  |
|
Vodou TodayMuch has changed in the religion
and today new challenges face all those who are
called the children of Ginea. Certainly, Vodou remains the fulcrum of life on both the
island and in the Diaspora, but it is also undergoing
a forced evolution of sorts from both within and without, especially regarding its
politic.
The 90’s saw an
upsurge of interest in Afro-Caribbean traditions, most notably in Santeria, but in Haitian Vodou as well. In New York City
and Miami, hundreds of houngan and manbo treat clients’ everyday. Many non-Haitians now adhere to the faith
and have
taken Vodou initiation at one grade or another. In Miami International Airport, in JFK,
and in Laguardia, it is now common to see new initiates, dressed in white, traveling to
or from Haiti. Looking in the Yellow Pages for either of these cities, one will find page
after page, column after column of “religious supply stores,” called botanicas,
which cater to Vodou as well as other Diasporic traditions. In order to profit, the
clientele base of these stores must be immense indeed. However, because of this surge of
interest, the religion is also quickly becoming yet another tool for profit by the
unscrupulous.
To satisfy the growing interest of tourists wanting to delve into the “mysterious world of the Vodou,” numerous “priests” have set up shop both in Haiti and in the Diaspora. The full lave tet ceremonies (Sevis Tet) that should take three days to finish are often accomplished in a matter of hours and at a cost of up to $1,500. The houngan and mambo most in demand may charge from $5,000 to $16,000 for an impressive display of sacrificial animals and other food-stuffs and may kouche (literally, “put to bed”) the initiate in their hounfò for two or three days, maybe even a whole week, in order for them to “graduate” as houngan or manbo. Sadly, even many otherwise legitimate priests have come to view the religion as “the business”. There are, however, many hounfò in Haiti, that do not yield to tourism and monetary greed; they continue to follow the old traditions: three days for a lave tet, seven days for kanzo sinp, and more than forty-one days (not all of which are passed in the djevo) to properly initiate an houngan or manbo asogwe. They continue to follow the regleman regarding service and to give proper initiations to those people who find the way to their door. -
Excerpted from a letter by Houngan Aboudja, October 2001 |
Send mail to webmaster@vodouspirit.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
