|
For the first time, this exhibition gives a comprehensive insight into
the world of vodou. The focus is on the Bizango, a vodou secret society
whose objects were only to be seen by initiated members in Haiti, and
thus hitherto concealed from any broader public. Furthermore,
representations of spirits, sumptuous altars, sequinned flags, vessels
and huge mirrors are on display.
The Lehmann Collection
This exhibition presents more than 350 ritual objects used in
Haitian vodou. They are part of the collection of Marianne Lehmann,
which comprises about 3,000 items.
A native of Switzerland, Marianne Lehmann has lived in Haiti since
1957 and began to collect objects from vodou temples about 30 years
ago. Her collection focuses in particular on the Bizango,
a vodou secret society. This is also reflected in the exhibition. In
order to manage the collection, a foundation was established: the
Fondation pour la preservation, la valorisation et la production
d'oeuvres culturelles haïtiennes (FPVPOCH), which chose the objects for
this travelling exhibition in cooperation with the Musée d'ethnographie
de Genève (MEG). The exhibition has already been on display in Geneva,
Amsterdam and Gothenburg. After being presented in Berlin, it will
travel on to other venues, Stockholm and Bremen.
There are plans to build a museum for the Lehmann collection in Haiti.
The presentation of the exhibition in various places aims at making the
collection internationally known and at furthering its recognition as
part of Haiti's cultural heritage. The exhibition thus has two
objectives: to challenge the negative stereotype associated with vodou,
and to win support for the projected museum.
Vodou and Haiti
The Haitian manner of spelling 'vodou' was intentionally chosen for
this exhibition. The expression 'vodou' is understood as those
religious practices, which are widespread in West Africa and were
brought to America by African slaves. These practices form the basis of
Afro-American religions, which were influenced by elements of
Catholicism and indigenous beliefs.They include Candomblé in Brazil,
the María-Lionza religion in Venezuela, Santería on Cuba, voodoo in the
United States, and vodou on Haiti.
The word 'vodou' derives from the Fon language in Benin and Nigeria and is equivalent to 'god', 'spirit' or 'sacred object'.
Some 80% of the ca. 8.5 million inhabitants of Haiti are members of the
Catholic Church, while at the same time up to 90% believe in vodou gods
and spirits, who are called loa (Creole: lwa).
There are diverse forms of vodou in the different regions of Haiti, as
its followers place importance upon very different elements, which are
moreover constantly augmented by new features. Vodou is omnipresent in
everyday life, in music and dance, in rituals and symbols.
Many of the lwa figures and Vodou objects on display in the exhibition bear Creole designations. Creole (kréyol) is the official language of the Haiti, next to French, which however is spoken by only 5–10 % of the population. Kréyol bases on French word roots; it was influenced grammatically and phonetically by various West African languages.
Temples and Rituals
At the very core of vodou is the belief in lwa, spirits who exert an influence upon all spheres of everyday life and upon the fate of people. Through the lwa, humans can gain contact with God. The lwa
pantheon includes African gods and Catholic saints; they exist side by
side with spirits whose history reaches back to the original Native
American inhabitants of Haiti, the Taino.
The lwa are usually worshipped in a vodou temple, the ounfò, which is headed by a priest (houngan) or priestess (mambo). Houngan and mambo preside over the rituals and initiate the vodou practitioners.
The rituals are held in a large room, the péristyle. The spirits "enter" the temple by descending on a pole, the poteau mitan, which is located in the centre of the péristyle. The spirits take possession of some participants, whom they have chosen beforehand. The person possessed "serves the lwa",
who has thus entered his or her body. In vodou there is no separation
between body and soul. Rhythm, music, song, and dance are important
elements of the rituals.
Located in the adjacent building is the altar room with the attributes of the lwa.
The altars are laden with a multitude of sacred objects, such as
containers of the most varied types as well as offerings of food and
drink. Making offerings is an important component of serving the lwa.
