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African religions
The impact of the Haitian revolution on the Caribbean
The impact of the Haitian revolution on the Caribbean
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As referred to in many parts of West Africa, the Dahomean religion of voodoo means “spirit” or “deity” in the Fon language and it is described as a highly structured religious and magical system. Many people during those times also referred to voodoo as hoodoo which is the negative term used for voodoo. With duties, symbols, rituals, and faithful adherents, this system of voodoo is both complex and functional. Most people have a response of fear which is based on exaggerated negative views of the supernatural world of voodoo. On the lighter side a laughter response is often motivated by an ignorance that associates voodoo with mere superstition. Then there is respect, this comes from one’s knowledge that voodoo is a functional religious …show more content…
The number of voodoo worshipers increased as more Africans arrived from Africa and through the West Indies. It is at that time when voodoo became entrenched in the North American colonies and later throughout the United States. There is no written record of the introduction of voodoo worship in Louisiana, but it is known that New Orleans is the birthplace of voodoo in North America. The Louisiana colony received ships full of slaves that came over directly from Africa as well as the French colonies of Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Santo Domingo. All three of these colonies were known to be the breeding grounds of voodooist. Hundreds of Haitian refugees settled in New Orleans after the Haitian Revolution of 1791, this reinforced voodoo in and around the New Orleans area many of them were voodoo cult leaders and …show more content…
In the early days of slavery, magic was often the strongest element because of the suppression of voodoo as a religion by the authorities and slave owners. The people known as antivoodooist managed to limit the number of voodoo meetings among the slaves, but they still found it impossible to stop the making of voodoo objects in the slave’s cabins. The slaves used magic to cope with their everyday situations. For example the slaves would try to win the affection of the ones they desired, to cause harm to their enemies, and to feel protected from harm brought on by others to themselves. Voodoo’s main value was and is at the present day psychological. Magic is related to voodoo in many ways, as it is to most religions, but it is not its fundamental nature. Some elements of magic have to do with voodoo and the magic it receives is a great deal of its strength from voodoo
Africans were brought to North America as slaves. This took place in Jamestown, Virginia in the early 1600’s.
It was August 14th, 1791 when the first plantation building was set aflame by black slaves. This was all a part of the Bois Caïman ceremony. (Shen) The Bois Caïman ceremony was a Vodou ceremony led and performed by Dutty Boukman, a Vodou priest. The Bois Caïman ceremony was said to have been a ceremony where the slaves were to get together in Morne-Rouge, and to finalize the planning of the revolution. While the ceremony has become a legend-type story, and it is hard to discern what is real and what isn't, many accounts of that ceremony tell that there were Vodou deities present, animal sacrifices and a raging storm. (Shen) The ceremony, with the celebration surrounding it, was meant to lift the spirits of and give hope to the Haitian people. The Haitians used hope to motivate them, and with much fighting, many fights of which were led by Dutty Boukman, they were able to gain their independence. Of course, some of that hope was taken away when the French told the Haitians that they would only get their independence if they paid the debt of 150 million French Francs to France. But if there were any complications in the fulfillment of the payment, the French would be rescinding their recognition that Haiti was an independent country. (Popkin 152) The Haitians
Although the thought of being involved in such rituals is scary, I developed a deeper understanding and appreciation for the practices that Haitian voodoo participants, if it is appropriate to refer to such people as, engage in. The most impressive bit of information that I will keep with me is to be less judgmental of others; “people who practice voodoo believe in the same God as Christianity, but they also believe in communicating with other spirits, who serve various roles in healing, casting spells, and more” (Boudreaux, 2015a, p. 110). As a golden rule, I know that I should not be judgmental of others anyway, but I am human and am prone to quickly create stereotypes in my mind. I don’t always share those thoughts, but thinking makes me just as guilty as doing or saying. I am thankful for the reminder that all people are children of God, and I should research and learn about different beliefs before I make a judgmental decision, if I make that judgment at
Gervel, David. "Island Magazine Discover the Creole Culture around the World : Louisiana Creole Culture & Voodoo Tradition." Island Magazine Discover the Creole Culture around the World : Louisiana Creole Culture & Voodoo Tradition. N.p., 26 Aug. 2012. 30 Apr. 2014. Web.
Like Santeria, Voodoo is a syncretic religion that embodies the beliefs and practices of Christianity with those of traditional West African religions. Voodoo is also a monotheistic religion, with the God Bondye being the supreme creator. Bondye is similar to Olodumare in that he does not interfere with the lives of his believers, so Voodoo practitioners redirect their worship and rituals to spiritual deities known as lwa. Lwa are regularly contacted and worshipped through various forms of rituals; these rituals include altars, possession by spirits, and elaborate ceremonies. The purpose of the rituals is to appease the lwa to lend assistance to believers in times of need, or for general good faith measure, to prevent angering of the lwa and the possible dire consequences that may follow. As with Santeria, the syncretism of Catholic imagery and objects is inherent to the religion, and these objects are usually included in the rituals of Voodoo
Voodoo Music & Arts Experience: This festival began in 1999 and since then it has become very popular. In this festival, you can enjoy the food, music, crafts and cultural activity of the city. Two main stages and several smaller ones are placed in the City Park while food and beverage stands, books, jewelery, arts and crafts and clothes vendors are scattered around the green area as well.
