Never mind the simplistic, sensationalized stories of zombies, this hybrid of the West and Central African religions of the slaves brought here beginning in the 15th century and the Roman Catholicism of the French colonizers is a complex, fascinating, and largely benevolent faith. It includes a pantheon of iwas (gods with Catholic-saint counterparts, such as Papa Legba, associated with St. Peter) and practices featuring singing, drumming, dancing, spirit possession, and animal sacrifice. And of course the most sensationalized aspect is its zombis - which of course have been turned into a major pop-culture phenomenon but seem to be much less of a big deal in Haiti itself. Another interesting thing about voudon is its welcoming of women and homosexuals on an equal basis with heterosexual men. Visit Haiti provides a more detailed intro, and in order to attend ceremonies you can ask your guides and staffers at hotels and guesthouses for suggestions. I vividly remember attending one near the city of Saint-Marc as an excursion offered by the local Club Med, about which I´d been sent by my magazine to write (and which is now the Royal Decameron Indigo Beach); it was a mesmerizing experience – chicken sacrifice and all. Some of these are oriented more toward tourists (though the one I witnessed seemed pretty darn raw), but you can also seek out the more “authentic” real deal with a little asking around (one good example is the visit run by the Cap-Haïtien school/hostelry École Les Poupon).

Read more in my post 11 Excellent Experiences in Haiti.


Doron