.png)
By: Moussa Yarori
On a cloudy day, a “Voodoo woman” walks to her eerie home located at the edge
of town, with nothing but a bag of supplies and a list of those who’ve wronged her
in hand. In that bag contains voodoo dolls, pins, bones, and all sorts of evil,
troubling items. And what she plans to do with those items is even more worrisome.
The powerful, unapologetic sway in her walk warns those around her of immediate
danger, each step more fearful than the last. She’s angry. She’s vengeful. She’s
ready to hand out punishment, whether one truly deserves it or not. She’s
completely abandoned her sense of morality. How is she to be trusted? If you ask
me, she might as well be the devil.
Anyone with even a limited, basic understanding of the diverse, beautiful, and
historically/culturally rich religion granted to us by the Yoruba, Kongolese,
Beninese, and Togolese people that came before us, knows that this is no different
than the (unfortunately) common, uncoordinated babbling of someone who knows
relatively nothing about the Vodun religion, and all that it means and serves to
those who practice. They’d also know that the ideas being perpetuated in the
imitation-paragraph above are one-dimensional and definitely influenced, as well
as inaccurate. Despite the many pushes made over the years by practitioners, in an
attempt to spread the truth about their religion, Vodun is still often defined by
disrespectful stereotypes and preconceptions that contain not a semblance of truth.
The religion, which at its heart is about roots (both literally and in regard to
family/lineage) and serving the spirits, continues to be demonized. After all,
ignorance is bliss and it’s easy to hate what’s been hated for far too long.
So, What is Vodun?
Vodun is an organized, traditional West African religion, composed of its own
spirits, gods, rituals, ceremonies, songs & traditional dances, and traditions,
practiced primarily by the Fon, Aja, Ewe, and Kabye people of Nigeria, Ghana,
Togo, and Benin. However, practitioners can be found all over the world. Vodun is
known as the source, being the origin of other syncretic African religions including
Haitian Vodou, Louisiana Voodoo, Candomble (Afro-Brazilian), Santeria
(Afro-Cuban), etc. Unlike the “source religion”, these practices are a blend of
Customs found in Traditional African Religions and aspects of Christianity. But,
it’s important to understand that this syncretizing wasn’t optional, rather forced
upon.
“In-Reality” Realizations
- Some people oppose and misjudge the religion due to ideas perpetuated by
Abrahamic religions. Something along the lines of: “Witchcraft is a sin in
the eyes of God”. But, theoretically speaking, who defines what Witchcraft
is and isn’t? The concepts and practices associated with the term
“Witchcraft” are different within each and every culture, so how can one
produce a singular “one-fits-all” definition? Furthermore, who decides
whether or not Vodun is witchcraft? Me? You? God? Or the people in which
the religion stems from? Even considering the “on-paper” definition of
“witchcraft” , Vodun still wouldn’t fall under that category. For starters,
traditional practitioners of Vodun certainly don’t refer to their work as
“spells”. And, the “supernatural” or “magic” believed to exist within Vodun
are simply ancient herbalistic, spiritual, ancestral, and traditional customs
and knowledge that have been passed down generation after generation.
Vodun definitely involves an affinity with nature, but who in the world
decided that anything of the sort was related to “witchcraft”? People who
can not define the content of a religion, do not get to define the religion.
- Some individuals dislike the religion, not because of religious influences,
but rather the portrayal of practices like Hoodoo and Vodun by Hollywood.
But, are we to trust the same Hollywood that has misrepresented Muslims,
Asian people, Black people, Women, and the LGBTQ+ community for
decades? The same Hollywood that has belittled, excluded, and
discriminated since its founding? Why does no one question the fact that
although Hollywood portrays Hoodoo and Vodun practitioners as evil,
villainous, and not to be trusted, actual practitioners present themselves as
healers, helpers, and everyday problem-solvers? Does one not begin to
reflect after pondering the fact that, for centuries, people have continued to
seek out these “evil, untrustworthy people'' for work regarding finances,
romances, friendships, healing, etc?
- And, sadly, some people simply fear what they can not understand. So,
instead of attempting to learn and experience, they choose to oppose. They
hear the rhythmic beating of drums and see traditional African dancing
ceremonies, and they choose blind fear. They witness the lighting of dressed
candles and petitions to ancestors, and they choose blind fear. They observe
the spiritual use of herbs, roots, and plants, and they choose blind fear. It’s
this very fear that keeps them trapped in a one-dimensional way of thinking.
Trapped in hate and misunderstanding.
- Voodoo dolls that allow practitioners to cause harm from across the globe
are not the basis of Vodun, nor do they exist in the practice to begin with.
Although it is true that slave-practitioners in the West Coast of Africa
utilized dolls in their practice, they were actually used to invoke/appease the
spirits. You can thank Hollywood and Pop-culture for the fact that millions
of people truly believe practitioners spend their time poking dolls.
- Vodun is not an evil cult, it’s a religion. There are priests, priestesses, and
members of the house that make up a community-structure, as well as a
singular divine creator who is heavily honored and respected by
practitioners. Practitioners do not utilize black magic, worship the devil, and
they certainly don’t sacrifice humans (when animals are sacrificed, the meat
is eaten as an offering to the spirits). These ideas, like many others
associated with the practice, are perpetuated to demonize the religion and
scare away the descendants of this beautiful practice.
For decades, a religion born out of survival and trauma, has been handed one of the
worst “reps” possible. It’s been associated with evil, trouble, pain, and misfortune,
when in reality, those are the things practitioners of Vodun work to exterminate.
The demonization of Traditional African religions is, and always has been deeply
rooted in Racism and discrimination. And, whenever the voices of practitioners are
spoken over and/or ignored, we continue to perpetuate a cycle of bias that has
negatively impacted Africans for centuries.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vodou
https://research.auctr.edu/c.php?g=404402&p=2752854
https://www.houstoniamag.com/travel-and-outdoors/2019/09/west-africa-togo-beni
n-voodoo-travel
https://afktravel.com/99746/the-story-of-west-african-voodoo/
Cover Photo: https://voodoospiritualtemple.org/about
Comments