Lwa Characteristics
Lwa
Ancestral Feast
FAQ
Glossary of Terms
 7 primary African Spirit Forces
Tools
Vodun
Vodun Ritual
Evil Sorcery

Vodou is a spiritual tradition which originated in Haiti during the period of French colonial slavery.
  Early in the colonial history of Hispaniola, the island now shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the original Taino and Carib peoples of Haiti were exterminated by the Spanish. Africans of many ethnic lineages were transported by force to Haiti, primarily to serve as agricultural slaves. There was some contact of course between escaped Africans and surviving Tainos, but little is documented outside of the survivals found in Vodou ritual. Later, France established hegemony over Haiti and imported Africans primarily but not exclusively from those regions of Africa colonized by France. During this historical period, Europeans from France and other countries, including pro-Stuart deportees from Scotland, settled in Haiti.

Because so many lineages were represented, no one particular African service could satisfy all participants, especially since reverence for ancestral lines was so important. Therefore, each "nation" would take it's turn at a gathering. This "take turns" approach eventually evolved into the ceremonial order of the Vodou liturgy. During this formative period, European pre-Christian entities such as Brigid, or Maman Brigitte in the Vodou tradition; and influences from the native Taino and Carib populations were also absorbed.

There are denominations in Vodou, just as in many other religions. The first, and most widely known, is the orthodox Vodou. In this denomination, the Dahomean rite is given a position of primacy, and initiations are conducted based mainly on the Dahomean model. A priest or priestess recieves the asson, a ceremonial rattle, as an emblem of priesthood. In this rite, a priest is known as a Houngan or sometimes Gangan, a priestess is known as a Mambo.

In the orthodox Vodou, Yoruban lines are also given prominence. Other "nations" or lines than the Dahomean are represented as sub-headings in the ceremonial order. This rite is widely represented in Haiti, and concentrated in Port-au-Prince and in the south of Haiti.

The second denomination is called Makaya. In this rite, initiations are less elaborate, and the priest or priestess does not recieve the asson. A Makaya priest is called a Bokor, and a priestess is sometimes referred to as Mambo, sometimes as a sorciere, sorceress. (The terms bokor and sorciere are considered pejorative in the orthodox Vodou, and bokor can also refer to an uninitiated specialist in malevolent magic, also called malfacteur. Such individuals are not clergy in any denomination.) The Makaya liturgy is less uniform from peristyle to peristyle than the orthodox Vodou, and there is a stronger emphasis on magic as opposed to religion. This rite is present in Port-au-Prince, and strongly represented in the Artibonite Valley in central Haiti.

A third denomination is the Kongo rite. As the name implies, it is almost exclusively representative of the Kongo tradition. The initiation follows the Kongo model. A priest or priestess of this line is called a serviteur. (In orthodox Vodou, a serviteur is merely one who serves the lwa, the dieties of Vodou.) This rite is concentrated near Gonaives in central Haiti, and a major annual Kongo festival is held every year in Sucrie near Gonaives.