The majority of the Africans who were brought as slaves to Haiti were from the Guinea Coast of West Africa, and their descendants are the primary practitioners of Vodou. The practitioners brought over and enslaved in the United States primarily descend from the Ewe, Anlo-Ewe, and other West African groups. The survival of the belief systems in the New World is remarkable, although the traditions have changed with time. One of the largest differences however between African and Haitian Vodou is that the transplanted Africans of Haiti were obliged to disguise their lwa (sometimes spelled loa) or spirits as Roman Catholic saints, a process called syncretism.
Most experts speculate that this was done in an attempt to hide their “pagan” religion from their masters who had forbidden them to practice it. To say that Haitian Vodou is simply a mix of West African religions with a veneer of Roman Catholicism would not be entirely correct. This would be ignoring numerous influences from the native Taíno Indians, as well as the evolutionary process that Vodou has undergone shaped by the volatile ferment of Haitian history. However, without the Vodou deities, and their corresponding ritual element the religion known as Vodou could not exist.
Vodou as it is known in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora is the result of the pressures of many different cultures and ethnicities of people being uprooted from Africa and imported to Hispaniola during the African slave trade. Under slavery, African culture and religion was suppressed, lineages were fragmented, and people pooled their religious knowledge and from this fragmentation became culturally unified. In addition to combining the spirits of many different African and Indian nations, Vodou has incorporated pieces of Roman Catholic liturgy to replace lost prayers or elements. Images of Catholic saints are used to represent various spirits or mistè (“mysteries,” actually the preferred term in Haiti), and many saints themselves are honored in Vodou in their own right. This syncretism allows Vodou to encompass the African, the Indian, and the European ancestors in a whole and complete way. It is truly a Kreyòl religion.
The most historically important Vodou ceremony in Haitian history was the Bwa Kayiman or Bois Caïman ceremony of August 1791 that began the Haitian Revolution, in which the spirit Ezili Dantor possessed a priestess and received a black pig as an offering, and all those present pledged themselves to the fight for freedom. This ceremony ultimately resulted in the liberation of the Haitian people from French colonial rule in 1804 and the establishment of the first Black people's republic in the history of the world and the second independent nation in the Americas.
Haitian Vodou grew in the United States to a significant degree beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the waves of Haitian immigrants fleeing the Duvalier regime, taking root in Miami, New York City, Chicago, and other major cities.
The beautiful La Siren
Vodou today in the U.S.
Vodou today has overcome many hardships through the years as it has somewhat adapted to the times of today. It is still the life blood of nearly all of Haiti and is now making its presence in the U.S. In the larger cities; New York, Chicago and Miami, it is not unusual to see Houngans and Mambos out and about, especially at the airports as people are coming and going to Haiti for initiation or other reasons. Vodou is becoming ever more popular in this country as a way for people to serve and worship God using alternate methods. Different religions offer different people, different results. What ever God has intended for you will come to you in due time and that will be the path you take, if Vodou is your calling...Aibobo!! Our religion is one of love, healing, peace and protection for its practioners. Since its first arrival to the new world over 600 years ago it has been a way of life for the people of Haiti, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela and many other Carribean as well as Latin American nations. Many people have the misconception that Vodou is used to hurt or destroy the enemies of its followers by using various spells and magical Vodou dolls. Vodou can be used for any reason that you need, provided the Lwa see your actions as justifiable but keep in mind, what you do can and usually will come back to you, sometimes ten fold!! Best to be careful of what you ask...
Many "houses" are springing up all over the country as people seek new answers or a society that best suits their needs. Vodou is all about family, it is what you feel in your heart. If you are to be apart of Vodou, the Lwa will call you to it. They call people in many different ways. It can be through hardships in one's life, a spiritual happening, perhaps even a miracle that calls you to them. As mentioned, it is not for everyone.
Initiated or not, once you have joined a house, it is important to follow the rules and guidance given to you by your elder as the way things such as services, songs, Lwa to call and the Priye Ginea are done. Each house does regleman differently depending on the sosyete and the elder. This service is called, "Regleman Ginea". The regleman is performed in a variety of ways all across Haiti and the diaspora. Vodou is primarily very conservative in accordance with its African roots, thus there is no right or wrong way in Vodou. It will vary between houses and sosyetes. If you have a Mambo or Houngan you are working with, it is best to follow the instructions they give as this may be the way their house has always practiced.
The standard of conduct that is embraced in Vodou revolves around honor and respect for Bondje, the Lwa, the family, sosyete and to yourself. Vodou is a communal religion and does not discriminate against any one in any way. Every one is loved in the Vodou.
Initiation is a serious matter in Vodou. This is a step that is not to be taken lightly. We advise you to not go to Haiti with just any Mambo or Houngan that has a catchy slogan. There are those who will initiate you in just two weeks of knowing you only to make a profit. This can be extremely dangerous. Research the individual you are working with. Learn their background, study the sosyete they come from, etc...This will be the same kind of investment as owning a home when chosing someone to initiate you. Take the time to make the best choice for you. A site that is actively promoting initiation you should steer away from. Vodou does not try to convert or sell itself on any one. Know if the Mambo or Houngan is the person you want dealing with you and your spirits.
To know if you've been called to serve and initiate, listen. Pay attention to dreams, serve your ancestors and have patience. The Lwa work on their time which is not always at the same pace we'd like. Vodou is not a race, the serviteur may take their time to learn and serve. There is no deadline, no rush to Ginea. Most people serve there whole lives and never initiate, yet some non-initiates, especially those in Haiti whom have grown up in the Vodou there entire lives, have as much if not more of a close relationship and the ability to work with the Lwa as the initiates.
While serving the Lwa, this will assist the Vodouisant to achieve and maintain a harmonious balance in his/her life, individual nature and every thing around them. This also includes maintaining a close relationship with the family and the community. The house or sosyete is set up as a family unit, initiates are looked at as children of the initiator.
Now that Vodou is becoming more well known in the States as an actual religion, there are those out there who see Vodou as a chance to make a profit from many who are seeking an actual answer or means of healing. There are even those who feel it necessary to fake possesion for show. If you are searching for a house to belong to or if your journey into the Vodou plans to take you to Kanzo, we highly advise you to research the religion first and foremost but also feel free to investigate or research the Houngan or Mambo you will be working with. With Vodou being new to the U.S. it is hard to know who is a ligitimate representative of the religion and who isn't. Question everyone and everything, feel free to question Mambo Jenn and Hounsi Ryan. You may have found information they are not aware of yet. One must realize that being initiated into the Vodou, even as Asogwe, you are still at a learning point in your life. Just as earning a Masters degree or achieving Black Belt status in Martial Arts, this merely means you have been through the "breaking in" phase. The higher your rank at anything in life simply means you are that easier to teach. One never quits learning...
We welcome you to open discussion, ask questions, seek any kind of assistance and we'll do what we can for you.
This is a very old and traditional religion. It is a culture as well, that demands respect and loyalty. Loving yourself is the first thing you must learn to do. For some of us, that is not an easy task. If you call on your ancestors as you feed them and energize them for assistance with your feelings towards you and/or others, they will help you. Your Lwa will also help and protect you, just as your ancestors will. There are many steps when coming into the Vodou, steps that are not to be taken lightly. There is alot of responsibility, commitment and obligation to the Lwa. It is just as trying at times as maintaining a relationship with a spouse, only sometimes more demanding of you...
Be sure this is the path that has been chosen for you, ask from the heart. You will receive an answer...
May God bless you and keep you, we look forward to hearing from you soon.