West African Vodun

See also: Dahomey mythology and Yoruba mythology

Vodun or Vudun (pronounced [vodṹ] — that is, with a nasal u on a high tone) (so spelled in the Fon language of Benin and the Ewe language of Togo and Ghana; also spelled Vodon, Vodoun, Voudou, etc.) is a traditional monotheistic organized religion of coastal West Africa, from Nigeria to Ghana. It is distinct from the non-organized traditional animistic religions in the interiors of these same countries, as well as from various religions with often similar names of the African Diaspora in the New World, such as Haitian Vodou, the similar Vudu of the Dominican Republic, Candomblé in Brazil (which uses the term Vodum), Louisiana Voodoo, and Santería in Cuba, which are syncretized with Christianity and the traditional religions of the Kongo people of Congo and Angola.

The word vodún is the Gbe (Fon-Ewe) word for spirit. When the word is capitalized, Vodun, it denotes the religion. When it is not, vodun, it denotes the spirits that are central to the religion. "Voodoo" is the most common spelling in American popular culture.

Vodun is practiced by the Ewe, Kabye, Mina, Fon, and (under a different name) the Yoruba peoples of southeastern Ghana, southern and central Togo, southern and central Benin, and southwestern Nigeria.

Vodun cosmology

Vodun cosmology centers around the vodun, spirits and other elements of divine essence which govern the Earth. Vodun is essentially monotheistic: There is a single divine Creator, called variously Mawu or Nana Buluku, which embodies a dual cosmogenic principle, and of which Mawu, the moon, and Lisa, the sun, are female and male aspects, respectively. (Mawu and Lisa are often portrayed as the twin children of the Creator.) There are a hierarchy of lesser creations, the vodun, which range in power from major deities governing the forces of nature and human society to the spirits of individual streams, trees, and rocks, the more impressive of which may be considered sacred. God does not trifle with the mundane, so the vodun are the center of religious life. (It is often believed that it is these aspects of the religion, similar in many ways to the Trinity and the intercession of saints and angels, which made Vodun so compatible with Christianity, especially Catholicism, in the New World, and produced such strongly syncretistic religions as Haitian Vodou.)

The pantheon of the vodun is quite large and complex. In one tradition, there are seven daughters and sons of Mawu, which are inter-ethnic and related to natural phenomena or historical or mythical individuals, as well as dozens of ethnic vodun, defenders of a certain clan, tribe, or nation. There is a pantheistic quality to Vodun, since all of Divine Creation is considered divine, and therefore contains the power of the divine. This is a concept vital to medicine, such as herbal remedies, and explains the ubiquitous use of mundane objects in religious ritual.

The ways of Vodun are a lot like those of other religions. it has its own dialect, gods, practices, songs, and rituals. In vodun, the practice of offering an animal sacrifice is common as a way to show their respect and thankfulness to the gods. They also believe in ancestor worship and harbor the idea that the spirits of the dead live side by side in the world of the living. They also utilize items that hold spiritual properties. Voodoo talismans called "fetishes" are objects such as statues or dried animal parts that are sold for their healing and spiritually rejuvenating properties.

West African Vodun, as with all indigenous African Religions, has its primary emphasis on ancestors, with each family of spirits having its own priestesshood, who is often hereditary. In many African clans, deities might include Mami Wata, who are god/desses of the waters; Legba, who in some clans is virile and young in contrast to the form of an old man he takes in Haiti; Gu, ruling iron and smithcraft; Sakpata, who rules diseases; and many other spirits distinct in their own way to West Africa.

Queen Mothers

Mama, or Queen Mothers, are usually elder women who are elected by the kingmakers upon the death of the previous Queen Mother and are given the name of one of their highly respected female ancestors. The women who is chosen is usually the oldest women in her clan but this tradition may be overruled due to factors such as health, education, and national influence. The responsibilities of a Queen Mother are mostly geared towards activities among women. They take part in the organization and the running of markets and are responsible for their upkeep as well. This is an important thing to do because the marketplaces are the focal points for gatherings and the center of socialization in their community. In the past when the men of the villages would go to war, the Queen Mothers would lead prayer ceremonies in which all the women would attend every morning to ensure the safe return of their husbands.

The Gods

Vodun has many gods to which they attribute certain things. Eshu is the divine messenger god who transfers and relays messages between the human world and the world of the gods. He is depicted as a very dark, short man who carries a large staff. He is known to have a pipe, candy, or his fingers in his mouth. He is the one who is said to be the mediator between the gods and the living and maintain a balance in order, peace, and communication. Mawu was an androgynous creator who bore seven children and gave them each the power to rule over a realm of nature- animals, earth, and sea. Mawu's youngest child named Legba was to remain with her and act as a go-between among her and her other children.

Botono

Neither Voodoo nor Vodun were created to be used for evil as many people may think, however there is a dark side to the Vodun practice. Sorcerers and sorceresses called Botono ( also known as Aze/Azetos) can put hexes on the enemies of the people who request it to be done. the Botono will call upon evil Voodoo spirits to bring misfortune and and even harm to a single person or a whole family.

Demographics

About 60% of the population of Benin, some 4½ million people, practice Vodun. (This does not count other traditional religions in Benin.) In addition, many of the 15% of the population that refer to themselves as Christian practice a syncretized religion, not dissimilar from Haitian Vodou or Brazilian Cadomblé; indeed, many of them are descended from freed Brazilian slaves who settled on the coast near Ouidah. These traditions also have some influence in Uruguay. In Togo, about half the population practices indigenous religions, of which Vodun is by far the largest, with some 2½ million followers; there may be another million Vodunists among the Ewe of Ghana: 13% of the population of 20 million are Ewe and 38% of Ghanaians practice traditional religion. According to census data, about 14 million people practice traditional religion in Nigeria, most of whom are Yoruba practicing Vodun, but no specific breakdown is available.

European colonialism, followed by some of the totalitarian regimes in West Africa, have tried to suppress Vodun as well as other traditional religions. However, because the vodun deities are born to each clan, tribe, and nation, and their clergy are central to maintaining the moral, social and political order and ancestral foundation of its village, it was near to impossible to eradicate the tradition. Today the religion is practiced by about 8 million people in Benin, Togo, and Ghana, and at least that many again in Nigeria, and recently there have been moves to restore the place of Vodun in national society, such as an annual International Vodun Conference held in the city of Ouidah in Benin that has been held since 1991.

See also

• Dahomeyan religion
• Yoruba religion

References

External links

• Traditional Religion in Africa:The Vodun Phenomenon in Benin
• Vodou-related Rara festivals in Haiti and New York
• West African Vodoun Resurrected in the Diaspora
• Voodoo and West Africa's Spiritual Life
• Trickster at the Crossroads
• Queen Mothers

American religions with African roots Religions Candomblé · Hoodoo · Kumina · Obeah · Palo · Quimbanda · Santería (Lukumí) · Spiritual Baptist · Umbanda · Haitian Vodou · Louisiana Voodoo · Winti · Abakua Deities Babalu Aye · Eshu · Iansan · Mami Wata · Obàtálá · Ogun · Ọlọrun · Orunmila · Ọṣun · Shango · Yemaja Roots West African Vodun · Ifá, Oriṣa (Yorùbá) · Lwa (Dahomey) · Nkisi (Kongo) · Catholicism (Portugal, Spain)