If you ask many people what comes to mind about this country, many might answer voodoo - more properly known as voudon. This melding of the Roman Catholicism of Haiti's French colonizers and the tribal religions of their slaves, taken mostly from central and West Africa, produced a fascinating hybrid with 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.

There are a number of opportunities to experience voudon ceremonies like this one - for example offered as day trip options for resort guests, like one I participated in many years ago when I was staying at the Club Med here - what a trip that was!


Doron