Voodoism in Haiti
Haiti is located in the West Indies. It shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic in the east and Haiti in the West. It is the first black nation to be independent in 1804. Etymologically, the religion Vodun (voodoo) started with the Yoruba people from Dahomey West Africa in 18th and 19th centuries, the religion migrated with slaves into the island of Hispaniola. (www.goshen.edu)
The natives Haitians were killed and only the colonists and the slaves remained, the colonists were primarily catholic who have great impact in the religious aspect of voodooism. Contrary to the religion Christianity where the people believe in oneness of God, voodooism worshipers believe in several Loa whom they considered to be different mysterious spirits. It is for that reason that the names of the different Loa (spirits) are attributed to the Catholic Saints. As a young girl growing up in Haiti I was born and Peter is attributed to a Loa called Dambala also known as Loa couleuvre (snake spirit raised catholic and in my late teens I became Seventh day Adventist. I remembered Saint) because when the person is possessed by the spirit he or she slithers like a snake. The other reason why Dambala is attributed with Saint Peter is because in all the rituals ceremonies Dambala is the first Loa to come out, it is symbolized as Peter who carries the key to open the door. When the person is mounted by the Loa he or she does not know anything that happens he doesn’t even know if he is possessed. I remembered when I was 8 years old I saw a woman possessed by that Loa Dambala holding wood fire in her hand and did not even get burned after the loa was gone.
There is another Loa called Ogu Ferraille attributed with the catholic Saint James who is translated as Saint Jacques in French which is the official language of Haiti. Ogu likes to ride on horses when the Loa entered the person body he or she will grab another person and gets on him like a horse. Originally because the Loa came from Africa therefore they have different Africans rhythm associated with them. Usually before the Loa mounted anyone the people in the ceremonies have to chant a lot of songs attributed to them, and played a certain type of rhythm to invoke the spirit in their mist. For instance they have the dances of Petro, Ibo, Congo etc according to the different African tribes the Loa came from.
Nevertheless all the loa do not prophesize the same way. There are two part of Voodooism the Rada and the Petro. Rada makes up the most frequent practiced. “This is a family Loa. As opposed to the Petro which is a black magic voodoo, angry and nasty Loa. Such Loa are involved in curses and the making of zombies.” (http://www.primenet.com/rafreid/voodoo.html)
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