Ironically, it was the enforced immigration of enslaved African from different ethnic groups that provided the circumstances for the development of Voodoo. European colonists thought that by desolating the ethnic groups, these could not come together as a community. However, in the misery of slavery, the transplanted Africans found in their faith a common thread. They began to invoke not only their own ods, but to practice rites other than their own. In this process, they comingled and modified rituals of various ethnic groups. The result of such fusion fusion was that that the differ different ent religio religious us groups groups integr integrated ated their their beliefs, beliefs, thereby thereby creatin creating g a new religion! Voodoo. The word "voodoo" comes from the #est African word "vodun," meaning spirit. This Afro$%arib Afro$%aribbean bean religion mi&ed practices from many African African ethnics groups such as the 'on, the (ago, the Ibos, )ahomeans, %ongos , *enegalese, Haussars, %aplaous, +ondungues, +andinge, Angolese, ibyans, Ethiopians, and the +algaches. The Essence of Voodoo
#ithin #ithin the voodoo voodoo society, there are no accidents. -ractitioners -ractitioners believe that nothing nothing and no event has a life of its own. That is why "vous deu&", you two, you too. The universe is all one. Each thing affects affects something something else. *cientists *cientists know that. (ature knows it. +any spiritualists spiritualists agree that we are not separate, we all serve as parts of ne. *o, in essence, what you do unto another, you do unto you, because you A/E the other. Voo doo. View you. #e are mirrors of each others souls. od is manifest through the spirits of ancestors who can bring good or harm and must be honored in ceremonies. There is a sacred cycle between the living and the dead. 0elievers ask for their misery to end. /ituals include prayers, drumming, dancing, singing and animal sacrifice. The serpent figures fi gures heavily in the Voodoo Voodoo faith. The word Vo Voodoo has been translated as "the snake under whose auspices gather all who share the faith". The high priest and1or priestess of the faith 2often called -apa or +aman3 are the vehicles for the e&pression of the serpent4s power. The supreme deity is 0on )ieu. There are hundreds of spirits called oa who control nature, health, wealth and happiness of mortals. The oa form a pantheon of deities that include )amballah, E5ili, gu, Agwe, egba and others. )uring Voodoo ceremonies these oa can possess the bodies of the ceremony participants. oa appear by "possessing" the faithful, who in turn become the oa, relaying advice, warnings and desires. Voodoo is an animist faith. That is, ob6ects and natural phenomena are believed to possess holy significance, to possess a soul. Thus the oa Agwe is the divine presence behind the hurricane. +usic and dance are key elements to Voodoo ceremonies. %eremonies were often termed by whites "(ight )ancing" or "Voodoo )ancing". This dancing is not simply a prelude to se&ual fren5y, as it has often been portrayed. The dance is an e&pression of spirituality, of connection with divinity and the spirit world. Voodoo is a practical religion, playing an important role in the family and the community. ne4s ancestors, ancestors, for instance, are believed to be a part of the world of the spirits, of the oas, and this is one way that Voodoo serves to root its participants in their own history and tradition. Another practical aspect of Voodoo Voodoo ceremonies is that participants often come before the priest or priestess pries tess to seek advice, spiritual guidance, or help with their problems. The priest or priestess then, through divine aid, offer help such as healing through the use of herbs or medicines 2using knowledge that has been passed down within the religion itself3, or healing through faith itself as is common in other religions. Voodoo Voodoo teaches a respect r espect for the natural world.
7nfortunately, the public4s perception of voodoo rites and rituals seems often to point to the evil or malicious side of things. There are healing spells, nature spells, love spells, purification spells, 6oyous celebration spells. *pirits may be invoked to bring harmony and peace, birth and rebirth, increased abundance of luck, material happiness, renewed health.The fact is, for those who believe it, voodoo is powerful. It is also empowering to the person who practices it.
Voodoo and its fight to survive
)espite Voodoo4s Voodoo4s noble status as one of the worlds oldest religions, it has been typically characteri5ed as barbaric, primitive, se&ually licentious practice based on superstition and spectacle. +uch of this image however, is due to a concerted effort by Europeans, who have a massive fear of anything African, to suppress and distort a legitimate and uni8ue religion that flourished among their enslaved Africans. #hen slavers brought these peoples across the ocean to the Americas , the African4s brought their religion with them. However, since slavery included stripping the slaves of their language, culture, and heritage, this religion had to take some different forms. It had to be practiced in secret, since in some places it was punishable by death, and it had to adapt to the loss of their African languages. In order to survive, Voodoo also adopted many elements of %hristianity. #hen the 'rench who were the coloni5ers of Haiti , reali5ed that the religion of the Africans was a threat to the colonial system, they prohibited all African religion practices and severely punished the practitioners of Voodoo with imprisonment, lashings and hangings. This religious struggle continued for thre e centuries, but none of the punishments punishments could e&tinguished e&tinguished the faith of the Africans. Africans. This process process of acculturatio acculturation n helped Vo Voodoo to grow under harsh cultural conditions in many areas of the Americas . Voodoo survives as a legitimate religion in a number of areas of the world, 0ra5il where it is called "%andombl9 "%andombl9"" and the English English speaking %aribbean %aribbean where it is called :beah;. :beah;. The Ewe people of southern southern Togo Togo and southeastern southeastern hana $$ two countries in #e #est st Africa $$ are devout believers. believers. In most of the 7nited *tates however, white slavers were successful in stripping str ipping slaves of their Voodoo Voodoo traditions and beliefs. Thus Voodoo Voodoo is, for most African Americans, yet another part of their heritage that they can only onl y try to re$discover. The strength that the Africans in Haiti gained from their religion was so strong and powerful, that they were able to survive the cruel persecution of the 'rench rulers against Voodoo. It was in the midst of this struggle that the revolution was conspired. The Voodoo priests consulted their oracle and learned how the political battle would have to be fought in order for them to be victorious. The revolution e&ploded in <=>< with a -etr? ritual and continued until <@B when the Haitians finally won independence. Today Today the system of Voodoo reflects its history. #e #e can see the African ethnic mi&ture in the names of different rites and in the pantheon of ods or oas, which is composed of deities from
all parts of Africa .
PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH DIVINIT A! CONCEIVED " THE A#A$%ON
Mawu, the Supreme God The *outh 09nin cultural area of the 'on, un, +ina and Ewe peoples is characteri5ed by a similar conception of divinity! belief in the e&istence of od is general. This od, recogni5ed as the *upreme 0eing, as Transcendent, is referred to by the term Ma&u. According to the testimony of 'r. -aul 'alcon "everyone professes the existence exis tence of a Supreme Being who created ‘the trees and the
ropes’, a Fon idiomatic expression which means everything that exists… This Supreme Being is called Mawu". That od is the creator of the universe, of mankind and of all that e&ists is generally accepted. And this notion of od e&isted among these peoples before the arrival of the great monotheistic religions 2hristianity, !slam3. #ith the 'on, for e&le, this god +awu is also named *Cgbo lisa, )ada *Cgbo, *CmCdo or bCdoto depending on whether one is stressing the creation 2 Mawu, Mawu, "ada#S$g%o3, the principle of being 2*CmCdo3 or life 2bCdoto3. 0ut if there is no doubt at all about the *upreme od +awu in the mentality of these peoples, where do the very popular practices of &odun come fromD To answer this 8uestion means showing the e&isting relationship between Mawu and &odun.
The relationship between Mawu and Vodun The absolute transcendence attributed to +awu does not allow one to conceive of his relationship of immanence with humanity. et the human spirit needs a relationship of salvific pro&imity, of easy access to the *upreme 0eing. And since creatures manifest the %reator, man finds sacred forces in certain phenomena phenomena or situations situations that are beyond his understandi understanding. ng. It is through this vision vision of the world that &odun emerges. 'or the people of *outh 0enin, Mawu is good, good, but he does not concern himself directly directly with manF he is omnipotent but has delegated his power to the &odun's( . Hence the &odun's(, recogni5ed as +awu +awuGGs creat creatur ures es,, acco accord rdin ing g to the the 'on 'on e&pr e&pres essi sion on " Mawu w$ do &odun +awuGs Gs &odun l$ ", are +awu representatives among men, signs of the divinityGs immanence in response to the spiritual desires of mankin mankind. d. In this this sense, sense, &odun designates all that is sacred, all power coming from the invisible world to influence the world of the living, everything that is mysterious. 'or this reason, it is e&plicitly distinct from +awu. 0ut we find that there is no actual worship of the latter in the tradition, tradition, e&cept certain spontaneous spontaneous prayers or references references such as " Mawu na %lo" 2od will act3, " )p$ Mawu ton" 2may od decide decide thus3 thus3 used used on differen differentt occasio occasions. ns. The &odun's( receive the worship because of their pro&imity to man compared to +awu. )ivine 8ualities are attributed to them, characterised as the spirits they are considered to be above all natural laws. All these attributes are the work of +awu. E&amining the internal dynamics of the &odun pantheon will give a clearer idea of the dependent relationship the &odun's( have with +awu.
T'(es of Vodun Vodun
It woul would d be a vain vain enter enterpr prise ise to claim claim to enum enumera erate te the the type typess of &odun or to classify them e&haustively e&haustively.. +gr. /obert /obert *astre tried to tackle the 8uestion in *es &odun &odun dans la vie culturelle,
Honoratt Aguessy Aguessy did the same thing thing in ultures &odun, sociale et politi+ue du Sud#"ahomey. Honora Manifestations Migrations M-tamorphoses '.fri+ue, ara/%es, .m-ri+ues(0 #ith this important background, in our approach we will focus on the mystical mystical origin of the &odun's( as proposed by 'r. +Cd9wal9 acob Agossou in 1%$to et 1%$doto0 'irstly, the &odun's( are considered as the sons of +awu, od the %reator. Here are the seven most important of these!
Sakpata! This is the eldest son of +awu to whom the earth was entrusted! " .yi .yi &odun &odun", the &odun of the earth. His power is feared and terrifying. terrifying. His attributes are the arm of smallpo smallpo&, &, scissors scissors,, a chain chain and black, black, white white and red spots. spots. Sa2pata has many sons, including the &odun of leprosy 2 .da Tan Tangni gni 3, and of incurable sores 2 sin3i aglosumato3. Xêvioso 2or Xêbioso3! This is the &odun of the sky 2 4ivodun3 who manifests himself in thunder and lightning. He is +awuGs second son and is considered a &odun of 6ustice who punishes punishes thieves, thieves, liars, criminals and evil$doers. His attibutes attibutes are the thunderbol thunderbolt, t, the double double a&e, the ram, ram, the colour colour red and fire. 5$vioso has several sons including Sog%o, .2lo%6, .vl-2-t.vl-2-t- .
