Vodou

For many, the mention of the word Vodou evokes images of dark nights filled with the sound of rhythmic drumbeats, writhing bodies drenched in sweat, and feverish dancing in a dirt floor temple, where blood sacrifices have been offered to spirits, who possess people, bringing about an altered state. How is this transformation achieved? The answer lies somewhere between the mysterious realms of Belief and Faith. Vodou also stirs fear and trepidation in the hearts of those unacquainted with all aspects of the religion, but should it? Vodou practitioners (or Vodouisants), like Christians or Muslims, believe that when something good happens, it is by the grace of the lwas, or God or Allah. When bad things happen, it is also by the will of the lwas, God or Allah. Like the gods and goddesses of Rome and Greece, lwas have human characteristics, likes and dislikes. Serve them well and you will be rewarded — or not. The gods are finicky that way. Foreigners may shudder at the thought of animal sacrifices and offers of liquor to satisfy hungry lwas. But when the ceremony is over, the chicken, pig or goat in question is roasted and distributed, along with the rum, among hungry participants. While Hindus worship a multitude of deities for the blessings they impart, Vodouisants actually invite their deities to enter their bodies, to possess them, to take control, and to turn them into gods. When spirit possession takes place, it is said to bring a state of ecstasy. In other circles this is called surrendering to God.

As the story goes, on the night of August 14, 1791, a powerful Vodou ceremony took place in the woods of Plaine du Nord. A black pig was sacrificed, blood was drunk; the spirits came. Everyone present swore allegiance to Boukman, leader of the revolution. And the battle against a mighty oppressor was won. The sealing of pacts with blood rites does not belong to Africans or Haitians alone. There is no doubt that Vodou is different. Whether it is perceived as a strange tribal ritual or accepted as a valid religion makes all the difference.

One of the most popular sayings about Haiti is that the people are 95% Catholic and 100% Vodou. The influence of Vodou in many of the paintings in this exhibition bear this out. Whether average Haitians admit to practicing Vodou or not, it is incorporated in all facets of daily life. Oungans, familiar with medicinal properties of plants, are as likely to be called in to treat patients as Western trained doctors; animals used in ceremonial rites are also prized for their traditional entertainment values (think cock fights); president-for-life "Papa Doc" Duvalier often wore the clothing and colors of Bawon Samdi (spirit of death) to suggest his mystical powers; and annual carnivals are not much more than odes to the mischief of the lwas. While Catholicism was always regarded as the country's established religion, in an act of defiance against the status quo, exiled president Jean-Bertrand Aristide gave Vodou equal status as the island's sister national faith. Though many might disagree with his proclamation, it reflects an unambiguous reality, and perhaps, the beginning of respect for the religion practiced by so many in Haiti.