Which African country has the most Voodoo followers?
In Togo, half of the population follows traditional African religions, with the most powerful voodoo having two and a half million followers. One million voodooists are in Ghana, a country of 23 million inhabitants. And this is only to talk about voodoo, not other traditional African religions, which are also very present in these countries.
What is Voodoo and where did it come from?
It was brought to Louisiana from West Africa and the Haitian exiles after the revolution. Voodoo is a spiritual system of beliefs with practices that range from communion and worship rituals to animal slaughter, love potions, and charmed amulets. Here are four American cities that you probably didn’t realize had a large Vodun sub-culture:
Who is the most famous voodoo god?
DAMBALLAH – The most well-known Voodoo deity with the world at large, exceeded only by Baron Samedi perhaps. This serpent god who encircles the Earth was also the creator of human beings and gods and controls intelligence and the life-force.
Are Haitians 100% Voodoo?
"One common saying is that Haitians are 70 percent Catholic, 30 percent Protestant, and 100 percent voodoo," said Lynne Warberg, a photographer who has documented Haitian voodoo for over a decade. In April 2003 an executive decree by then president Jean-Bertrand Aristide sanctioned voodoo as an officially recognized religion.
What country is known for voodoo?
Voodoo is completely normal in Benin. People across West Africa, especially Togo, Ghana and Nigeria hold similar beliefs but in Benin it is recognised as an official religion, followed by some 40% of the population. Voodoo Day is a public holiday and there is a national Voodoo museum.
Where is the most voodoo?
Vodun is an ancient religion practiced by some 30 million people in the West African nations of Benin, Togo and Ghana. With its countless deities, animal sacrifice and spirit possession, voodoo — as it's known to the rest of the world — is one of the most misunderstood religions on the globe.
Where is the voodoo capital of the world?
Voodoo was born in the region between Ouidah and Abomey, Benin a few centuries ago. Today, the small town of Ouidah is the Voodoo capital of the world. Nearly 80% of Benin's population practices Voodoo, and the country's 'feticheurs' are very powerful.
Where is voodoo most commonly practiced in the United States?
New Orleans, LouisianaVoodoo in America is still actively practiced and its capital is New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans Voodoo, also known as Louisiana Voodoo and Mississippi Valley Voodoo, is a set of spiritual beliefs and practices developed from the traditions of the early African people brought to Louisiana.
What cities are known for voodoo?
New Orleans is the best-known city in America for its Voodoo secrets. The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, opened in 1972, provides visitors a glimpse into the Vodun world: Voodoo dolls, stuffed animals and an introduction to the great Marie Laveau are some of the highlights awaiting guests at the museum.
Who is the current voodoo queen?
Marie LaveauVoodoo Queen of New OrleansMajor shrineInternational Shrine of Marie Laveau , New Orleans Healing Center circa 2015FeastJune 15th, September 10thAttributesWater, Roosters5 more rows
Who is the voodoo king?
Papa LegbaVeve of Papa LegbaVenerated inHaitian Vodou, Folk CatholicismFeastJune 13
Is voodoo practiced in the United States?
Louisiana Voodoo (French: Vaudou louisianais), also known as New Orleans Voodoo, is an African diasporic religion which originated in Louisiana, now in the southern United States.
Who is the voodoo God?
Legba represents a West African and Caribbean Voodoo god. This god has many different names depending on the region in which he is worshipped is most commonly known in Haiti as Papa Legba.
Is New Orleans a voodoo?
Voodoo has become a staple part of New Orleans's culture. The French Quarter is immersed with relics of voodoo.
Is voodoo real in New Orleans?
It can be found in the French Quarter. Inside its walls, voodoo artifacts from Africa, Haiti, and New Orleans track the progress of the practices and how it managed to remain alive to this day. There are also many New Orleans voodoo tours that run throughout the city with the help of various tourist organizations.
What is a voodoo priest called?
oungan, also spelled houngan, in Vodou, a male priest who serves as a leader of rituals and ceremonies. A woman of the same position is referred to as a manbo. It is believed that oungans obtain their positions through dreamlike encounters with a lwa (spirit).
Where did Voodoo come from?
It was brought to Louisiana from West Africa and the Haitian exiles after the revolution. Voodoo is a spiritual system of beliefs with practices that range from communion and worship rituals to animal slaughter, love potions, and charmed amulets.
What is the best known city in America for voodoo?
New Orleans is the best-known city in America for its Voodoo secrets. The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, opened in 1972, provides visitors a glimpse into the Vodun world: Voodoo dolls, stuffed animals and an introduction to the great Marie Laveau are some of the highlights awaiting guests at the museum. When African slaves from the Benin region of Africa brought their Vodun practices across the Atlantic, their beliefs mixed with Catholic practices to form the Creole version of Vodun, also called Louisiana Voodoo.
What was the name of the Creole version of Voodoo?
When African slaves from the Benin region of Africa brought their Vodun practices across the Atlantic, their beliefs mixed with Catholic practices to form the Creole version of Vodun, also called Louisiana Voodoo. Marie Laveau’s Tomb. Photo by Britt Reints. CC BY.