Agbe! This is the &odun of the sea 2Tovodun3. He is also known as 7u. He is represented by a serpent, a symbol of everything that gives life. ne of his powerful children is "an Toxosu who manifests himself in the birth of monster babies. Gu! This is the &odun of iron and war. He gives man his different technologies. He is the &odun who does not accept complicity complicity with evil. Therefore he is capable of killing all accomplices in acts of infamy if he is appealed to. This is e&pressed by the 'on saying "da gu do ".
Agê! This fifth son of +awu is the &odun of agriculture and the forests. He reigns over animals and birds.
Jo! This &odun is characteri5ed by invisibility. He is the &odun of the air. Lêgba! This is +awuGs youngest son. He received no endowments at all because all had already been shared out among his elders. He is 6ealous, and it is he who loosens the rigid structure of the pantheon. He is the &odun of the unpredictable, of what cannot be assigned to any other and he is characterised by daily tragediesF all that is beyond good and evil. Alongside Alongside +awuGs sons, sons, one finds other &odun's( that are protectors of e8ually important clans. These These are the Toxwyo! eponymous deified ancestors. They maintain a link between the invisible world and human beings in their daily lives.
'rom the above, we can classify the
&odun's( as follows!
Inte Inter$ r$eth ethni nicc &odun' linked ed to natu natura rall phen phenom omen ena! a! dun's( s( link *akpataF Tovodun ! Agbe.
soF .yivodun 4ivodun! CviosoF .yivodun!
Inter$ethnic &odun's( linked to historical$mythical persons! *$g%a, 1u. Ethnic &odun's(! Akovodun 2 .gasu for the 7ou-g%a3avi of .%omey 3. The Toxwyo are in this category. +odern &odun's( ! These &odun's( are mainly from hana. They are 1oro who protects against witchcraft, and )o2u, the &odun of the occult powers of violence.
After these investigations, it seems important to ask the 8uestion! so what e&actly is
&odunD
It can be said that the &odun's( constitute a special class of +awuGs living creatures. They are above mankind, but they are not "od". et us recognise, together with 'r. 0arth9lemy Adoukonou Adoukonou and all the others, that defining defining &odun is not an easy task, even for &odun adepts. 'on e&pressions like! "&odun gongon ", " &odun d’a%lu " 2 &odun is deep, &odun is obscure3 say it all. This is why, as +gr. /obert *astre said, we must refer to the social and cultural conte&t which gives rise to &odun in order to grasp what &odun really is.
THE THE )T )THE HEOD ODIC IC) ) O% VOD*N OD*N AND IT! IT! !O !OCI CIAL AL AND C*L C*LT*RAL *RAL IMPLICATION!
In view of what has been said above, certain 8uestions arise! due to the practical implications which illustrate illustrate its manifestation manifestations, s, can &odun be assimilated with fetishism, or even outright naturalismD #hat relationships does it establish between the practising individual and his entire cosmic, social and spiritual environmentD
Vodun+ Vodun+ natura,is-. fetishisfetis his- or ani-is-/
These may be naturalist, fetishist and animist e&pressions and manifestations, but the basic vision to retain is thatJ The argument for naturalism and fetishism in &odun rests on some epiphenomena of its its prac practi tice ce!! the the &oduns are are rela related ted to diff differe erent nt conc concret retee eleme element ntss of the the univ univer erse se and and are materialised through specific ob6ects to which devotional cults are rendered and sacrifices are offered 2mounds of earth, metal %ars, tree trun2s… 3. (othing would prevent us from seeing in this from the outset an attribution of soul and powers to common ob6ects which, as a result, ac8uire a preponderant and terrifying importance. This begs the 8uestion! is the &odun a personD Is it worth something in the absence of man above and beneath itD ne answer to this 8uestion might be that &odun is nothing but an ethical and religious structure set up to serve authority in society. 0ut this is 6ust a limited view of the &odun reality. %ertain people erroneously erroneously e8uate e8uate &odun with fetish. Indeed, some would see the &odun cult as a coarse idolatry of material ob6ects or as a cult of matter, without any consideration of its rich functionality which we shall illustrate below. 'urthermore, it should be noted that these mistaken views are due to ethnological approaches to the &odun phenomenon which refrain from articulating its uni8uely physical, cosmic and social function in religious mediation. It is true that "+C wC no ylo do &odun bGC non nyin &odun" 2it is %ecause man calls it &odun that it is &odun 3. 0ut rather than seeing in it a power generated by the comple& interaction of senses, intentions, gestures and spoken words, it is far more a 8uestion of the anthropological support which places &odun in a symbolic system where it owes its performance to the necessary mediation of the physical, and therefore of matter in general. It would thus be more correct to translate "+C wC no ylo do &odun bGC non nyin &odun" as! . personal attitude of recognition and acceptance is re+uired for the sacred to %ecome sym%ol . &odun evokes the mystery and what pertains to the divine. In this way the suspicion is removed, at least as regards the essence, even if it remains in the somewhat deviant manifestations of the &odun phenomenon. The network of relationships of which &odun is a symbol is yet another proof of this.
Vodun Vodun and G0e 1,ife2&o 1,ife2&or,d3+ r,d3+ Cos-ogon'
The word " g%$" which means "life", also means "the universe". It is this second meaning that we focus on here. The created universe in its cosmic deployment is not foreign to the deployment of concrete e&pressions e&pressions of the latter, there is a &odun of the earth 2 Sa2pata3, a &odun of &odun. In the concrete the sky 2 5$vioso3, a &odun of the sea 2 .g%-3 and &odun's( representing representing the ancestors ancestors 2Toxwyo3, as we have seen. Indeed, all the elements of the universe are involved in the &odun phenomenon. It is not that the mind$set of *outh 0enin imagination conceives of a &odun cosmogenesis! &odun is thus neither the generator nor the creator of the universe. 0ut its link to everything in nature is one of mediation mediation and of the protection protection of man. In fact, its link with " 1%$" only finds its meaning through its link with "1%$to" 2man3.
