Vudu and Christianism in Haitian History Its amazing how the world is ignorant about Haitian true history and about the roles of vudu and Christianism in it. Just as Haiti is itself and just as I was not too long ago and still am to a certain extent. Recently I was talking to a foreign friend, a Christian, and he mentioned vudu as part of the roots of underdevelopment in Haiti. A few months from now, as a convinced Christian myself, I would totally agree with him. But Id be wrong. I intend to share with you the little lesson that I gave him, and God willing, will have a chance to share one day with Haiti and the world. Vudu is a mixture of beliefs, rhythms, dances, practices and more that were part of the culture of the black people who were brought from Africa to the French colony, called Saint Domingue by the French. Since a very important number of the captivated Africans enslaved at that time were from West Africa, a lot of this cultural heritage is still present in that area and other places. You can discover it for example in the music. When they arrived here, chained, loaded on boats just like any kind of good or property, those fellow Africans were sold to any colonist who could afford them. Just like you could sell a cow. The owner had the right of life and death over them. There were catholic priests who were charged to preach them that God made them inferior, and therefore they had to obey their masters just like a dog obeys you today. Believe it or not, slavery was a Christian thing. Rome was on top of it. So our poor fellow Africans needed to resist. They needed to survive. Physically, mentally and culturally. Toma large extent the solution was vudu. If the Christian God was unfair and made some men superior and others inferior, the vudu gods wanted every man to be free. If the Christian God allowed our African brothers and sisters to be sold as slaved, the vudu gods motivated them to recover their freedom. So many vudu songs that a Haitian Christian wont wanna hear are in fact patriotic songs that tell our story. Therefore today again many Haitian patriots believe in vudu and consider it a betrayal to be a Christian. Christianism is viewed as a white people thing. Though Im still a Christian and believe that Christianity is a lot better than what is was made out to be by the Spanish and the French, I also think that we should respect vudu for the role it played in the resistance of the enslaved Africans as they had to cope with the worst crime of all time. The Bible says : Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Part of this truth is the case of Haitian history is found NOT IN THE PRACTICE OF VUDU, but in an objective understanding of it.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 21:12:08 +0000
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