The Worship of Gods and Spirits
The lwa are divided into "nations", or nanchons, which relate to the various regions from which slaves originated. The two most important lwa nations are the Rada and Petwo. The Rada cult comes from the Yoruba culture of Dahomey (present-day Benin), while the Petwo cult has its roots in the Bantu cultures of the Congo Basin and Angola. Rada lwa are characterized as being calm, cool-headed, and benevolent, while Petwo lwa are considered to be quick, hot-tempered, and the actors in magic rites.
There are countless lwa, found in diverse regions and temples. Besides the lwa, other beings are worshipped as well: the divine twins (Marasa), the deceased, and the family gods. There is no cult or worship devoted to God (Le Bon Dieu) – He is regarded as beyond approach.
The lwa are represented by symbolic objects, such as the sabre that symbolizes the lwa Ogu. Vévé
– individual graphic signs – are sprinkled on the floor of the temple
during rituals with flour and ashes or are applied to sacred objects.
Images of Catholic saints are associated with specific lwa.
Just like human beings, the lwa have typical
characteristics: a favourite colour or favourite food, a preference for
certain sacrificial animals or offerings.Their abodes are in certain
places in nature, such as trees. Vodou practitioners are taught the
characteristics of the lwa and control over spirit possession
during initiation. Only then may they take an active part in the
rituals and in the vodou community. People who are possessed will
imitate and ritually enact the characteristics of the respective lwa: an individual possessed by the god Damballah, who is symbolized by a serpent, will crawl on the floor with wriggling movements, and is fed raw eggs.
Secret Societies
Besides the societies associated with customary vodou temples, there
are also secret societies in Haiti. With their rigid structure and
military organization, these societies were perfectly suited to the maroon
communities: small groups of fugitive slaves from the plantations. From
1791 to 1804, the secret societies played a key role in the slaves'
resistance against the French. The struggle was fought with both
tangible and magic weapons, as the priests of the societies invoked the
most aggressive, hottest powers. In the 20th century, the dictators
François "Papa Doc" and Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier used secret
societies to silence critics of their regime. These societies, of which
the Bizango is one of the most important, still exist today.
Vodou Stereotypes
Zombies rising from their graves, dolls pierced by pins – vodou (or
voodoo) is associated with stereotypes that have hardly anything to do
with the actual practices related to this type of religious worship.
Such fantasies also include cannibalism or secret rites performed by
black people obsessed with blood and sex. This image of vodou has long
been adopted and perpetuated by various media, particularly in
literature and movies. But where do these stereotypes about vodou come
from?
While dolls do indeed play a role in vodou, the use of pins is unknown.
Perhaps this idea has been inspired by the power figures (nkisi)
found in the Kongo, which are studded with nails. In the context of
vodou practices, dolls serve as surrogate human beings, used for the
solution of problems or the fulfilment of wishes. In addition, they act
as bearers of messages that are exchanged between the living and the
dead.
Portrayals of zombies range from servile undead to
cannibalistic monsters. Many Haitians believe that zombies are living
dead, who are bereft of any memory and consciousness, and who were
raised from the grave by practitioners of black magic with the
intention of exploiting them. To create a zombie, one of the two souls
of the deceased – the ti bon anj, which stands for the willpower of
human beings – is captured.
The magician thus gains complete control
over that individual. The other soul, the gwo bon anj,
which stands for consciousness, remains in the body. Vodou
practitioners view the transformation into a zombie as the worst
punishment that secret societies can impose.
(From texts in the exhibition in Berlin)
>> Photo Tour
through the exhibition in Berlin,
including lots of information
Contact:
Ethnological Museum
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Lansstr. 8
14195 Berlin
Germany
Tel.: +49(0)30 - 8301 438
Fax: +49(0)30 - 8301 506
Email: m...@smb.spk-berlin.de
Website: www.smb.museum/em
| 
