top of page
GALLERY
Haitian Vodou is hardly like what Hollywood would have us to believe
 On the left is a photo of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa. The chromolithograph on the right is commonly used in Haiti to depict the loa Erzulie Dantor |  Agwe is syncretized with St. Ulrich, for the fish in his hand, and his authoritarian air |  Legba is sassociated with Saint Peter, Saint Lazarus, and Saint Anthony |
|---|---|---|
 |  Papa Ghede is known as being the corpse of the first man who ever died. He is associated with St. Gabriel |  |
 Saint Peter |  |  Thousands of voodou worshippers bathe in the waters of Saut D'eau in central Haiti during the annual three day festival there in mid-July. Pilgrims come to honor the Virgin Mary or la vyej, her voodou counterpart, Ezili Freda, as well as Danbala, the great serpentine lord of the waterfall, and other lwas, or spirits. |
 |  Vodou initiation. |  |
 The remains of the slaughtered cow areused in the initiation ceremony |  |  Vodoun priest performing a ritual |
 Objects on a Vodou altar continually change. The objects contain remnants of requests made to spirits, services rendered by them, and treatments undertaken. Objects have personal significance to individual practitioners, and help maintain relationships with ancestors. © Canadian Museum of History, Mauro Peressini |  Jean-Jacques Dessalines was a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1801 constitution. Initially regarded as governor-general, Dessalines later named himself Emperor Jacques I of Haiti (1804–1806). He is regarded as a founding father of Haiti. |  This urn, adorned with human skulls and other elements, possesses the spirit of an ancestor of the Ibo ethnicity. The Ibo people, originally from what is now Nigeria, were particularly fierce in their fight against slavery in Haiti. © Canadian Museum of History, Frank Wimart |
 |  This horned figure is a “fighting spirit” embodying the rage of slaves who successfully rose up against their oppressors centuries ago. Haiti was the first nation in the western hemisphere to overthrow slavery, doing so in 1804. © Canadian Museum of History, Frank Wimart |  People swim in a sacred pool during a voodoo ceremony in Souvenance, Haiti, on Sunday. Hundreds of voodoo followers travel to Souvenance over Easter weekend to show their devotion to the spirits. |
 |  When someone is initiated into Vodou, spices, soil from specific locations, leaves, and other materials are assembled in a special packet. This packet is then placed on the initiate’s altar. These packets were created for people initiated into a Vodou secret society. © Canadian Museum of History, Marie-Louise Deruaz |  |
 Sequin-covered bottles are some of the most common objects used in Vodou rituals. Each bottle has the colors associated with the spirit (lwa) receiving the drink offering. Each lwa has his or her own preferences such as wine, champagne, specific types of rum, or soda. © Canadian Museum of History, Marie-Louise Deruaz |  Haitian women join in a voodoo bathing ritual in an undated picture. Photograph by Steve Winter, National Geographic Stock |
bottom of page