Vodun Vodun and G0eto 1Man3+ Anthro(o,og'
The religiosity manifest in man through the &odun phenomenon makes him a sub6ect who places himself at the service of its symbolism. And while serving it, he makes use of it in return. 'urthe 'urthermo rmore, re, what what men call &odun, is the unknowable, mystery, the ineffable when it comes to natural elementsF it is the e&traordinary, the hero, the unbeatable, the powerful when it is a 8uestion of human beings. beings. 0efore 0efore the name &odun &odun is given to them, they are referred to as "nu mC sCn" 2venera%le thing8 worthy of adoration 3. This This give givess rise rise to the the cults cults and and their their impa impacts cts.. After fter ob6ectively ob6ectively identifying identifying the &odun, man becomes its sub6ect. Henceforth, not a single aspect of his life escapes his ob6ect of adoration and veneration. The ! , messenger of the &odun's( , intervenes while a child is still in his motherGs womb, to identify his destiny and, if need be, to avert it. *imilar *imilarly ly,, throug throughou houtt all the stages stages of life, life, from birth, birth, and throug through h the differ different ent e&isten e&istential tial situations, the &odun faithful will feel enfolded in the omnipresence of &odun, and will constantly benefit from the watchful and protective eye of the -antheon, with all the conse8uences of this solicitude. 0ut curiously and parado&ically, &odun does not "accompany" a faithful in death, to the beyond. At the funeral of a &odun adept, a rite e&ists to remove the spirit of the &odun of which he is the "spouse", so as to leave him to his fate. Here there are perhaps two meanings that are important to note. 'irstly, the &odun takes care of the living and not of the deadF secondly, &odun is essentially an intermediary between man and od the %reator, to whom he simply delivers him when he dies. As a princi principle ple of mediation mediation for man, human society. s ociety.
&odun also plays an important role in the organisation of
Re,igious initiation and educationa, (,an in the conte4t of Vodun
"gbasa#$i$i% &a''ess to the living room& and dis'overing the (oto The 9ga%asa#yiyi is of capital importance importance in the lives of 'on men. It is the first of a series of three rites of initiation to the %5 through which the 'on pass. f the three, 9ga%asa#yiyi is fundamentally the most important one through which everyone must pass. oung girls and boys can be initiated to the second degree of F:, but only men can reach the third degree of initiation. Initiation, as 'r 0. Adoukonou points out, "represents one of the essential means invented by Africans to transmit in a lively and e&istential way what for lack of a better e&pression we shall call the fundamental parameters of life. These three initiations to the 'K are in religious terms of a type that is intermediate between a purely profane initiation to historyJ and a consecration to &odun which can go as far as a crisis crisis of possess possession ion". ". The 9ga%asa#yiyi ceremony has no rigorously fi&ed date. It never takes place before at least three lunar months after birth. The purpose of 9ga%asa#yiyi is to introduce the child to the family community in the "living room"
2Agbasa3 of the representative of the eponymous Ancestor. It is the rite of the integration of a child or of several children of the same generation within the family community including the deceased members, members, the living living and the *pirits which protect the family. The The consultation consultation of the F: by the Bo2onon, ")iviner$Healer", reveals the childGs 4oto, in other words, the Vodun, "divinity" or the M$xo 2AncestorF sometimes deified3 who, in him, is "sent" to the family by the 1reat S$. The 4oto is a "reference to a protective force. It isJ a dynamic element which intervenes in the constitution of the individualGs personality". The 4oto is the Ancestor whose vital influ& animates the child. He is refer referred red to as S$#4oto or S$ m$2o2anto 2*C gatherer of the earth of the human body3F he who presents to the %reator$od the clay out of which has been fashioned the body of the newcomer to the and of ife 2bC TomC3. He is the force, the vital and spiritual energy, which models and directs the e&istence of the personF hence the title S$ 2-rotector3 that is given to him. The 4oto is "'ather of the coming into e&istence", the direct collaborator of +awu in the generation of the child. nce the 4oto is known, he is given a welcome! "*C doo nL wM" 2ou are welcome, sCN3, and as his "other self" and under protection, he is welcomed through the rite of 4ono )pi2p- 2encounter, welcome of the stranger, the guest3. In principle, the child does not receive the name of his 4oto. He can however be addressed by this name from time to time in order to remind him of it. This name can sometimes prevail if the person concerned is one day called and consecrated to the cult of his 4oto. "In such cases, the name becomes a real name in religion. It is formally forbidden, under severe penalties, for the individual to be called by another name". )espite )espite the terminological terminological ambiguities ambiguities inevitably inevitably encountered encountered in the formulation formulation of the term 4oto, any idea of reincarnation should be absolutely discarded! the child is not the reincarnation of his 4oto Ancestor. The 'on religious belief holds that the individual S$ is immortal. #hen a person dies and enters the ;$s
voice of the *upreme 0eing on each person who comes into e&istence. As the voice of S$, "< is also the way that S$ traces and indicates indicates for man. 0ecause, 0ecause, "the world is without measure, measure, but we cannot live without measure", thus speaks angoulevan. "< is the word of life given and entrusted temporarily to parents as a measure of guidance for the one who has 6ust made his entry into the land of life 2bCtomC3 and into the world of men 2bCtolC mC3. He traces the path he is to follow, in other words he establishes the ordinances or laws 2*O3 according to which he will have to avoid death$bearing acts both for himself and for others, and acts detrimental to the communityGs integrity. 7ntil a child reaches the age of reason, it is the mother who respects the ordinances of his "<. In general, mothers take upon themselves the responsibility and the concern to follow these ordinances for the rest of their lives, for and with their offspring, even when they are adult. 