Loa itself. The ti-bon-ange is aided by rituals to depart to the land of the dead.
Voodoo has become associated with evil because it is often used as a cover. Secret Societies use Voodoo to cover their vicious activiteis. Members wear red or white cloaks to hide their identities. They are known for cannibalism and for making human sacrifices.
Bokers are Houngans who perform black magic. They create zombies, use the dead to inflict harm on others and create tokens that are used for evil purposes.
Gris gris bags are good luck charms. They are small leather pouches filled with herbs, magical oils, semi-precious stones and personal items. They are made for attracting love, money, spiritual protection and good health.
Zombies are dead bodies without souls. A Bokor creates one by performing rituals that cause the person to die and calls them back as a soulles body. It is believed that zombification is achieved by using powerful drugs. These drugs make a person seem dead and are so brain damaged when revived that they do not remember who they are and can be controlled.
Voodoo is a very intriguing and mysterious religion. Voodoo is not just about evil. It is simply a religion created by slaves trying to hold on to their traditions and beliefs.