Haitian Vodou

According to the Pluralism Project, Vodou means "spirit or god in the Fon and Ewe languages of West Africa and is a blending of African religious traditions and Catholicism" (Harvard University 2020: 1). This blending occurred during the 18th century, where slaves from West and Central Africa were baptized in French Catholicism. This adoption of Catholicism could have been a way for slaves to safely practice their beliefs without any backlash, but according to Karen McCarthy Brown, "[Catholicism] was most likely also seen as a means to expand Voodoo's ritual vocabulary and iconography" (McCarthy Brown 1993: 315). Catholicism has been a major influence on Vodou. Many Catholic saints have been integrated into Vodou beliefs and are worshiped by its followers. An example of this is St. Patrick who is worshipped both as St. Patrick and Dambala in Vodou.

The other major influence on Vodou is African religions that trace their way back to the homelands of 18th-century slaves. According to McCarthy Brown, "Many of the names of Voodoo spirits are easily traceable to their African counterparts" (McCarthy Brown 1993: 314). Although there are a lot of African religious influences on Vodou, the three main influences are from the Yoruba, the Fon, and the Kongo. According to National Geographic, "Today an estimated 60 million people practice Voodoo worldwide" (Guynup 2004).

Vodou spirits are called Iwa and are grouped into different nations. According to McCarthy Brown, "The names of the Voodoo spirit nations almost all refer to places and people in Africa" (McCarthy Brown 1993: 315). An example of one of these nations would be Wangol for the African country of Angola. As stated above, Vodou also incorporates many Catholic saints into their beliefs. Another example of this would be "Legba, an old man, is stated to open the gates between Earth and the world of the Loa, much like St. Peter traditionally throws wide the gates of Heaven" (Guynup 2004). One difference between Western beliefs and Vodou is that Vodou spirits have a very strong influence over the outcome of our lives.

Vodou rituals and ceremonies are incredibly important to the followers of Vodou and most of the time require some sort of sacrifice like a chicken. According to the Pluralism Project, "Singing, drumming, and dance invoke particular spirits to become manifest in one of the devotees" (Harvard University 2020). The other people at the ceremony will then have time to ask the spirit questions or advice on anything that is bothering them. Lynne Warberg, who has documented Haitian voodoo for more than a decade, stated, "participation in voodoo ritual reaffirms one's relationships with ancestors, personal history, community relationships—and the cosmos" (Guynup 2004).

Stemming from the harsh lifestyle faced by African slaves, vodou is highly stigmatized in Haiti and throughout the U.S. Vodou has been used historically to help African slaves feel connected with their homes and their ancestors who they were taken from (McCarthy Brown 1993:314). Because of this, many Frenchmen in Haiti believed vodou to be hateful and evil, something that allowed slaves to congregate and form strong connections with each other (Polyné & McAlister 2017). It was this positive force of spirituality that did allow many enslaved Africans to come together and lead a revolt in the 1790s, which led to many associating vodou with violence (Polyné & McAlister 2017). For years, misinformation has been spread about vodou, likely resulting from these beginning periods of demonization by Catholics, Christians, and French slaveowners. This misinformation includes confusing the practices of vodou with black magic that always has a negative intent, the creation of zombies and other negative spirits and creatures, and even has extended to those who practice vodou being blamed for causing natural disasters with "witchcraft" (Polyné & McAlister 2017).