WE INFORM THAT THIS IS A DANGEROUS DESTINATION. ARMED GANGS HAVE TAKEN OVER THE COUNTRY IN RECENT YEARS AND IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL THE WHOLE COUNTRY. INITIALLY THERE SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM TO MAKE THIS VISIT, BUT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT SO AS NOT TO EXPOSE YOURSELF TO ARGUMENTS OR CONFRONTATIONS WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PART OF OUR TOUR. OUR ACTIVITIES ALWAYS TRY TO TAKE PLACE IN AREAS FAR FROM GANG CONTROL.
Voodoo sacred assemblies can be known by various names, commonly referred to as a ceremony, ritual, or dance. In Haitian Creole, practitioners of Voodoo might call the gathering a dance (dans). For the sake of this guide, the terms ‘dance’ and ‘ceremony’ will be used interchangeably.
A Voodoo dance can extend for many hours. For instance, in Jacmel, drummers fueled by rum might begin their beats at twilight and keep the rhythm going until dawn, often ending with hands that are swollen and bruised. Thus, like any dance event in an unfamiliar city, come prepared with ample water and don’t expect a set end time. If you’re planning an early departure, it’s wise to go with a trusted friend who can adapt to leaving when you feel it’s time, pay your respects to your host if you can, and then you can exit at your convenience.
Voodoo dances occur within a peristil, a circular temple with a central pillar named the poto mitan, symbolizing the universe’s navel. Voodoo temples in Haiti vary, some blending indoor and outdoor spaces, others fully enclosed or open to the elements. Certain sacred ceremonies might occur at waterfalls like Sodo or beside a sacred mapou tree; however, for this guide, we’ll consider that you’ll be participating in a ceremony inside a peristil.
At the heart of this ceremonial area stands an altar. Here, bottles signify offerings and gifts, while machetes stand as signs of honor and respect towards spiritual entities. The altar might also display skulls and other human relics. While in Western culture, bones evoke thoughts of death, necromancy, or Halloween decorations, in Voodoo, skulls carry nearly the opposite connotation. Try to perceive the skull not as something morbid but as a comforting reminder of ancestors or as a symbol of the equilibrium between life and death.
While Western societies often shy away from death, keeping it out of the family home, numerous cultures from Romania to Indonesia to Haiti integrate the dead into everyday life. In Voodoo, death isn’t concealed but embraced in rituals as a means to enrich and celebrate life. Ancestors and departed family members might be invited to partake in the dance. Those who have crossed over come back to the community to give counsel and engage in the ceremonies. Instead of viewing this as a ghostly presence, consider it a magnificent family gathering.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Bureau of Ethnology, a museum dedicated to Voodoo
Close to the Champ de Mars, at the intersection of Rue Magny and Rue Oswald Durand, this museum offers an introduction to Voodoo and its role in Haitian society. It is the ideal starting point to explore the ‘Iwa’ and the various rhythms and nuances of Voodoo. Inside the museum, you’ll encounter Voodoo artefacts, art pieces and accounts of anthropological studies on the traditions of Voodoo (also known as Vodoun or Vaudou). Most of the exhibits are described in French.
The fronts of the National Office of Ethnology house a still photographic exhibition covering various elements of Haitian life and social activities: images of the national carnival, Voodoo ceremonies, Voodoo-influenced folk dances, among others. Inside the building, there is another equally fascinating photographic exhibition depicting Haitian cultural traditions and customs, with a focus on traditional costumes and their narratives. Also on display here are works by Haitian artists, accompanied by explanatory texts, mainly in French. Essential spiritual concepts such as the “lakou mansson” of Léogâne and the “lakou badjo, soukri, souvenance” of Gonaïves are illustrated, along with explanations of their relevance in Haitian culture.
Fundada en 1941 por el escritor Jacques Roumain y actualmente bajo la dirección de Erol Josué, la misión del museo es la conservación y catalogación de todos los artefactos antropológicos del lado haitiano de La Española, además de organizar y proteger excursiones a sitios arqueológicos significativos. Los visitantes tienen la opción de participar en algunas de estas excursiones; solo deben preguntar al llegar al museo. Founded in 1941 by the writer Jacques Roumain and currently under the direction of Erol Josué, the museum’s mission is the conservation and cataloguing of all anthropological artifacts from the Haitian side of Hispaniola, as well as organizing and protecting excursions to significant archaeological sites. Visitors have the option to participate in some of these excursions; just ask upon arrival at the museum.