0y this gesture, they demonstrate that the life preserved in a family member is a gain in vitality for all and that everyone must co$operate in maintaining it. Through the 9g%asi#yiyi rite, the 'on individual is recognised as a true member of his family, since his link with the ancestors, mystical foundations of the family, is determined by it. Through his 4oto, his integration among the living members of the family is reinforced all the more by his being tied to the deceased members. The The .g%asa rite has two dimensions! while the possession of a 4oto confers a social status on a person, the determination of his "<, "#ord "#ord of the oracle on his power of fulfilment", recognises his individual character. Thus there is reciprocal interaction between social status and the status of the individual. Those Those who have not been through through the rite of 9g%asi#yiyi have neither personal nor community status! "no word of the oracle supports them in life" 2E do du 9 6i P3. If these points of reference, the 4oto and the "<, are not known by their families, they remain strangers, men without roots. Hence the an&ious 8uestion of a 'on faced with another who shows a habitual behavioural imbalance! = 2a yi >g%asa n’i >? "has the rite of 9g%asi#yiyi been accomplished for himD". The same 8uestion is often asked spontaneously as regards the ceremony of Sun2@n2@n, = 2a 2osun n’i >? "Has the rite of *unkunkun been accomplished for himD" It is said of a person whose behaviour raises such 8uestions 8uestions that his spirit is not at rest! "Ay "Ayi ton huhwC huhwC PF ayi ton 6Gayi P"F the spirit is agitated. This agitation is a manifestation of an inner, social and religious lack of harmony. It is considered that it cannot be otherwise, because neither this person nor the others have a knowledge of the sublime will of the "reat *C" which gives meaning to his life, the "word of the oracle" which governs and directs the individualGs life. istening to history and tales strengthens the character of the youngF their moral formation, largely based on e&les received, rec eived, combines the imitation of elders, particularly Ancestors 2history3 with that of heroes 2tales3.
Co--on initiation
An education which does not assume moral and religious values as essential is not an education of 8uality 8uality.. /eligi /eligious ous convic convictio tion n gives gives meanin meaning g to behavi behaviour our and moral moral choices choices.. 'on religio religious us education, according to +gr. A.T. *anon, leads the individual to "sense the invisible through the visible and concrete"!
$ (u kplon mC o, 2moral3 education, e no 59 do we place it on (umCsCnlC sin ali nu! the path of "the$beings$to$be$adored"
2divinities and ancestors3! Vodun l9 do lM a
&odun has ordered such and such a thing
*akpata gbC do *akpata has forbidden E ma wa nu le o. such a thing to be done. (umCsCnlC wC e so It is mainly "the$beings$to$be$adored" )o nukon taOn that we have put forward 0o do kplon nO vilC na to educate the children. At the heart of the 'on man there is a religious "fear" which, at the moment of moral action takes the form of a deep conviction! it is the =#g%l-#ma#2A 2may$I$die$if$it$goes$wrong! the determination to succeed3 which we find in our elders. This adamant conviction has fundamentally contributed to keeping keeping the peace in society. society. (o compromise compromisess would would be tolerated, tolerated, whoever the perpetrator perpetrator might be. The young 'on is faced with his religious responsibilities as soon as he reaches the age of "o so 2an nu 2
.goo#ma#yi#sogw- is the stage that marks late adolescence 2around the age of twenty3. At this time the second initiation to the 'K takes place, known as F:#sins$n 2adoration of the 'K3 or F:#yi#yi 2reception of the 'K3. At this stage in their lives, boys and girls are generally in a growth crisis. It is said that a youth is "disturbed" by the 'K. He or she must "receive" and "adore" the 'K, in other words, "in a public religious act, conform his or her will to that of the *upreme 0eing of whom the 'K is the messenger 2'K bCwCndoto3. outhful freedom struggling for self$control must utter the most profound SyesG to the will of od 2bC3 in order to become stronger". The consultation of the 'K reveals the "sign" 2)O3 under which the boys or girls present themselves. This will be the )O 2word of the oracle3 of their adolescence. 'or each one and with each one, the 0okonon 2diviner$ healer3 removes the .dr>, in other words he offers the sacrifice that clears their path 2i.e. their lives3 of obstacles, accidents and misfortunes 2AdrP3. They are given the 'K and they receive it! it is the word of +awu$bCdoto 2od3 for each one as he definitively leaves "childhood" to enter adult life. The third initiation to the F: is reserved for male candidates alone.They accede to it as adults. It is the door, door, although although a narrow narrow one, to the secrets secrets of the 'K divinat divination ion system. system. It is called F:#tit$ 2consultatio 2consultation n of the 'K3, a rite through through which the F: 2son of 'K3 "receives the revelation of the whole of his destiny". The candidate is no longer only the one for whom the consultation is made, but also the one who consults for himself. (eedless to say, given the esoteric character of this initiat initiation ion compar compared ed to the previo previous us ones, ones, non$in non$initia itiates tes and women women are not even even admitte admitted d as spectators. The ceremony takes place in the F:un 2the wood, bush or forest of the 'K3. As a master$ initiat initiator or the candid candidate ate has a Bo2onon. #ith hands 6oined containing a "hand" of sacred nuts, he prays three times to Mawu#1%$doto 2od the %reator3 for him to send the 'KviGs oto, in other words the one who presented od with the clay that served to create the 'Kvi alongside his prot9g9. Then under the protection of his oto, the 'Kvi manipulates the F:g%o 2great 'K with R nuts3 to e&tract the partial figures of the "< 2sign of the oracle3 which he writes on the ground as they come out. nce the sign is formed, the 4og%ana 2the assistant to the 0okonon in the ceremony3 reads it aloud. He then gathers up the earth where the )O inscription is written and places it in a cloth sack. This constitutes constitutes the )poli of the F:vi! it is the visible sign of the spiritual spiritual principle that is in man,
i.e. the visible sign of
S$.
