Voodoo :: essays research papers fc

VoodooFon is spoken by over half the people of Benin and it is the stupefy tongueof voodoo. In Fon the root word for voodoo is vodoun that means spirit or god.Voodoo had its origins over 350 years ago in tungsten Africa. In fact Allada, asmall town in Benin, is often called the cradle of voodoo. In 1996, January10th became National Voodoo Day in honor of its followers that make up 65% ofBenin population.The religion Vodoun was a by-product of the slave trade. This Yorubanreligion was carried to Haiti in a slave trade from Dahomey, which is currentlycalled Benin. in one case in Haiti, the slaves were forced to adopt Catholicism.Desiring to keep their native practices, the slaves continued to perform theirrituals in private. They transposed Catholic saints onto the tribal deities,called loa, to please their owners. Instead of hindering the trustfulness of theslaves, the incorporation of the saints added something new to their religion.Because of this they included into their ritua ls statues of the saints, candles,and other Christian relics. It is combinations like this that form religionssuch as Santeria, a blend of Voodoo and Spanish Catholicism, that proves what a pliant religion it is. Voodoo has spread throughout the world into majorcommunities on Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, Miami, and New York city. Vodounhas as many as 50 one thousand thousand followers throughout the world now.Although varieties of this religion occur in different regions there aresome basic tenets common among them. They all believe that the musical rhythm of liferesides in natures elements like fire or wind. This force is also in union withthe dead and thus fosters a belief that they should be well-thought-of through rituals.They believe that all things are the creation of the loa, and at the same timepart of the lao and are to be servants to them. The loa take part in our worldand act as intermediaries between human being and the higher god, Bodye. Thepractitioners of Vodoun beli eve that when a soul dies it become a sprit or loa.These spirit often posses the living during rituals. When possessed thebeliever dances, offers animal sacrifices, falls into a trance, or may evendisappear. When these rituals are performed a group (societe) come together ina sanctuary (hounfort) where they are revolved around a priest (hougan) orpriestess (mamba). These societes are crucial in the structure within smallHaitian villages. They are positive forces in establishing communal cohesionand over-riding gender barriers.For whatever good is served, Voodoo can also bring evil.