FREE ESSAY ON BRAZIL

BRAZIL

Today over 60 million people practice Vodun worldwide. Religious similar to Vodun can be
found in South America where they are called Umbanda, Quimbanda or Candomble. It is
widely practiced in Benin, where it is the official religion. Vodun (a.k.a. Vodoun,
Voudou, Voodoo, Sevi Lwa) is commonly called Voodoo by the public. The name is traceable
to an African word for spirit. Vodun's roots go back to the West African Yoruba people
who lived in 18th and 19th century Dahomey. That country occupied parts of today's Togo,
Benin and Nigeria. Slaves brought their religion with them when they were forcibly
shipped to Haiti and other islands in the West Indies. the actual religion, Vodun
practiced in Benin, Haiti, Dominican Republic and various centers in the US - largely
where Haitian refuges have settled. an evil, imaginary religion, which we will call
Voodoo. It has been created for Hollywood movies, complete with voodoo dolls, violence,
bizarre rituals, etc. It does not exist in reality, except in the minds of most
non-Voduns. History of Vodun in the West Slaves were baptized into the Roman Catholic
Church upon their arrival in Haiti and other West Indian islands. However, there was
little Christian infrastructure present during the early 19th century to maintain the
faith. The result was that the slaves largely followed original native faith. This they
practiced in secret, even while attending Mass regularly. An inaccurate and sensational
book (S. St. John, Haiti or the Black Republic) was written in 1884. It described Vodun
as a profoundly evil religion, and included lurid descriptions of human sacrifice,
cannibalism, etc., some of which had been extracted from Vodun priests by torture. This
book caught the imagination of people outside the West Indies, and was responsible for
much of the misunderstanding and fear that is present today. Hollywood found this a rich
source for Voodoo screen plays. Horror movies began in the 1930's and continue today to
misrepresent Vodun. It is only since the late 1950's that accurate studies by
anthropologists have been published. Other religions (Macumba, Candomble, Umbanda and
Santeria) bear many similarities to Vodun. Vodun Beliefs Vodun, like Christianity, is a
religion of many traditions. Each group follows a different spiritual path and worships a
slightly different pantheon of spirits, called Loa. The word means mystery in the Yoruba
language. Yoruba traditional belief included a chief God Olorun, who is remote and
unknowable. He authorized a lesser God Obatala to create the earth and all life forms. A
battle between the two Gods led to Obatala's temporary banishment. There are hundreds of
minor spirits. Those which originated from Dahomey are called Rada; those who were added
later are often deceased leaders in the new world and are called Petro. Some of these are
Agwe: spirit of the sea Aida Wedo: rainbow spirit Ayza: protector Baka: an evil spirit
who takes the form of an animal Baron Samedi: guardian of the grave Dambala (or
Damballah-wedo): serpent spirit Erinle: spirit of the forests Ezili (or Erzulie): female
spirit of love Mawu Lisa: spirit of creation Ogou Balanjo: spirit of healing Ogun (or Ogu
Bodagris): spirit of war Osun: spirit of healing streams Sango (or Shango): spirit of
storms Yemanja: female spirit of waters Zaka (or Oko): spirit of agriculture There are a
number of points of similarity between Roman Catholicism and Vodun: both believe in a
supreme being the Loa resemble Christian Saints, in that they were once people who led
exceptional lives, and are usually given a single responsibility or special attribute.
both believe in an afterlife both have as the centerpoint of their ceremony a ritual
sacrifice and consumption of flesh and blood both believe in the existence of invisible
evil spirits or demons followers of Vodun believe that each person has a met tet (master
of the head) which corresponds to a Christian's patron saint. Followers of Vodun believe
that each person has a soul which is composed of two parts: a gros bon ange or big
guardian angel, and a ti bon ange or little guardian angel. The latter leaves the body
during sleep and when the person is possessed by a Loa during a ritual. There is a
concern that the ti bon ange can be damaged or captured by evil sorcery while it is free
of the body. Vodun Rituals The purpose of rituals is to make contact with a spirit, to
gain their favor by offering them animal sacrifices and gifts, to obtain help in the form
of more abundant food, higher standard of living, and improved health. Human and Loa
depend upon each other; humans provide food and other materials; the Loa provide health,
protection from evil spirits and good fortune. Rituals are held to celebrate lucky
events, to attempt to escape a run of bad fortune, to celebrate a seasonal day of
celebration associated with a Loa, for healing, at birth, marriage and death. Vodun
priests can be male (houngan or hungan), or female (mambo). A Vodun temple is called a
hounfour (or humfort). At its center is a poteau-mitan a pole where the God and spirits
communicate with the people. An altar will be elaborately decorated with candles,
pictures of Christian saints, symbolic items related to the Loa, etc. Rituals consist of
some of the following components: a feast before the main ceremony creation of a veve, a
pattern of flour or cornmeal on the floor which is unique to the Loa for whom the ritual
is to be conducted shaking a rattle and beating drums which have been cleansed and
purified chanting dancing by the houngan and/or mambo and the hounsis (students studying
Vodun). The dancing will typically build in intensity until one of the dancers (usually a
hounsis) becomes possessed by a Loa and falls. His or her ti bon ange has left their body
and the spirit has taken control. The possessed dancer will behave as the Loa and is
treated with respect and ceremony by the others present. animal sacrifice; this may be a
goat, sheep, chicken, or dog. They are usually humanely killed by slitting their throat;
blood is collected in a vessel. The possessed dancer may drink some of the blood. The
hunger of the Loa is then believed to be satisfied. The animal is usually cooked and
eaten. Evil Sorcery The houngan and mambos confine their activities to white magic which
is used to bring good fortune and healing. However caplatas (also known as bokors)
perform acts of evil sorcery or black magic, sometimes called left-handed Vodun. Rarely,
a houngan will engage in such sorcery; a few alternate between white and dark magic. One
belief unique to Vodun is that a dead person can be revived after having been buried.
After resurrection, the zombie has no will of their own, but remains under the control of
others. In reality, a zombie is a living person who has never died, but is under the
influence of powerful drugs administered by an evil sorcerer. Although most Haitians
believe in zombies, few have ever seen one. There are a few recorded instances of persons
who have claimed to be zombies. Sticking pins in voodoo dolls was once used as a method
of cursing an individual by some followers of Vodun in New Orleans; this practice
continues occasionally in South America. The practice became closely associated with
Voodoo in the public mind through the vehicle of horror movies.