Another consultation is held to ensure that the sign which emerged is for the good of the F:vi. A positive answer from the 'K is greeted with 6oy and satisfaction by everyone. A negative answer leads leads to an offe offerin ring g of sacrifi sacrifices ces to cast cast off off )< 2death 2death3, 3, .on 2illn 2illness3 ess3,, 7w$ 2guilt and legal summons3, 7$n 2poverty 2poverty,, wretchedness3. wretchedness3. At the end of this sacrifice sacrifice of e&orcism, e&orcism, the 'Kvi takes a ritual bath in flowing water. The F:viGs hair, nails, a piece of his loin$cloth and everything that in him that symbolises impurity are buried in the sacred wood. Everyone then returns to the house of the Bo2onon, the "spiritual 'ather" of the F:vi. "If the esoteric meaning of the signs is not readable for the casual consultant, it is for the F:vi, at least in part, once he emerges from the F:un 2sacred wood3. wood3. Indeed before he leaves, the diviner diviner summarily reveals the 8ualities of the sign found during the consultation. ater, a more substantial e&planation is given to him in the house, first by the colleagues of the initiator, then by the man himself". Throughout the initiation period, the 'Kvi is not allowed to have se&! he is in a period of close and special relationship with the sacred. *e&ual continence disposes the candidate to preserving all his vital energy for the benefit of his encounter with the "divine power"F it enables the sacred energy to operate effectively on the candidate, free f ree of any hindrance. The lifting of the se& s e& ban happens on the third third day after he has returne returned d from the F:un 2the wood of the 'K3. It happens after a futher consultation of the 'K to make sure that the 'KviGs "< came for his good. After After this consultation and the lifting of the se& ban, the 0okonon makes recommendations to the 'Kvi! "This is a sort of tradition in the constitution of his new state. There is a stress on the meaning of the sense of brotherhood there should be with all the other 'Kvi and on the respect and attachment there should be for the spiritual father and all the other 0okonons". 'inally the F:vi is clothed in a brand new white loin$cloth, then he goes home with his 'K. He is a full initiate as regards the order of the stages reserved to common man. Henceforth, he knows "the meaning of life" and the meaning of his own life, he "knows" his personal destiny.
The )Novitiate) of the vodunsi+ )!choo, of ,ife)
The very day a child enters the 7un#2pam6 or &odun#)pam$ 2&odun enclosure3, i.e. &odun convent , the &odun 2)ivinity3 takes possession of the child, girl or boy, who has chosen it. He or she is therefo therefore re Vodunsi ipso facto and, for three months, will be Ua6Mka6i 2a gourd who increases the number of gourds3! a neophyte. #hat we call "novitiate" is therefore the process by which they will be made to become in fact what they already are mystically. The neophytes are supervised by the xw-gan 2head of house3, the )angan 2master of the rope3 in charge of discipline, then there are the 7unso and the Cag%o who are "novice" master and mistress respectively. The 7un2pam$ 2the convent3 is a harsh school of renunciation and endurance. #ithin it, the elect are initiated to the cult of their "spouse", the &odun to whom they are consecrated for their whole life. Initiation to the &odun is a particularly important moment that deeply marks the life of the individual. Its aim is gradually to lead the profane from non$e&istence to their e&istence as sacred personsF the novice undergoes a series of separations which are each a death to the previous profane life. 0efore anything else, els e, the &odunsi must make a solemn vow of absolute discretion as regards what they have seen and heard or will see and hear in the convent. Any &odunsi who cannot keep 8uiet about what is to remain secret and act with the veneration that is due to the sacred ob6ect he carries on his head will be a traitor. 'ailure to observe the rules of initiation, of consecration and of proper behaviour in the profane environment is an infidelity and a threat to the authority, not of men, but of the )ivinity. ne e&poses oneself by this to the unpleasant effects of his anger. Those guilt guilty y of it can can only only make amends amends by payin paying g a larg largee fine fine and acced accedin ing g to the rites rites of Fl:
2con6uration3 and D
Vodun+ Vodun+ fro- Hennu 1fa-i,'3 to To 1countr'3+ socio,og' socio ,og'
7$nnu designates the family, reduced or e&tended, the first unit of social organisation. It is a blood$ line community, united by a single ancestor, with food or moral prohibitions, family &odun cults and divinit divinities ies to which which the family family is loyal. loyal. TE is a groupi grouping ng of several several families families or several several xw6 2parental enclosures3. As in the family, it too has a hierarchy of prohibitions 2 Tosu3, prescribed sacred practices 2 sin protector or &odun's( 2Tovodun 3 and priests dedicated to the cult. Here, more sin3, protect than at the family level, the reciprocal influence of political and religious authority is apparent. +ore often than not, it is &odun that prevails in the consecration of customary chiefs. And generally the &odun oracles are also irrevocable! hence the fear they inspire and which provides for an easier take$over control of social phenomena. In this way, in traditional society, a social category without its &odun's( is fragile and bound to disappear. It should be noted here that 8uite apart from the ethnic or inter$ethnic &odun's(, most &odun's( are all the more efficient when they are of foreign origin, in other words, imported. In actual fact, fact, in view of these these e&l e&les es of the function functional al role role of &odun, we can but admit the instrumental dimension of the phenomenon! &odun's( are not ends in themselves, themselves, they all lead to a same end.
