Vodun

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Vodun

There is a lot of prejudice against this legitimate African religion. Most of the prejudice is founded in gross misrepresentations in our film and media. It is also true, however, that this religion is very different from our European ones, and can appear quite wild and dangerous to our ignorant eyes. We do not know what we are seeing so it scares us.

I will not be posting a dissertation on this important religion. However, the sacrifice of chickens is often associated with Vodun so I feel a need to address it here.

Many Vodun rituals call for animal sacrifice and chicken is frequently the preferred offering. It is probably from this religion that African-American Hoodoo has taken its predilection for chicken use in its magickal practices. But remember, in Vodun the chicken is offered to a god. It is part of worship. In Hoodoo, the chicken is a victim of someone's desire to heal or hurt. (Yes, the chicken is often killed as part of well-meant folk healing too.)

I am including here a very brief primer on Vodun rituals so you can have a sense of how the chicken is used as an offering to a god. In Vodun, gods are made by GOD or are deceased humans who are very special in some way (usually referred to as spirits.) These gods or spirits are referred to as Loa or Lwa.

La Sirene

Vodun Rituals:

The purpose of rituals is to make contact with a spirit, to gain their favor by offering them animal sacrifices and gifts, to obtain help in the form of more abundant food, higher standard of living, and improved health. Human and Loa depend upon each other; humans provide food and other materials; the Loa provide health, protection from evil spirits and good fortune. Rituals are held to celebrate lucky events, to attempt to escape a run of bad fortune, to celebrate a seasonal day of celebration associated with a Loa, for healing, at birth, marriage and death.

The "ti bon ange" is the little soul that resides in all of us and goes flying away when we sleep. There is also a big soul in all of us that never leaves.

American Voudou: Journ cover ey into a Hidden...

Vodun priests can be male (houngan or hungan), or female (mambo). A Vodun temple is called a hounfour (or humfort). At its center is a poteau-mitan a pole where the god and spirits communicate with the people. An altar will be elaborately decorated with candles, pictures of Christian saints, symbolic items related to the Loa, etc. Rituals consist of some of the following components:

1. A feast before the main ceremony

2. Creation of a veve, a pattern of flour or cornmeal on the floor which is unique to the Loa for whom the ritual is to be conducted.

3. Shaking a rattle and beating drums which have been cleansed and purified.

4. Chanting

This information was taken from:

VODUN (and related religions Candomble, Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo, Vodoun & Yoruba)

Voodoo: Search for the Spirit...

5. Dancing by the houngan and/or mambo and the hounsis (students studying Vodun). The dancing will typically build in intensity until one of the dancers (usually a hounsis) becomes possessed by a Loa and falls. His or her ti bon ange (the little soul) has left their body and the spirit has taken control. The possessed dancer will behave as the Loa and is treated with respect and ceremony by the others present.

6. Animal sacrifice; this may be a goat, sheep, chicken, or dog. They are usually humanely killed by slitting their throat; blood is collected in a vessel. The possessed dancer may drink some of the blood. The hunger of the Loa is then believed to be satisfied. The animal is usually cooked and eaten. Animal sacrifice is a method of consecrating food for consumption by followers of Vodun, their gods and ancestors.

Rhythms of Rapture: Sacred Musics of...