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Haitian mythology consists of many folklore stories from different time periods, involving sacred dance and deities, all the way to Vodou.Haitian Vodou is a syncretic mixture of Roman Catholic rituals developed during the French colonial period, based on traditional African beliefs, with roots in Dahomey, Kongo and Yoruba traditions, and folkloric influence from the indigenous Taino peoples of ...
In English, Vodou's practitioners are termed Vodouists; [45] in French and Haitian Creole, they are called Vodouisants [46] or Vodouyizan. [47] Another term for adherents is sèvitè (serviteurs, "devotees"), [48] reflecting their self-description as people who sèvi lwa ("serve the lwa "), the supernatural beings that play a central role in Vodou.
In Haitian Vodou, the lwa are divided into nanchon or "nations". [35] This classificatory system derives from the way in which enslaved West Africans were divided into "nations" upon their arrival in Haiti, usually based on their African port of departure rather than their ethno-cultural identity. [14]
Zaka (also known by various names such as: Kouzin, Couzen, Azake, Mazaka, Azaka Medeh, Mede, Papa Zaka, Zaka, Papa Zaca, Cousin Zaca, etc.) [1] is the loa of the harvest in Haitian Vodou mythology. [2] Another way to reference this loa is through the name "Azaka Médé". [3] The Cousin Zaka or Zaka is the loa of the harvest. This loa wears a ...
Damballa is said to be the sky father and the primordial creator of all life, or the first thing created by the Bondye.In those Vodou societies that view Damballa as the primordial creator, he created the cosmos by using his 7000 coils to form the stars and the planets in the heavens and to shape the hills and valleys on Earth.
In Haiti, Ayida-Weddo is said to have crossed the ocean with her husband Damballa to take the ancient knowledge and traditions of Vodou from Africa to the Caribbean. As Damballa slithered under the ocean, Ayida-Weddo flew across the sky in the form of the rainbow until the two loa reunited in Haiti, bringing Vodou to the Americas. [23]
The Petwo (Haitian Creole: Petwo), also spelled Petro [a] and alternatively known as dompete, are a family of lwa (loa) spirits in the religion of Haitian Vodou.They are regarded as being volatile and "hot", in this contrasting with the Rada lwa, which are regarded as sweet-tempered and "cool."
In Haiti, some Christians consider Vodou a form of devil worship. [citation needed] In spite of this criticism by some Haitian Christians, many practitioners of Haitian Vodou continue to self-identify as Roman Catholic, even to the point of incorporating the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary into their services for the Lwa (also called loa ...