Voodoo
The voodoo is a religion that originally derives from the state Benin in Africa. But while the colonization was in progress, a lot of black humans were transported to the south of the USA, Haiti and the north of South-America as slaves. They also brought their belief with them, so the voodoo diffuse to these regions. The problems for the slaves have been that they weren’t allowed to practise their religion. So they had to christianize it. That’s why the Haitian or American Voodoo alternates from the African Voodoo.
The western voodoo is actually monotheistic. They believe in the Bondye (coming from the French: Bon Dieu, for god) as the ultimate and almighty god. All other gods stand below him. These god are called: loa or lwa. Of these loas there are round about 300 different gods. In fact, the voodoosi (someone who is practising the voodoo religion) actually do not call it gods, they say “principle” or “energy” for it.

The African voodoo doesn’t have this aspect of an almighty god. The history of the creation is the following:
First there has been nothing. Then the Gbêdoto came and created himself, and he still does it again and again. The Gbêdoto is the spiritual, transcendental and cosmic cause and causality. For this self-creation the Acê was necessary. This is somehow the divine energy that all gods exist of. Then the two creation gods Mawu and Lissa appeared. They are actually not regarded as individual deities; actually they personify the creation god in one with its gender aspects. These both gods begot 14 children. These children begot again children and by this, time by time, the pantheon was created.

Voodoo is not, as it is mostly seen, a religion that aims the damage of other people. It is rather a “normal” religion, that helps one to come clear with his life. The voodoosi have a lot of respect for the loas; and that’s why they are often sacrifice for them or praying. All causes in the life of a voodoosi originated from the loas.

For further information just ask.


(No guarentee for linguistic deficits (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) )