Where is the Voodoo Temple in Brooklyn?
Although most of the Voodoo happenings take place underground in Brooklyn basements, visitors can try to roam around New York’s Flatbush neighborhood in hopes of finding the basement temple located in a nondescript storefront. The temple is run by a Mambo Voodoo priestess called Rose Marie Pierre, who reportedly holds rituals and exorcisms in her basement.
Who founded the Voodoo Temple?
Founded by Priest Oswan Chamani and Priestess Miriam Chamani, the temple serves Voodoo practitioners and combines elements from other religions to expand its reach. The Cultural Center is right next door to the temple and offers Voodoo dolls, blessed candles, and mojo bags made by Priestess Miriam.
How much does it cost to visit Oyontuji Village?
The Oyontuji African Village allows visitors to enter for a $10 fee. Guests can see how this group of families live together in the woods practicing ancient rituals and claiming to be completely separate from the United States.
Who is the leader of Voodoo in Brooklyn?
The Voodoo community in Brooklyn is led by the ‘Mambos’ or Vodun priestesses who regularly answer prayer requests and help with love spells. Many Vodun rituals in Brooklyn take place underground in colorful basement ceremonies.
Where is voodoo practiced?
Where Voodooism is practiced. Voodooism is most popular and practiced in West Africa, Haiti, and Louisiana and in places that hold the remnants of West African slavery such as Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
What are the two worlds of voodoo?
Voodooism’s two worlds. It believes in two interrelated worlds—the visible and the invisible. It is in death that we are brought to the invisible world and where ancestors serve as guides and protectors.
How did voodooism foreshadow Haiti's revolt independence?
A Voodoo priest, Dutty Boukman, started the Haitian Revolution of 1791 after stating prophecies that certain slaves that he named would be leaders of a resistance movement that would free other slaves.
What is the voodoo doll?
Urban legend. The myth of the voodoo doll as a tool to bestow a curse is something that has been propagated by popular culture and Hollywood in particular. This doll pertains to a type of African folk magic called hoodoo. They have very little place in the religion and are not used by the majority of practitioners.
What was the first attempt to ban voodoo?
Attempt to ban Voodooism. In 1685, France banned any practicing of African religion in its colonies. Slaves had to be converted within eight days of their arrival with many baptisms taking place. The religion did not die, however; it simply merged with the newly adopted Catholicism to give the impression of conversion.
What is the Zangbeto?
The Zangbeto are traditional voodoo guardians of the night in Togo and Benin. They patrol the streets in outfits that resemble haystacks and were the primary law enforcement in these areas until the establishment of official law and order.
Is voodoo a spiritual practice?
Voodoo is a hugely misunderstood spiritual practice dating back thousands of years and uniting many from the African diaspora. Much more involved than just the misrepresented exercises involving dolls and witchcraft, here are some facts that those who do not practice this form of spirituality might not know.
How many people practice voodoo?
Today an estimated 60 million people practice voodoo worldwide. At a voodoo ceremony, believers gather outdoors to make contact with the Loa, any of a pantheon of spirits who have various functions running the universe, much like Greek gods.
When did Voodoo become a religion?
In April 2003 an executive decree by then president Jean-Bertrand Aristide sanctioned voodoo as an officially recognized religion. "It is a religion in the same way Judaism or Christianity is," said Bob Corbett, professor emeritus of philosophy at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.
What is the dominant religion in Haiti?
It is an honor to be entered and "ridden" by a Loa, or spirit. In Haiti these rituals are commonplace: Voodoo is the dominant religion. "One common saying is that Haitians are 70 percent Catholic, 30 percent Protestant, and 100 percent voodoo, " said Lynne Warberg, a photographer who has documented Haitian voodoo for over a decade.
What is voodoo in Haiti?
Haiti: Possessed by Voodoo. In Haiti voodoo believers pray and perform animal sacrifices to feed and beckon the spirits. Then they dance until a spirit takes over their bodies and, it is said, heals them or offers advice. The ceremony begins with a Roman Catholic prayer.
What are the similarities between Catholicism and Voodoo?
Both venerate a supreme being and believe in the existence of invisible evil spirits or demons and in an afterlife.
What is the oldest tradition in the world?
Ancient Traditions. Voodoo, meaning "spirit," may be one of the world's oldest ancestral, nature-honoring traditions, according to Mamaissii Vivian Dansi Hounon, a member of OATH, the Organization of African Traditional Healers in Martinez, Georgia.
Is voodoo evil in the West?
In the West voodoo has been portrayed in zombie movies and popular books as dark and evil, a cult of devil worship dominated by black magic, human sacrifice, and pin-stuck voodoo dolls—none of which exist in the voodoo practices that originated in Benin. In Haiti voodoo began as an underground activity.
Where is witchcraft still practiced?
But witchcraft in its diverse forms — sorcery, dark magic, voodoo, and more — is very much still a part of many cultures around the world today. 1. South Africa. In South Africa, witches are not merely mythical figures or part of cultural history — they’re an important element of the Zulu way of life.