Vodun Vodun and -onotheis-
0y identi identifyi fying ng &odun as an idolatrous fetishism or a superstitious animism, certain ethnologists came to the conclusion conclusion that the &odun cult is the perfect illustration of polytheism. This is perhaps true with reference to the -antheon of reek gods. 0ut with every analogy e&plored and keeping things in proportion, even the unknown god to which a temple in Athens was dedicated in the times of the Apostle Apostle -aul does not have the same value as the +awu of *outh 0enin to whom no cult is rende rendered red and who is even even invo invoke ked d by all the the prie priests sts of all the &odun's( . In fact, fact, the the &odun phenomenon has a single ob6ective although it has a multiplicity multiplicit y of e&pressions and manifestations. It is the e&pression e&pression of homo religiosus through a given culture. In the collective imagination of our people, the cult rendered to the divinities known as Vodun)s* is a short$cut to the True od whose revelation is as yet lackingF ultimately, it is to this od that all worship is given, he who alone is worthy of being adored. Indeed, in this same view, it is the reat od who created all men and all these &odun's( , and gave them to men as intermediaries. Even if there has been a certain attempt at inculturation by seeing these intermediaries as stepping stones to the acceptance acceptance of esus %hrist as the uni8ue mediator between od and man, it must be noted the terms of this comparison are disproportionate! %hrist being the beyond of the models. It clearly follows to speak of polytheism in the conte&t of &odun is hardly correct. /ather, it appears (o,'hedra, -onotheis-onotheis- which highlights an active relationship with the cosmos, nature, to be (o,'hedra, phenomena and deceased human beings, in contrast with a direct relationship with od. (either can one say absolutely that we are in the presence of a pantheist 2od 2od in everything3, it is rather (an$in$ theist 2everything in od3. This stage is not far removed from the %hristian belief in a single od. 0ut this is nothin nothing g more more than an apolog apology y of &odun odun which would not be nave and fallacious if &odun were limited to this positive substance which characterises it.
CRITICAL APPROACH TO THE VOD*N %*NCTIONALIT
&odun, in spite of its functional ramifications that we have 6ust discovered and its ethical value that we shall proceed to demonstrate, also has some regrettable sides. #e shall simply mention the two principal ones.
%ro- the sacred to vio,ence
*eeing certain &odun practices on the cultural cultural and moral 2 %ehavioural 3 levels, one might be led to define it as the dictatorship of the sacred. enerally, in traditional religions, the sacred is what overcomes us and imposes itself upon us, that to which we ultimately entrust our forces and freedoms for it to protect us and ensure our happiness. In this sense we understand how sovereigns of kingdoms are not far from the sacred, in other words from being deified. In the case of &odun, the sacred assumes an even more terrifying dimension. A certain &odun can seek vengeance. Another may kill. et another may re8uire human sacrificeJ The man who has succeeded in enslaving himself to a &odun and mustered the necessary popular popular credit for this, can finally take any liberty. liberty. ne easily forgets that it is a man speaking in the name of the divinity. *acred violence thus becomes normal, especially to the e&tent that e&emplary reprisals are often ordered to dissuade those who might be tempted to ask the reason why. This violence manifests itself as much at the level of the austerity of the &odun convent mysti8ue as at the level of the occult practices that are its ad6uncts. ad6uncts. It is even manifest manifest simply on the level of &odun cultural and folkloric demonstrations. In the face of this violence human freedom is totally without defence. It is enough for fate to designate individuals for them to be forced into the convent. #ith the coming of %hristianity, the %hurch authorities authorities had to fight intensely with the &odun heads of convents in cases where catechumens were kidnapped. In comparison with these cases of physical violence, the occult dimension of
&odun is even more frightening.
Vodun Vodun and -agic sorcer'
#ith #ith the functio functional nality ity of &odun described above, one might say that it is simply a naturalist religion. However, the whole power of the phenomenon is based on two meta$rational realities! magic and sorcery. It is these that confer upon it its power, the viability of its hierarchical structures and its credit with the people. It is a comple& universe which one cannot penetrate and emerge from unscathed. #hat is even worse is the malefic use that is made of its power. The key words are B 2charm3 and .- 2sorcery3. The former is supposed to protect from evil spells. 0ut whoever knows how to make the antidote has also known the poisonJ Thus the B can also be cast on someone as an evil spell! - do %o’- . As for .-, it seems that there must also be a protective sorcery called white sorcery. 0ut there is nothing more dangerous than this ine&tricable world where evil takes the shape of good and imposes a code of conduct. It is precisely this connivance between &odun and these esoteric circles of harm that always make a deep inculturation difficult, given that in &odun the cult aspects are amply mi&ed with cultural ones.
