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Haitian mythology

Folklore of the people of Haiti

Haitian mythology
Summary

Folklore of the people of Haiti

Haitian mythology consists of many folklore stories from different time periods, involving sacred dance and deities, all the way to Vodou. Haitian Vodou is a syncretic mixture of Roman Catholic rituals developed during the French colonial period, based on traditional African beliefs, with roots in Dahomey, Kongo and Yoruba traditions, and folkloric influence from the indigenous Taino peoples of Haiti. The lwa, or spirits with whom Vodou adherents work and practice, are not gods but servants of the Supreme Creator Bondye (pronounced Bon Dieu). A lot of the Iwa identities come from deities formed in the West African traditional regions, especially the Fon and Yoruba. In keeping with the French-Catholic influence of the faith, Vodou practioneers are for the most part monotheists, believing that the lwa are great and powerful forces in the world with whom humans interact and vice versa, resulting in a symbiotic relationship intended to bring both humans and the lwa back to Bondye. "Vodou is a religious practice, a faith that points toward an intimate knowledge of God, and offers its practitioners a means to come into communion with the Divine, through an ever evolving paradigm of dance, song and prayers."

History and origins of Voodooism in Haiti

Main article: Haitian Vodou

Vodou originated from the Animist beliefs of the Yoruba tribes in Benin.

Voodoo Ritual

Voudon encapsulates an assortment of cultural elements, including personal creeds and practices, among which is a complex system of folk medical practices. Voudon to some is more than a belief but a way of life, upon which popular proverbs, stories, songs, and folklore are based around. Voudon teaches belief in a supreme being called Bondye, an unknowable and uninvolved created god. Voudon believers worship the lwa. There are in total 180 lwa in the Vodou religion, each of them carrying a name and, a specific and exclusive function. For instance, Gede are the spirit of life and death who is assigned to separate the souls and bodies of people when the time comes and also to watch over their graveyards. Gede also serve the role of connecting the past, present, and future, as well as amalgamating them into one reality.

Mythology in Haiti was used not only for politics but also for the revolution. Myths like: L'Union Fait La Force (Togetherness is Strength), is a story about slaves who rose up on August 22, 1791, in a heroic battle to win their freedom, and is a story about solidarity between two different groups of people to get freedom for the collective. Mythical symbols of Voudon and the tradition of the shifting from chaos to collectivity known as the religion of Vodou play a big role in the forming of Haitian mythology. Today, individuals referred to as Alchemists of Memory are the keepers of Vodou history and Haitian mythology, preserving the stories told by their ancestors.

Characters

People

  • Bokor - The male equivalent of a Vodou witch. They are said to serve the lwa with "both hands" meaning they are practicing for good and evil.
  • Mambo - Haitian priestess who, together with the Houngan, leads the Vodou rituals and invokes the lwa.
  • Ti Malice and Tonton Bouki - A pair of competing tricksters.

Creatures

  • Gede - family of spirits related to death and fertility.
  • Kalunderik - A giant bird with brilliant feathers, originally from Africa.
  • Lougawou - A werewolf-like shapeshifter.
  • Lwa - Haitian Vodou spirit.
  • Tonton Macoute, a Haitian mythological phrase meaning "bogey man" (literally: "Uncle Bagman")
  • Mermaid - A creature with the upper body of a woman (sometimes man) and the lower body of a fish-like creature. Mermaids are known to lure children to the ocean to take them to their homes and teach them dark magic, or drown them.
    • Tezin Nan Dlo
  • Petro - aggressive and warlike family of spirits
  • Rada - old, benefic family of spirits.
  • Zombie - A reanimated body without a soul meant to complete or perform tasks by a Bokor.

Lwa Vodou Spirits

Main article: Lwa#List

  • Adjassou-Linguetor – Haitian lwa in the form of spring water (goddess).
  • Adya Houn’tò – Haitian lwa of the drums.
  • Agassou – Haitian lwa which guards the Dahomean traditions.
  • Ayida-Weddo - Haitian lwa of fertility, rainbows, and serpents.
  • Azaka-Tonnerre – Haitian god of thunder, agriculture and farmers.
  • Badessy – Haitian god of the sky.
  • Baron La Croix – lwa of the dead and sexuality.
  • Baron Samedi – lwa of the dead.
  • Damballa – father of the lwa and humankind.
  • Diable Tonnere – Haitian god of thunder.
  • Dinclinsin – Haitian vodou deity feared for his severity.
  • Erzulie Dantor – Haitian vodou goddess of wealth, vengeance, and protection.
  • Obatala – yoruba creator god.
  • Ogoun – Haitian vodou god of fire, iron, politics, thunder and war.
  • Oshun – yoruba goddess of love, also Erzulie Freda (in Vodou).
  • Oya – yoruba warrior goddess.
  • Papa Legba – intermediary between the lwa and humanity.

References

References

  1. Murrell, Nathaniel Samuel. (2010). "Afro-Caribbean religions: an introduction to their historical, cultural, and sacred traditions". Temple University Press.
  2. Vye Zo Komande LaMenfo, Mambo. (2011). "Serving the Spirits: The Religion of Vodou". Mambo Vye Zo Komande LaMenfo.
  3. Weber, A. S.. (December 2018). "Haitian Vodou and Ecotheology". Ecumenical Review.
  4. (2022-10-12). "MYTHOLOGIES OF HAITI".
  5. Scalora, Sal. (March–April 1993). "A salute to the spirits". Americas.
  6. (September 2005). "The Founding Myths of the Haitian Nation". Small Axe.
  7. (July 2005). "Recombinant Mythology and the Alchemy of Memory: Occide Jeanty, Ogou, and Jean-Jacques Dessalines in Haiti". Journal of American Folklore.
  8. Louis, Liliane. (1999). "When Night Falls, Kric! Krac!".
  9. Simpson, George Eaton. (1942). "Loup Garou and Loa Tales from Northern Haiti". The Journal of American Folklore.
  10. Gandhi, Lakshmi. (December 15, 2013). "Zoinks! Tracing The History Of 'Zombie' From Haiti To The CDC".
  11. Mehta, Brinda. (2002). "Re-Creating Ayida-Wèdo: Feminizing the Serpent in Lilas Desquiron's "Les Chemins De Loco-Miroir"". Callaloo.
Wikipedia Source

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