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 Haiti. The lwa, or spirits with whom Vodou adherents work and practice, are not gods but servants of the Supreme Creator Bondye (pronounced Bon Dieu). A lot of the Iwa identities come from deities formed in the West African traditional regions, especially the Fon and Yoruba. In keeping with the French-Catholic influence of the faith, Vodou practioneers are for the most part monotheists, believing that the lwa are great and powerful forces in the world with whom humans interact and vice versa, resulting in a symbiotic relationship intended to bring both humans and the lwa back to Bondye. "Vodou is a religious practice, a faith that points toward an intimate knowledge of God, and offers its practitioners a means to come into communion with the Divine, through an ever evolving paradigm of dance, song and prayers."

History and origins of Voodooism in Haiti

Vodou originated from the Animist beliefs of the Yoruba tribes in Benin.

thumb|Voodoo Ritual

Voudon encapsulates an assortment of cultural elements, including personal creeds and practices, among which is a complex system of folk medical practices. Voudon to some is more than a belief but a way of life, upon which popular proverbs, stories, songs, and folklore are based around. Voudon teaches belief in a supreme being called Bondye, an unknowable and uninvolved created god. are the spirit of life and death who is assigned to separate the souls and bodies of people when the time comes and also to watch over their graveyards. Gede also serve the role of connecting the past, present, and future, as well as amalgamating them into one reality.

Mythology in Haiti was used not only for politics but also for the revolution. Myths like: L'Union Fait La Force (Togetherness is Strength), is a story about slaves who rose up on August 22, 1791, in a heroic battle to win their freedom, and is a story about solidarity between two different groups of people to get freedom for the collective. Mythical symbols of Voudon and the tradition of the shifting from chaos to collectivity known as the religion of Vodou play a big role in the forming of Haitian mythology.

Characters

People

  • Bokor - The male equivalent of a Vodou witch. They are said to serve the lwa with "both hands" meaning they are practicing for good and evil.
  • Houngan - Haitian high priest, which holds a significant social authority and historical importance of a spiritual guide to protect the community from bad influences, particularly in leading rituals for all slaves of the Haitian Revolution against French colonial rule that gave birth to the new nation of Haiti lead ceremonies, rituals, drumming, and dancing to invoke the lwa. During the Duvalier era, some of the houngans were members of the secret police (Tonton Macoutes), serving as both religious leaders and violent enforcers for the Duvalier regime led by Papa Doc Duvalier.
  • Mambo - Haitian priestess who, together with the Houngan, leads the Vodou rituals and invokes the lwa.
  • Ti Malice and Tonton Bouki - A pair of competing tricksters.

Creatures

  • Gede - family of spirits related to death and fertility.
  • Kalunderik - A giant bird with brilliant feathers, originally from Africa.
  • Lougawou - A werewolf-like shapeshifter.
  • Lwa - Haitian Vodou spirit.
  • Tonton Macoute, a Haitian mythological phrase meaning "bogey man" (literally: "Uncle Bagman"), it is also the same name as the secret police organization during the Duvalier regime.
  • Mermaid - A creature with the upper body of a woman (sometimes man) and the lower body of a fish-like creature. Mermaids are known to lure children to the ocean to take them to their homes and teach them dark magic, or drown them.
  • Tezin Nan Dlo
  • Petro - aggressive and warlike family of spirits
  • Rada - old, benefic family of spirits.
  • Zombie - A reanimated body without a soul meant to complete or perform tasks by a Bokor.

Lwa Vodou Spirits

  • Adjassou-Linguetor – Haitian lwa in the form of spring water (goddess).
  • Azaka-Tonnerre – Haitian god of thunder, agriculture and farmers.