The Cross-Cultural Articulations of War Magic and Warrior Religion by D. S. Farrer, main purpose of this article is to provide a re-evaluated perspective of religion and magic, through the perspective of the practitioners and victims. Farrer uses examples that range from the following: “Chinese exorcists, Javanese spirit siblings, Sumatran black magic, Tamil Tiger suicide bombers, Chamorro spiritual re-enchantment, tantric Buddhist war magic, and Yanomami dark shamans” (1). Throughout the article, he uses these examples to address a few central themes. The central themes for war magic, range from “violence and healing, accomplished through ritual and performance, to unleash and/or control the power of gods, demons, ghosts and the dead” (Farrer 1).
African-Inspired religions have also prevailed when they were forced to come to the Americas. Voodoo and Santería are some of the main religions practiced in Latin America.Voodoo is commonly practiced in Haiti and Santería is practiced throughout Cuba and Puerto Rico. Santería times their rituals to those of the Catholic church, such as Easter and Christmas.
Although, the Civil war brought about change for Africans, along with this change it brought heart ache, despair and restriction of worship to the African...
Haiti, previously known as Saint-Domingue, was a slave island and one of the wealthiest of France’s colonies. Up until this point in time, slavery was still common and, as mentioned above, continued throughout the world even after such freedom declarations such as, the Declaration of Independence in the newly formed United States, and the Declaration of Rights of Man in the Republic of France. The Haitian Revolution was brought on by the want for liberation of slaves, and was largely inspired by the French Revolution and the Declaration of Rights of Man. “Even though the early leaders of the French Revolution had no intention of exporting the upheaval, it spread to the colonies, especially to Saint-Domingue” (Ott 1973). This revolution proved to be a major event as it was the most successful slave revolution in history. The slavery population in Haiti, vastly outnumbered the white colonists in Haiti, and therefore, when the slave population banded together, led to a full-scaled rebellion. Revolts would continue to occur until finally in 1793, the slaves got their freedom, with slavery officially being abolished in all French territories in 1794. From this point until 1802, small rebellions continued to occur as not much changed in the daily lives of slaves, despite technically having their freedom. After the French Revolution and with Napoleon taking power in 1799; Napoleon reinstated slavery in all French colonies, including Haiti. Napoleon also sent an army to Haiti to enforce these new slavery laws and Haiti returned to a slave economy in 1802 (Doyle 1943). The Haitian Revolutionaries finally get their win after defeating the French soldiers in the Battle of Vertieres in 1803; the final part of the revolution. The revolution officially ended in 1804, with Haiti gaining its independence from France and permanently abolishing slavery
The island of Saint-Domingue was made up of a mixture of people including whites from France, creoles, free people of color, and slaves. Once sugar became a major cash crop on the island, an estimated half-million African slaves were brought in to work the land. These slaves outnumbered their white masters more than ten to one and made up the majority of the island inhabitants. Even so, the island had the most secure slave regime in the Caribbean because of the cooperation between masters and free men of color. Due to the difficult policing jobs given to the freed men with little reward, the communication between them and the white masters broke down. Now that the white slaveholders were on their own, it was only a matter of time before their brutal treatment of slaves would lead to an uprising. Once enslaved Africans received word of the revolution in France they too began demanding freedom. After years of civil unrest and vicious fighting, Haiti declared its freedom from France in January of 1804. What makes the Haitian Revolution more radical than the two before it is the fact that it was led by slaves. Throughout the previous revolutions, the main goal was for white men, essentially, to be free from oppressive government rule. There were few thoughts regarding the rights of slaves, even though they too were men. The fact that this group of people were able to remove the colonial authority and establish their own country during this period of time was particularly radical and unheard
Haiti was the only nation to gain independence from a slave revolt. Haiti was the second independent country in the western hemisphere, after the U.S had a successful revolution which occurred in 1776. The louisiana purchase was a possible move due to the nation revolution. Slaves started to come to haiti by the french in the 1500s . About 1 million African slaves would die from being abused and hard labor. There were four main groups in the late 1700s. The whites, the free persons of color, the black slaves, and the maroons. It was about 20,000 whites were split into two groups the planters and the less wealthy.
Witchcraft and magic are practices that call upon supernatural, unseen forces. Witchcraft is the use of these forces for negative ends, to extort evil, and magic asks for positive ends. Witchcraft has been found to exist in all corners of the globe at some point. It is no coincidence that during the Enlightenment, witch hunts in Europe and North America became common. The aim was to rid society of these people regarded as unreasonable and dangerous.
Witchcraft is the art or power of bringing magical or preternatural power to bear or the act or practice of attempting to do so. People who practice witchcraft are known as witches. Witchcraft along with other supernatural phenomena has become a big part of pop culture. Movies, television shows, and books such as the Harry Potter franchise, Charmed, The Wizard of Oz, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch all contain witches. Witches have moved from something that was so feared that they prompted the infamous witch-hunts, to a source of entertainment and a popular Halloween costume. The belief in the practice of magic has been around for a long time. Witchcraft is an alternative belief system and although witches are no longer being burned at the stake, there is still a huge prejudice against witches. This paper will be an investigation into the exceptional witches of the past and present, important historical events and practices of witchcraft.
The Enlightenment and the emerging of modern rationalism have paved the way to a worldview where the suspicion of witchcraft is not needed to explain the mysterious phenomena of this world. This is not the case in Africa. The belief in the existence of witches, evil persons who are able to harm others by using mystical powers, is part of the common cultural knowledge. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop states, “Almost all African societies believe in witchcraft in one form or another. Belief in witchcraft is the traditional way of explaining the ultimate cause of evil, misfortune or death.” The African worldview is holistic. In this perception, things do not just happen. What happens, either good or bad, is traced back to human action, including “ancestors who can intervene by blessing or cursing the living.” Witches, on the other hand, harm because they want to destroy life. Every misfortune or problem can be related to witchcraft, especially when natural explanation is not satisfactory.