At the origin of Vodoun
Vodun is the traditional religion of the Adja-Fon and Yoruba communities. The latter, mainly present in Nigeria, uses the term orisha, but the cult itself presents only slight differences. It first appeared at the end of the 16th century on the banks of the Mono River, which separates Togo from Benin.
Today, vodun has almost 60 million followers worldwide. Its origins lie in the creation and development of the Danxomè kingdom, which would later become Benin. Voodoo originated mainly in Abomey, Ouidah and Porto-Novo, but was later exported by slaves during the slave trade to South and Central America (notably the Caribbean, Brazil and Haiti).
The origin of the term voodoo comes from vodun, which is the literal Fon translation of the idea of sharing with divinities. The final "n", virtually inaudible, was then phonetically removed by the colonists, who thus evoked voodoo in the French language. In Benin, however, the Fon term is obviously used.
As for its definition, vodun in fact refers both to the supernatural world that brings together invisible forces and gods, and above all to ways of making contact with these divine forces. In practice, to connect these two worlds, the voodoo priest calls upon a messenger who opens the doors to both worlds: Papa Legba. Naturally, rituals differ greatly from one ethnic group to another. But they all retain a basic principle, which is to put the faithful into a trance during the ceremony.
The pantheon of deities
There are more than 150 Vodun deities whose spirits manifest themselves mostly in inanimate objects in nature, such as stones or trees. They are called iwa, or even Mysteries or Invisibles. They act as intermediaries between the creator deity Mawu and human beings. During worship, they are prayed to, honored and praised according to their preferences and attributes through offerings, dances and sacred rhythms, among other services rendered. One of the main iwa is Erzulie, goddess of beauty and love. Embodying the feminine figure, she wishes for offerings of toiletries, perfumes, jewelry and delicacies.
Another goddess is Ogun (Gu or Gun, according to different spellings), the god of war and patron saint of blacksmiths. His mission on earth is to make it a welcoming place for humans, but this task is far from complete. He is a powerful and fearsome warrior who possesses the power of iron to cut and kill. Let's also talk about Mami Wata, the goddess of water. She is described as a black woman of great beauty, with black, frizzy hair. She is sometimes depicted as a half-woman, half-fish mermaid. Beware of her dazzling beauty, for it is believed that the spirit abducts people while they are swimming or on boats. She takes them to her watery kingdom. If by chance the person returns to the world of the living, it's usually in dry clothes, with a renewed spiritual intelligence. Let's not forget the iwa Sakpata, god of the earth who brings abundant harvests, and Hébiosso, vodun of thunder who strikes down villains. Papa Legba plays the role of intermediary and messenger of the gods. Without him, contact with the iwa is impossible. His invocation opens doors between the visible and invisible worlds. He is the personification of wisdom and humility. Offerings to him are more modest than those to other iwa. All these deities reflect natural forces, deified ancestors or spiritual powers. They help to maintain a certain harmony between people, their ethnic groups or social clans and nature, where they take what they need to live serenely.
Mawu, the creative deity
At the pinnacle of the Vodun deities is Mawu Lisa (Olodumaré in Yoruba), the supreme god who reigns over the other gods. Her personality, however, is ill-defined, and she is sometimes seen as an androgynous figure, sometimes as two distinct spirits. The Fon believe the world was created by a hermaphrodite god, Nana Buluku, who gave birth to twins, Mawu and Lisa. The woman, Mawu, rules the night and the moon. Older, she is wiser and gentler than her brother-husband, Lisa. Night is a time of rest, coolness and closeness. As for Lisa, his domain is the day, with the sun as its founding element. He's a lively, rugged man who represents effort, as the day corresponds to the time of work. However, the majority of Vodun devotees know only the entity of Mawu Lisa. Having no form, the divinity is never represented or associated with objects. She is the creator of the other vodun, whose role is to relate to humans and the real world. She represents an entity in her own right, rather than a person.
