The Truth Behind the Vodou Religion

Following the conclusion of the in-class movie, I sought out more information concerning the Haitian religion of Vodou. The religion was shown in the film as no different than ordinary religions and certainly having nothing to do with witchcraft or dark forces. The religion itself was a mixture of the beliefs of the peoples of West Africa, with Arawakian religious beliefs, and Roman Catholic Christianity. It was stated in this riveting film that the Vodou religion was created by West African slaves who were transported to the island during the 16th century; these slaved still sought to practice their traditional African religion, but were forced by their owners to convert to Roman Catholicism.

The view the general public has about the belief system behind the Vodou religion is very far from the reality. There is a negative connotation that has been unfairly attached to the religion; contemporary society views the religion as a cult of extremists who practice witchcraft and dangerous/violent sacrifices etc. However, in reality the Vodou practitioners believe in a supreme being of sorts named Bondye. In addition to Bondye, they also believe in a multitude of saints that are referred to as Loa. When the Vodou religion was created, the supreme being of the Christian faith was used to model their belief in a supreme being-Bondye-and the Saints of Christianity were used to be associated with the Loa. After researching this information I was glad to discover that the Haitian religion is now spreading on a global level-even into the U.S. This religion is so very crucial to Haitian nationalism because it allows the Haitian people to be in contact with the history of their nation and how the blending of cultures is something to be celebrated, instead of being looked down upon or ignored.