The Vodun Religion

Vodun

Vodun is a large religion which has been misunderstood by millions and millions of people. These millions and millions of people believe that Vodun is an evil practice, an uncivilized religion and is simply inhumane. However, this is not Vodun. This evil religion does not exist anywhere in the world, except in the movies of Hollywood. This essay will attempt to show how Vodun is a civilized religion and gives peace of mind for many believers.

Beliefs

Vodun consists of three different levels of divinity. The highest level of divinity is placed in the 'Bondye'. This word is related to the French term 'bon dieu' meaning 'good god'. They believe that Bondye is an invisible spirit that is found all over the world, however, Bondye is not worshipped directly, instead through 'Lwas'. Lwas are the second-highest form of divinity. They are the lesser-gods of Vodun. On current record, there are over 1,300 Lwas, as each Lwa has its own personality and symbol.

Random House

English: Random House Tower

The Chi Wara / Chiwara / Chi-Wara mask of the Bamb...

The dead spirits are the last form of divinity. Voduns believe that the spirits of every person who has died. They dead can be called during specific rituals which will be discussed later on.

The religion of Vodun believes in three positions which a person may be. The first is 'Kanzo'. Kanzo is basically a person who believes and practices the faith throughout their lives. The second is 'Sur Pointe'. Sur Pointe is a person, who has been training through a specific 'Lwa' (Lwa being a type of lesser-god) and is now considered a priest. In Vodun, males and females can become priests. Males are called 'Houngan' and females are called 'Mambo'. The final position is the 'Asogwe' which is the supreme person that can make final judgments on many issues.

Symbols

Vodun itself does...