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The heart of Haiti is Vodoun, and it beats for the people, if dead or alive. It beats for spirits and gods, for animals and plants, for all that forms life. It beats for art, love and respect, for esteem and tolerance, for music and rhythm, for songs and drums, for magic and reality. |
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| Nowadays the word "Vodoun" generally means the religion, which is the substance of the Haitian culture. It is a conglomeration on the one hand of the rites of the original islanders, on the other hand of the black africans, which were exploited there as slaves, and on the third hand of the catholizism from Spaniards and Frenchmen imported. |
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Original the word meaned nothing else than "spirit" or "god". In Vodoun like in Christianity it exists one only god, the Bon Dieu, who is responsible for the whole creation. In many different facets this great god presents himself to people in form of spirits or "loa". They are comparable with saints, and in adoration of the loa the faithful often use pictures of saints, because they can assign saints to loas on the basis of their characters. |
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| The loa´s appeal neads a lot of preparations,
which are instructed by a priest or priestess (houngan or mambo). The
ceremonies become realized in their templies. Each loa requires a special
drum-rhythm, the right dance, songs, food and drinks and other necessary
utensils appropriate to his character.
To get the goodwill and help of the loa, he has to be satisfied in his needs and receive the due adoration. |
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| The adoration of the loa plays a great part in
the life of the faithful. They serve them in ceremonies, rites, in
everyday life.
Priest and priestess in Vodoun have got the ability to call the loa and to send them away. A called loa takes possession of a person, he manifest himself in that human being. During this "obsession" the person let act the loa with his body, so that the loa is able to give advices to people seeking for help, to cure sick persons and to refresh everybody present with his energy. Also the serviteur, who is at the loas disposal during the time of trance, come off more powerful. A trance always needs the inner readiness of the persons concerned and will only be possible because of that. |
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| Also the initiation, the spirituell birth of a
person, takes place in the temply of a priest/ houngan. All initiates are
"hounsis" of the temply and participate in the realisation of
ceremonies. They perform dances and songs in honour of the loa,
accompanied by drums. The drummers have got the important job to lead all
dancers in one rhythm in an integrated whole to bundle up all energies
until the highlight of the ceremony : the appearance of the spirit / loa.
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| Corresponding to the individual possibilities of the priest, he fits out his temply with varied rituel objects of art, like mural painting, shimmering flags with sequins, elaborated bottels for drink-offerings, etc. |  |
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Another central subject in Vodoun is the adoration of the ancestors. |
| The Haitians don´t have such a clear dividing line between the world of living and death as it is in the mind of European people. The adoration of the dead presents not only in various funeral-rites, but also in later drink- and food-offerings to keep their goodwill and get their support. |
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The soul survives after death, believing in rebirth goes without saying for Haitian people. |
| In the Vodoun-religion the independence of people plays a
great part. It is important to find out inner values of every human being
and to develop them according to everybodies own character / nature.
Everyone walks his way to self-realization and learns to bear
responsibility for his own life. The wellbeing of everyone is connected
with the community on the basis of respect and regard to everybody.
The loa gives a lot of support to the people on their way to self-realization. They help to find clearness in the middle of many confusions, which can produce hard times. They open the door to everybody´s own power-potential to get out of involved circumstances and help to grow. |
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All over the world old cultures with an integrated whole of daily life and spirituel experience become systematically or thoughtlessly destroyed. What happens to the Buddhists in Tibet, the Kaiowa in Brasil, the Yanomani in Venezuela, the Hopi in North America, the Maya in Mexico, the Aborigines in Australia, the Inuit and Sames near the Arctic Circle and many other holistic cultures, it is the same with the Haitians and their Vodoun-religion.
The assoziation "Herz von Haiti e.V." makes it its business to contribute to the survival of the Haitian culture of Vodoun. In Germany it will inform about Vodoun and help to an understanding of this religion. In Haiti it will support a living continue of this culture and assist to keep Vodoun before a downfall and an only existence in a museum. The "dance of the sky and the earth " (M. Deren) shall continue, enriching the life of people. Contact and more informations : HerzvonHaiti@t-online.de |
