Afro-Caribbean Religions

1. Afro-Caribbean Religions Gerald F. Murray Department of Anthropology University of Florida

2. Map of the region

3. Tectonic plates

4. Distribution of Islands by colonizers

5. Distribution of islands by size

6. Islands by population

7. Comparative density of select territories

8. What is religion? “A cultural system by which people • are taught to believe in an invisible spirit world • and to engage in rituals to interact with that spirit world • under the guidance of leaders who are believed to have more spiritual knowledge, power, or authority.”

9. Universal elements of religious systems • Spirit beliefs (pantheon) • Rituals to interact with the spirits • Specialists with spiritual authority or knowledge

10. Religion worldwide

11. Syncretic religions of the Caribbean • Merging of different cultural sources: Europe and Africa • Cuba: Santeria. • Haiti: Vodou. • Dominican Republic: Baile del Espiritu Santo • Puerto Rico: Espiritismo. • Trinidad: Shango • Jamaica: Obeah

12. Yoruba derived Santeria pantheon: the Orisha • Obatala: (Our Lady of Mercy) • Yemaya: (Mary, Star of the Sea) • Eleggua: (St. Anthony or St. Michael) • Oshun: (Our Lady of Caridad de Cobre) • Shango (St. Barbara) • Oya (Our Lady of Candelaria) • Ogun (St. Peter)

13. Preparation for a ritual to Oshun: River deity • Purpose: Goddess of love and money • Elements: 7 day candles, yellow ceramic plate, oranges, roses, paper fans, yellow tablecloth, small jar of honey, 5 small pastries, a letter of petition written to Ochun. • Go to secluded riverbank. Clean the area. • Spread out the tablecloth, put the plate in the center, with your letter on the plate. Arrange oranges and pastries. Put the vase of roses near the plate. Put 5 yellow candles around the plate and the roses.

14. The ritual itself • Stand and face the river. • Hold the jar of honey and pray to Ochun for love and/or money • Open the jar of honey and taste some with your finger. • Pour out all the honey over the pastries and oranges on the plate. • Light the candles • Collect river water in the empty honey jar • Take the water home, mix with spring water and cinnamon and boil • Take a shower , scrub the tub clean, fill with water. • Pour the cinnamon / river water mixture into the tub. • Immerse yourself in the water. • Dry yourself and light a yellow candle in your bedroom.

15. The specialists: Santeros

16. Anthropological encounter with the rural Haitian spirit world • Selection of a community • Initial fears of the villagers • Blan vin pran tè nou • Blan se lougarou. La manje pitit nou. • The rental of the dead houngan’s house • Ceremony of welcome

17. Voodoo and Vodou as incorrect names • Outsiders want nouns and adjectives for religion. Catholicism / Catholic Judaism / Jewish • People had no noun for the folk religion nor an adjective for its practitioners. • Used a verb phrase: sèvi loua (serve the loua). Practitioners: moun ki konn sèvi loua • Use of vodoun and vodouisant do not correspond to what villagers say

18. The spirits of rural Vodoun • Pantheon: Bon-Dye and the lwa • Monotheism “Bon Dye devan – Marasa deye” • Bon-Dye / Gran Met: • Neither trinitarian nor christological • Source of life and fertility • Author of natural disasters • Arbitrary and punitive • Beyond reach of humans and of other spirits

19. Lesser spirits of rural Vodoun • Loua (major anthropomorphic spirits) • Male and female • “sweet” and “bitter”. • Friendly possessions in rituals. • Expect music, food, drink • Bring illness if they are neglected • Le-mò (the dead)

20. Other preternatural beings • Lougarou – vampire • Zombi -- the dead brought back as slaves • San pouel: secret societies

21. The rituals of rural Vodoun • Rituals: Catholic rites of passage • Rituals not found in Catholicism • Drumming, song, and dance • Spirit possession • Animal sacrifice

22. A chante lwa Pyè Danbala m se wozo (2) M pa fatra, ya bale-m jete (2) Jou lapli a tonbe, ma leve ma wè yo. Stone of Danbala, I am a reed (2) I’m not garbage; yet they’ll throw me out (2) The day the rain falls, I’ll rise and see them

23. Ritual specialists of rural Vodoun • Catholic clergy officiate at the rites of passage. • Houngan / mambo are the major folk specialists. • Other ritual actors • Hounsi (female assistant) • Tanbouyè (drummer – always male) • The houngan \ bòkò distinction: right handed vs. left handed.

24. Functions • Historical function: Military • Mass media stereotypes: aggression / sorcery. “Pins in dolls” • Ethnographic finding: major function and focus of rural Vodou: Diagnosis and healing of illness. • Expanded urban functions: Market success, job search, romantic

30. Voodoo dolls on the internet: Zombieye, Inc. • Zombieye unique, handmade voodoo dolls are available in four themes: • Our red dolls bring you love • Our blue dolls bring you luck • Our yellow dolls bring you power • Our green dolls bring you money • Voodoo t-shirts and coffee mugs also available. • Order voodoo dolls and other goods using the online form or your credit card using PayPal.You have to stick it to get it!

33. Questionable propositions about Vodoun • “Vodoun is devil worship.” • “Vodoun is an African religion (Camouflage theory)” • “Vodoun is the religion of the Haitian people”

34. “Gerald, sa ou kwè ou menm”? • People asked me at the end what I thought • The pantheon: God, angels, and demons. • Animal sacrifice and feeding the spirits • Spirit possession • Dangers of purchasing alien spirits