What is the name of the witchcraft in the Philippines?
Philippines. Witchcraft is prominent in the Philippines and can be used for either good or evil. Filipino witchcraft is called Kulam, and those who practice it are mangkukulam — sorceresses able to perform black magic.
What are the evil sorceresses called in Mapuche?
The Mapuche believe in evil sorceresses called Kalku, who are the enemies of spiritual leaders and medicine women (the Machi). The Kalku are essentially the societal villains, working with evil spirits to thwart the Machi.
What is the most prominent form of Obeah?
The most prominent form of Obeah is the practice of voodoo in Haiti. Voodoo practitioners use charms to channel magic for personal or someone else’s benefit, contact other celestial planes, and predict the future. It can also be misused to harm others. 6.
Is Romania still identifying witches?
Much like Salem in 1692, some countries are still identifying witches — with or without evidence — and persecuting them for their perceived crimes. In Romania, the government introduced a new law taxing witches, fortune tellers, and astrologers in 2011.
What is the popular culture associated with Vodou?
Popular culture has strongly associated Vodou with devil worship, torture, cannibalism, and malevolent magical workings. This is largely the product of Hollywood coupled with historical misrepresentations and misunderstandings of the faith.
What is the religion of Vodou?
It is a syncretic religion that combines Roman Catholicism and native African religion, particularly from the religion of the Dahomey region of West Africa ( the modern day nation of Benin).
What is veve ritual?
Veves Rituals commonly involve the drawing of certain symbols known as veves with cornmeal or another powder. Each lwa has its own symbol and some have multiple symbols associated with them. Voodoo Dolls The common perception of Vodouisants poking pins into Voodoo dolls does not reflect traditional Vodou.
What are the basic beliefs of Vodou?
Basic Beliefs: Bondye, Lwa, and Vilokan. Vodou is a monotheistic religion. Followers of Vodou -- known as Vodouisants -- believe in a single, supreme godhead that can be equated with the Catholic God. This deity is known as Bondye, "the good god" .
What are the three families of the Vodouisants?
These are more intimately involved in day-to-day life than Bondye, who is a remote figure. The lwa are divided into three families: Rada, Petro, and Ghede. The relationship between humans and lwa is a reciprocal one.
Why did Vodou begin?
Vodou began when African slaves brought their native traditions with them as they were forcefully transported to the new world. However, they were generally forbidden from practicing their religion. To get around these restrictions, the slaves started to equate their gods with Catholic saints.
Is Vodou a Christian?
If a Vodou practitioner considers himself Christian, he generally profes ses to be a Catholic Christian. Many Vodou practitioners also consider themselves Catholics. Some see the saints and spirits to be one and the same. Others still hold that the Catholic accouterments are primarily for appearance.
Which countries have witch masks?
1 Indonesia. Witch mask in Bali. The president of Indonesia is one of the only world leaders that has publicly admitted that he believes in witchcraft. That’s not to say that he isn’t all for eradicating its practice, according to a 2014 report by The Washington Post.
What was the most infamous witch trial?
The most infamous case of witchcraft recorded in western history was the Salem witch trials during the 1690s in Salem, Massachusetts. This period was marked by putting on trial dozens of women who were thought to be practicing witchcraft and executing them for it.
How many women died from witchcraft in 2011?
Prior to this incident, an article on care2.com mentioned the deaths of around 600 women in 2011, all charged with witchcraft.
How many people died in the Jammeh ritual?
Purportedly blending statecraft with witchcraft, Jammeh had 1,000 so-called sorcerers arrested and drink a hallucinogenic potion to exorcise their supposedly possessed bodies and minds. At least six died in this torture ritual.
What do witch doctors believe about Tanzania?
One such belief of so-called witch doctors in this east African nation is that albino body parts are good ingredients for the magical potions the witches concoct. As a result, albinos in Tanzania face widespread persecution. According to reports by BBC, one woman with albinism was found hacked to death in May 2014 in a village called Gasuma. Two witch doctors were suspected of performing the heinous crime and were promptly arrested. Prior to this incident, an article on care2.com mentioned the deaths of around 600 women in 2011, all charged with witchcraft.
What is voodoo mythology?
Voodoo mythology is a fascinating hybrid of Yoruban, Dahomey, Fon and Christian mythology intermixed with touches from Caribbean belief systems. Haiti is the central location of the Voodoo belief system but naturally it has spread throughout the world as have other faiths.
What does Legba do in Voodoo?
It is through Legba that loa move back and forth from the realm of the gods in Guinee to the mortal world to possess worshippers. He holds the key and guards the doorway and the roads between the two worlds.
Who is the most powerful death god?
MAMAN BRIGITTE – This foul-mouthed goddesss is one of the most powerful of the thirty Ghede, or death-gods. Her husband is Baron Samedi and like him she guards over cemeteries with her special province being graves topped with piles of rocks. She is also considered the goddess of justice. Rum and hot peppers are Maman Brigitte’s diet, with the hot peppers believed to account for her association with fire. A figure representing this goddess is the first female buried in every Voodoo cemetery.
