Presents

The religion of most of the population of Haiti is voodoo. Its origins are in Africa, especially in Benin (formerly Dahomey). The term voodoo is from vodun, which means ?god? or ?spirit? in the Fon language of Africa. The beliefs of the African slaves gradually mingled with the Roman Catholicism of the white French plantation owners of Haiti.

Voodoo combines a belief in one god with a belief in various kinds of spirits. The purpose of voodoo is to serve these spirits and keep their good will. The god Bondye (from the French bon dieu) is identified with the Christian God. He is considered remote and unapproachable. Real devotion is given to the spirits (loa, or lwa, in the Yoruba language of Africa). The spirits are not evil. They serve as intermediaries between people and Bondye.

Each person is believed to have several souls. After death these souls become spirits that can take possession of another individual. When possessed, a believer does ritual dances, accepts animal sacrifice for the spirit, and offers valuable counsel and advice. Otherwise the role of the spirit combines the functions of guardian angel and patron saint.

Male voodoo leaders are called hungan and the females mambo. They serve small congregations as counselors, healers, and leaders of the lively voodoo ritual. Annual festivals are held in honor of the major spirits.

There are traditions of private magic and sorcery that have been sensationalized by outsiders?especially stories about zombies. These are presumably soulless bodies raised from the grave to be slaves. It is probable that they are actually persons who have been drugged into insensibility and revived.

Armageddon, place-name based on Megiddo, ancient fortified city in Palestine; derived probably from Hebrew for ?mountain of Megiddo?; modern usage usually refers to site of battle at the end of world history between forces of good and evil, as well as of God?s final judgment, believed by some Christians to be foretold in biblical prophecy; biblical reference cited is Revelation 16:16.

Devil worship (or satanism), devotion to Satan or the Devil, the personality regarded by the Judeo-Christian tradition as the absolute evil and completely opposite to God; centers around the Black Mass; is not to be confused with modern witchcraft or neopaganism since these groups worship pre-Christian gods.

Exorcism, process of expelling evil spirits from an object, person, or place; also used as a preventive measure against illness and misfortune, especially during times of celebration, such as the New Year; in Buddhist and Taoist exorcisms both laity and priests participate; in early Christianity any person could exorcise spirits, but since about 250 AD only certain clergy are allowed to perform rite; regulated by canon law in the Roman Catholic church; such rites of preliterate people sometimes considered witchcraft.

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