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West African VOdun
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West African VOdun
Location
The Information
Creation Story
Ceremonies and rituals play a large part in the practice of Voodoo.
Some can include prayer, dance & music, animal & blood sacrifice, and spell work
Vital components of the Voodoo ceremony. Dancing is how they express their spirituality, through this they are able to connect with the spirit world.
The drummers and singers are also a viral part of voodoo ceremonies, they are the channel in which spirits to travel into the ceremony
- Most important through which everyone must pass
- Never takes place before at least three lunar months after birth
- Purpose: introduce the child to the family community in the “living room” (Agbasa) of the representative of the eponymous ancestor
- The consultation of the Fá (the messenger of Vodun) by the Bokonon (Divine-Healer) reveals the child’s Joto, in other words, the Vodun, “divinity” who is “sent” to the family
- The Joto is the Ancestor whose vital influx animates the child
- Once Joto is known, he is given a welcome, but does not receive the name of his Joto, but is addressed by this name from time to time
- Marks late adolescence (around the age of twenty)
- Second initiation takes place, known as Fá-sinsên (adoration of the Fá)
- He/she must receive the Fa in a public religious act, conform his or her will to that of the Supreme Being of whom the Fa is the messenger
- Symbol for the process of leaving their childhood to enter adult life
- Reserved only for male candidates
- Door to the secrets of the Fa divination system
- Receives the revelation of the whole of his destiny
- Takes place in the forest
- Hands joined together, praying three times to God the Creator for him to send the Favi’s Joto
- He is finally clothed in a brand new white loin-cloth and is a full initiate
Àgbasa-yiyi
Initiations
Agoo-ma-yi-sogwé
3 Stages:
1) Àgbasa-yiyi: "access to the living room" and discovering the Joto
2) Agoo-ma-yi-sogwé: adoration of the Fá
3) Fá-titê: consultation of the Fá
Fá-titê
Basic Beliefs
Eastern and southern Ghana, southern and central Togo, southern and central Benin and in southwestern Nigeria.
SaCred Places
- There is the creator Mawu, who has subservient spirits called Orishas and Loa
- Each Loa represents a different aspect of life
- Worship is directed toward the Loa and Orishas, who are supposed to guide vodouists through their lives
- To create relationships with these spirits, vodouists have altars and hold ceremonies
- The soul: gros bon ange and ati bon ange
- The Ati Bon Ange can leave the body and a Loa can enter during a ritual
West African VOdun
The Sacred Grove
- A place of self realization
- Initiation into priesthood
- Create a relationship with one's Loa or Orishas
In traditional organised Vodun religion centers around cosmology and vodun spirits that governs Earth. There is a hierarchy that ranges in power between major deities who govern the forces of society, humans, and nature. A major belief is that not act is singular. The universe is all connected as one, hence “vous deux” Along with that there is also ancestor worship. There are variations in dialects, practices, and gods. Vodun does recognise one God called Mawu-Lisa or Nana Buluku.
Hounfour
- The Temple of the Vodun
- Spirits are contacted by a Mambo or Houngan
- Animal Sacrifice
ORal Tradition
Animal Sacrifice & Bloodletting
PRAYER
Animals are sacred creatures in African religions but they are also used as offerings to the gods and ancestors.
-They are often killed for food
-It is thought of as a part of life to kill them, therefore not seen as cruelty
-Animals used for sacrifice eally consecrated offerings to share with their gods, ancestors, and the poor.
Another ancient Voodoo ritual involves blood-letting. Using metal knives, members of the ritual cut their own bodies to release their blood. In doing so, they are showing how strong their faith is.
Prayer is an essential part of Voodoo rituals.They usually open a ritual with a prayer to their God Mawu,their ancestors and then continue the prayer.
Most Important Rituals
Dance & Music
Spell Work
Spell work is another form of ritual that allows them to feel the presence of the gods and ancestors.
Herbs, oils, candles and other talismans (dolls, gris-gris) are used for spell work.
the Orishas
Orishas are recognized by the Vodun believers who
are the many helpers of their one God Mawu.
Orishas are a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of God in the Yoruba spiritual or religious system.
The Orishas also represent different aspects of life and nature, and one of the most publicized and controversial Voodoo practices, animal sacrifice, is performed to give thanks to these spirits.
Even though the idea of animal sacrifice might seem strange and disgusting to some people, the Voodoo believers of West Africa see it quite differently.
MAWU
(MAH-woo)
MAIN gOD
Similarities
Voodoo religion and Catholicism.
- believe in a higher power and the fellowship of saints,
- believe in an afterlife
-both believe in invisible negative spirits or demons.
One belief unique to vodun is that a person’s body can be revived through magic after they’re dead.
Dahomey mythology, Mawu, is a West African Mother Earth creator Goddess associated with both the sun and moon.
- Goddess of the night, of joy, and of motherhood
-Mawu , the Moon, brings cooler temperatures to the African world. She is seen as an old mother who lives in the West
- she is ruler of the world’s wisdom and knowledge.
- Has a partner called Liza he is the god of day, heat and strength.
Mawu and Liza created the world. Their son, Gu. Gu is the divine tool. They used him to shape the universe. The serpent Da, also helped them during creation.
Ideas of Life and Afterlife (purpose)
The life of the Vodun centers around the vodun spirits and other elements of divine essence that govern the Earth, an order that range in power from major supreme being governing the forces of nature and human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, and rocks, as well as dozens of cultural vodun, defenders of a certain clan, tribe, or nation.
More than a religion or a cult of death, voodoo plays a major role in everyday life through the symbolization of the African traditions .Voodoo is far from a regular worship, but transformed differently from one region to the next.
-belief in continuity between life and death.
-death is found as a regeneration of all society if the various death rituals and the burial services are well executed.
- importance is attributed to the dead people and the regular maintenance of the tomb
- the cult of voodoo succeeds in attaining a reconciliation between the world of the alive and the world of the dead.