DI!TING*I!HING THE C*LT %ROM THE C*LT*RAL. A !INE 6*A NON CONDITION CONDITI ON %OR AN ATTEMPT AT INC*LT*RATION INC*LT*RATION
In the cultural area of *outh 0enin, which is the area I am addressing in my discourse, the deep infl influe uenc ncee of the the relig religio ious us phen phenom omeno enon n on the the socia social, l, econo economi micc and and poli politi tical cal struc structu tures res is undeniable. The present time is solidly rooted in the time of the venerated ancestorsF events, almost in their minute detail, are e&plained, understood and lived in a certain continuity with the will of the &odun. The pharmacopoeia constitutes a ma6or force of the convents. Each family, each son or each large socio$geographic entity 2the To3 has its special &odun which imposes itself as the primary area for the 8uest 8uest for e&istent e&istential ial meaning. meaning. #isdo #isdom m has as its base the fear of &odun. Economic life receives the aid e&pected from the &odun. " The art of arts, in other words politics, is mar2ed %y the &odun reality". 'rom these various data collected at source, one might infer that the &odun religion imbues the social fabric to the point that worship may supplant culture. *uch *uch a deduct deduction ion is much much more more theoret theoretical ical than real. &odun &odun does not absorb all that is cultural. There There is a stron strong g tend tenden ency cy for for relig religio ion n to replac replacee cultu culture. re. #hat does does recur recur is that that the the cult cult appropriates cultural elements. The religious cult can claim for itself as meaningful signs 2 acts, gestures, words… words…3 those by which man shows his relationship of communion with the transcendent. In &odun, this is a specific act of devotion and religiosity. The essential acts of worship in the &odun religion are sacrifices 2of propitiation or than2sgiving 3, 3, offerings and prayers. %ommunion meals and annual purification purification rites complete the vast range of forms of ritual worship. worship. The cultGs cultGs impact on cultural life goes through the moral prohibitions and prescriptions which emanate specifically from &odun This neces necessa sary ry dist distin incti ction on betw between een the the cult cult and and the the cult cultur uree is the the dun 2&odun#s<3. This unavoidable condition for sincere dialogue between this culture and %hristianity, so as to start a process of inculturation. 0ut this precise definition in no way seeks to insinuate that the religion as a whole is a negative, coarse idolatry. If the truth is to be told, it must be recognised that the shortcomings, failures and deviations of &odun 2charms, magic, sorcery, fetishism…3 e&ploit the senses, the useful, in a 8uest for power. There is an unwarranted substitution of symbols, signs for the pure material nature of the sign. This leads to superstitious and magical attitudes, widespread infusion of wickedness and terror in &odun practices. Hence the perple&ity and scepticism when faced with a &odun that promotes a certain moral morality ity.. In the the 7$nnu, the the .2o 2lin 2linea eage ge33 and and the To, &odun constitutes an element of social cohesion. The regular ceremonies of each social entityGs particular &odun provide great moments of
brotherhood in action. The followers of the same &odun are boun bound d by this this &odunGs specific dun are prohibitions and legal prescriptions. The &odun rules establish a life of solidarity among these individuals! 8uarrels between followers of the same &odun are generally settled at the convent or at the &odununGs hous house. e. In addi additi tion on,, &odun tolerat tolerates es no transg transgress ression ion of its prohib prohibitio itions. ns. This This maintains among sincere &odun adepts a permanent culture of fidelity. The total commitment of e&$ &odun adepts who have converted to %hristianity is a proof of this. 'inally, it should be noted that if &odun does not oppose the rules of life known as Gbêsu, it accepts them implicitly. These 1%$su hold the destruction of life and the betrayal of friends in abomination. The features to be focused on therefo therefore, re, are the values values of fratern fraternity ity,, solida solidarity rity,, commun communion ion and religio religious us fidelity fidelity,, withou withoutt forgetting the social prohibitions to which &odun implicitly give credit. CONCL*!ION
To conclude this brief communication on the traditional &odun religion of 0enin, I must point out that it was not possible to say everything, even on essential aspects. However, in spite of all the e&cesses to its discredit, &odun in its purity remains a fertile ground for evangelisation. As a cultural phenomenon, it could offer numerous values to be %hristianised. 0ut the gordian knot remains the difficu difficulty lty of setting setting it on the -ascha -aschall way. way. To empty &odun of its magic and sorcery would be beneficial for the people of 0enin. 'or the time being, this seems an utopian enterprise, today more than in the past. Indeed, the seventeen years of +ar&ist$eninist policies in 0enin, <>=Q$<>@>, with anti$religious campaig campaigns ns and witch$ witch$hun hunts, ts, had contrib contribute uted d to dimini diminishin shing g the import importanc ancee and reduci reducing ng the influe influence nce of &odun. 0ut with the coming coming of democratic renewal since <>>, <>>, &odun has regained vitality. 'rom Q@ +ay to < une <>><, a symposium of the great leaders of the &odun cults was held with the aim of restoring a certain degree of legal recognition for this traditional religion. In <>>R, a great international international &odun festival was organised and held in 0enin! "uidah >Q". Its effect was to foster its renewal. In the same year, -ope ohn -aul IIGs visit and his highly media$enhanced meeting meeting with &odun leaders were taken by many &odun followers, not as a sign of dialogue, but as the indication that the %hurch at last recognises that the &odun cult has its place . This combination of circumstances means that in 0enin &odun is currently organising and structuring itself more and more as a traditional religion, with a national feast 2< anuary3 and a national hierarchy. In sum, to reach out to these &odun adepts, the %hurch will no longer be able to use only the 0ible and Holy #ater, #a ter, but above all will need dialogue.