Vodoun ceremonies
Voodoo rituals vary according to the customs of each ethnic group. However, they are based on the same principles of putting one or more adepts into a trance during ceremonies. Rituals are performed for a variety of reasons: to heal, on a spirit's birthday, to ask for a favor or protection. They are presided over by a Vodun priest or priestess, whose role is to bring together humans, the spirit world and the world of the dead. As well as invoking the iwa with sacred words and offerings, he or she uses a rattle, carved from a calabash containing snake bones, seeds or beads, to symbolize his or her power. To the rhythm of songs and drums, the vodun master and initiates in collective ceremonies dance until they enter a deep trance of spirit possession. This spirit worship is also associated with the divination of fetishes, which are invested with the spirit of the vodun god during these mystical ceremonies. Imbued with cult symbolism, they are adorned with a variety of objects and materials, including bones, furs and ritual irons. During the rite, the fetishist pours libations (chicken blood, palm oil, alcoholic beverages, etc.) over the fetishes to intervene with the god. Vodun is often equated with black magic and witchcraft, notably through the doll ritual, which consists of taking power over a particular person from a distance. Contrary to popular belief, the vodun doll is not only used to cast spells on someone, but can also be used for a good cause: to send a charm, to attract good luck to someone, to heal someone... As in many African animist religions, voodoo initiation rites mark the teenager's passage into the adult world. During this period, often a time of seclusion in a sacred forest, the youngster is initiated into the history, religious rites, dances and initiation language of his clan. Initiation rites also include tests designed to increase the initiate's physical and moral strength. Most Vodoun ceremonies take place in the private, often hidden sphere, but there are also collective ceremonies, sometimes open to the uninitiated.
The divination system, Fa
Fa is both the name given to the Yoruba oracle and an ancestral divination system. In the local language, it means "where the vodun spirits come to speak". According to several legends, this form of divination originated in the town of Ile-Ife, Nigeria, before spreading to neighboring countries. Unique in Africa, this geomancy is based on a complex system of sixteen main divine figures and two hundred and forty secondary signs. The interpretations of the vodun priest, the bokonon, are guided by Fa, the prophetic spirit considered to be the divinity of wisdom and destiny. This method is used to know one's future and make important decisions, whether individual or collective. Under religious pressure and Western influence, geomancy is less and less practiced today. Older priests don't have the means to pass on this mystical knowledge, not to mention the growing lack of interest among today's youth. To preserve this ancestral art of divination, this system has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2005.
Secret societies
The Vodoun cult has its own secret societies, whose function is as much social as religious. The Egoun, Guélédé and Oro are the three main societies of Yoruba origin present in Benin.
The Egoun are the "returning dead". It is through them that the dead manifest themselves to their descendants. Egoun societies are exclusively masculine. Dressed in brightly-colored loincloths, adorned with shells and sequins, and with their faces masked, the Egoun go out only during the day. An Egoungoun ceremony lasts a good month and ends with a public performance to which women are not admitted. As the dancer becomes a vodoun himself, men listen to his advice.
The Zangbéto, literally "guardians of the night", are a secret society who play the role of police and justice in the villages. They appear as conical masks made of raffia fiber. They intervene when an individual commits an action that runs counter to the community's interests. The Zangbéto keep their ceremonies, followers and temples secret.
As for the Oro societies, they are very present in Porto-Novo.
Finally, there are the Guélédé societies in Yoruba country, whose masks are now famous. Members of these societies wear highly inventive masks that cover the entire body. Similarly, their dances, which are highly codified, have become extremely refined.
In Ouidah, the Vodoun festival
Although the Vodoun festival is celebrated throughout the country on January 10, Ouidah is the epicenter of this national holiday. The town is dotted with numerous voodoo temples, recognizable by their white banners, the color of the cult. If you'd like to attend one of the ceremonies, you can ask the guides in the sacred forest for advice, or find out in advance at Cotonou's travel agencies.
