The origins of voodoo
A religious syncretism between traditional Yoruba, Fon and Ewe beliefs, the voodoo cult developed during the foundation and expansion of the kingdom of Abomey (now Benin) at the end of the 16th century. With the slave trade, it then spread to America, mainly to the Caribbean and Brazil where it is widely spread. The origin of the term voodoo comes from the word vodoun in the Fongbé language, which means "to make oneself comfortable in order to eat", referring to the idea of "the spirit of sharing with the deities". But this explanation is not recognized by all voodoo followers and the origin of the word is still controversial. As for its spelling, the final n of vodun being almost inaudible for uninitiated Europeans, it was removed to form the term voodoo, whose spelling varies according to the country and the phonetics brought in at the time by the colonists. Whether spelled voodoo, vodou, vodoun or voodoo, the word refers to the gods or invisible powers that followers try to conciliate, alone or in groups, to achieve happiness. Although the term applies to deified ancestors, especially in royal families, the word voodoo refers mainly to the forces of nature such as the ocean, the sea or lightning. It attests to the existence of a supernatural world, the equivalent of the Yoruba cult of Orisha. To connect the two worlds, the voodoo priest calls upon the spirit of Papa Legba, an iwa serving as an intermediary and messenger of God. The rituals differ according to the traditional beliefs of the ethnic groups practicing this cult, but are based on the same principles of putting one or more of the faithful into a trance.
The voodoo pantheon
There are more than one hundred and fifty voodoo deities whose spirits manifest themselves mostly in inanimate objects of nature, such as stones or trees. They are called the iwa, or even the Mysteries or the Invisibles. They serve as intermediaries between the creative deity Mawu and humans. During worship, they are prayed to, honored and praised according to their preference and attributes through offerings, dances and sacred rhythms, among other services. 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. We can also mention Ogun (Gu or Gun, according to different spellings), the god of war and the patron of blacksmiths. His mission on earth is to make it a pleasant place for humans to live, 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 and frizzy hair. She is sometimes portrayed as a half-woman, half-fish mermaid. Beware of her dazzling beauty because according to beliefs, 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 is usually in dry clothes, with a renewed spiritual intelligence. Let us not forget the iwa Sakpata, god of the earth who offers abundant harvests, and Hebiosso, vodun of thunder who strikes down villains. Papa Legba plays the role of intermediary and messenger of the gods. Without him, one cannot enter into contact with the iwa. His invocation allows to open the doors between the visible and invisible world. He is the personification of wisdom and humility. The offerings made to him are more modest than those of the other iwa. All these deities are mainly the reflection of 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 top of the voodoo deities is Mawu Lisa, the supreme god who rules over the other gods. Her personality is, however, ill-defined and she is sometimes considered an androgynous character, sometimes as two distinct spirits. For the Fon, the world was created by a hermaphrodite god, Nana Buluku, who gave birth to twins, Mawu and Lisa. The woman, Mawu, has the night as her kingdom and governs the moon. Older, she is wiser and gentler than her brother-husband, Lisa. The night is the time of rest, freshness and closeness. As for Lisa, his domain is the day, with the sun as its founding element. It is a lively and rough man who represents the effort, because the day corresponds to the time of the work. However, the majority of the faithful to the voodoo cult only know the entity of Mawu Lisa. Since she has no form, the deity is never represented or associated with objects. She is the creator of the other voodoos, whose role is to relate to humans and the real world. She represents an entity in her own right rather than a person. In the Ewe language, Mawu means "that which no one can reach" or "the unattainable", which explains why there is no cult for this deity. We only thank her with offerings and glorify her. It is a benevolent spirit towards all creatures.
Voodoo ceremonies
There are different voodoo rituals that 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 the ceremonies. These rituals are practiced for various reasons: to heal, on a spirit's birthday, to ask for a favor or for protection. They are presided over by a voodoo priest or priestess whose role is to connect humans, the world of spirits and that of the dead. In addition to invoking the iwa with sacred words and offerings, he or she uses a rattle, hollowed out of a calabash containing snake bones, seeds or beads, which symbolizes his or her power. To the rhythm of the songs and drums, the voodoo master, and the initiates during the collective ceremonies, then start to dance until they enter a deep trance, of possession by the spirits. Sometimes, to reach the spell, the adepts carry out several tests to exceed their limits. In the region of Sokodé, for example, the dancers turn around the fire before walking on the burning embers, barefoot. Some even take them between their hands to pass them over their bodies. This worship of spirits is also associated with the divination of fetishes that are invested with the spirit of the voodoo god during these mystical ceremonies. Imbued with great cult symbolism, they are adorned with several objects and materials, such as bones, furs and ritual irons. During the rite, the fetishist pours several libations (chicken blood, palm oil, alcoholic beverages...) on the fetishes to intervene with the god. Voodoo is often assimilated to black magic and witchcraft, especially through the ritual of the dolls, which consists in taking power over a particular person from a distance. Contrary to popular belief, the voodoo 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 luck to someone, to heal a person... As in many African animist religions, the voodoo initiation rites mark the passage of the adolescent into the world of adults. During this period, often a time of reclusion in a sacred forest, the young person is initiated into the history, religious rites, dances and initiation language of his clan. The initiation rites also include tests designed to increase the physical and moral strength of the initiate. Most Voodoo ceremonies take place in the private sphere, often hidden, but there are collective ceremonies, sometimes open to the uninitiated.
The divination system, Fa
Fa is both the name given to the oracle of Yoruba origin and a system of ancestral divination. In the local language it means "where the voodoo spirits come to speak". According to several legends, this divination would have appeared in the city of Ile-Ife, in 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 voodoo priest, the bokonon, are guided by Fa, a prophetic spirit considered to be the deity of wisdom and destiny. This method is used to know one's future and to make important decisions, whether individual or collective. Under religious pressure and Western influence, this geomancy is less and less practiced nowadays. The priests, who have become elderly, do not have the necessary means to transmit this mystical knowledge, not to mention the growing lack of interest of today's youth. In order to preserve this ancestral art of divination, this system of divination has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2005.
Voodoo sites not to be missed in Togo
To get a feel for the voodoo cult during your stay in Togo, several sites are worth a visit. First of all, the fetish market of Akodésséwa, located in the eastern district of Lomé, considered as the "voodoo pharmacy". The initiated come there to seek the prescriptions of healers, wizards or fetishists. On the stalls, dried animal skins and skulls are displayed, while in small stores, one finds various species of live birds and snakes. Enough to prepare a good magic potion! Togoville, the Togolese cradle of voodoo, is a village like no other, with its cult objects in front of the houses, its ancestor altars and its myriad of fetishes. The voodoo cult is omnipresent in different forms. One can attend traditional festivals such as the Yèkè-Yèkè festival which marks the Voodoo New Year or collective ceremonies, especially in September. To live in the heart of the voodoo culture, an address not to be missed is the Adjit'Art park, where you will be warmly welcomed by the African artist and voodoo priest Master Ake O'Lokan.
