Spirit - Haiti Observer Blog

Voodoo is more correctly pronounced as "Voudon". It is an Afro-Caribbean religion originated in Haiti. Voodoo teaches belief in an unknown, uninvolved, supreme creator god called "Bondye" (good god). The believers of Voodoo worship many 'loa' or spirits. Each of these spirits or loa has own domain that represents specific parts of life. A farmer praises and offers to the spirit of agriculture; Erzulie Freda is the spirit of love. Loa are the intermediaries between humanity and Bondye-- the Creator who lives far from the world.

A Haitian professor, Leslie Desmangles who teaches at Hartford's Trinity College has written a book related to these practices named "The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal". He has said that "voudon" in Haiti refers to an assortment of many cultural elements that include folk medical practices, cult of ancestors, many traditional system of ethics, stories, songs, proverbs, folklores, personal beliefs and practices. It is more than a religion or belief; it is a way of life. The followers of this practice can be found in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, United States, Brazil and elsewhere.

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The Ghede (often spelled as Gede or Guédé) Lwa families in Haiti practice powers of life, death and fertility through Haitian Vodou. They serve as the intermediaries between the creator god or the good god (Bon Dieu or Bondye) and humanity.

Ghede means 'the sacred dead'. "Lwa" often referred as 'Mystères and the Invisibles'-- are the spirits of Haitian Vodou. Fete Ghede or Gede Festival is a past-honoring event also known as the 'Festival of the Ancestors' performed on Second November every year in the honor of the 'Lord of the Dead'. It is the day to repay the boons granted by Ghede otherwise they will take revenge on you. During the ceremonies of Fete Ghede, there is always a spiritual procession to the cemetery. The women spiritual adepts are called 'mambos' and their male counterparts are known as 'houngans'. They join drummers and singers at the festivals and pray at a cross rising from a tomb; summon the spirits before the party begins.

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Religious Origins.

Haiti culture is informed by multi-cultural influences. Religious traditions are grounded in Voodoo and Roman Catholicism. The melding of these two different belief systems arose when Voodoo was imported by African Congolese slaves. It soon became cross-bred with French and Spanish settlers' Christian practices.

Music Origins

Haiti's musical traditions have derived from Voodoo, Afro-Cuban, and Creole jazz-roots genres.

Food Origins

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