|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 9:21 am
Sang mentioned she'd like an FAQ- but I don't think I could do it justice as an FAQ, so I figured we'd make it more of a general discussion instead.
I don't really know where to begin- so I'm picking stuff at random.
Voodoo is also spelled Vodou, Voudou, Vodoun, Voudun and a few dozen other ways because Fon wasn't a written language so accents and stuff made people who wrote English had to guess.
Vodu means spirit- it includes Ancestors, the Loa and even something that is kind of like a demon.
So- is there anything people really want to know about? It would make it easier for me to talk about it if I knew what people wanted to hear more of.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 9:39 am
I am slightly intrigued by this kind of demon thing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 10:09 am
There are Baka and other spirits- basically they "attach" themselves to a person and make problems.
A lot of the time they're more like boogie men- things used to frighten people into paying fakes lots of money.
I'm not saying they don't exist- I just think they're not as common as some people want you to think.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:04 am
In other threads I've heard you talk about some of the different Loa and you mentiond something about "hot" and "cold" Loa. Could you explain a little more about that, or why certian Loa would be "hot" or "cold"?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 12:00 pm
Shearaha In other threads I've heard you talk about some of the different Loa and you mentiond something about "hot" and "cold" Loa. Could you explain a little more about that, or why certian Loa would be "hot" or "cold"? Hot, cold/cool, sweet are qualities that describe a Loa's disposition and preference- and you don't want to mix them. I wish I understood the history of why some Loa are grouped as one or another- I only have guesses. There are things that are thought of as being hot or cold, and lots of those make sense. Like blood is hot- because it is physically warm. Somethings- like maple syrup are sweet- so they're considered cool. The groups describe everything from drum beats to foods that are used to offer Loa that belong to one group or another- but it's all very general. Some specific things for individual Loa might not fit. Obatala is a good example- you never offer him alcohol- even though some alcohols are considered sweet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 4:01 pm
this is interesting. I'm completely carte blanche with this stuff though, so I have nothing to add other than it being interesting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 11:46 pm
So, a veve is a rune-like thing that represents and encompasses a Loa... as you mentioned on PoG. When do you use these veve? Are there particular ways in which you draw them?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:38 am
Sanguina Cruenta So, a veve is a rune-like thing that represents and encompasses a Loa... as you mentioned on PoG. When do you use these veve? Are there particular ways in which you draw them? Veve can be drawn for any time you do work or ritual. I say work to mean something like spellwork where you are calling on the Loa and ritual to mean the riding of the Loa on a horse. You also draw it to feed the Loa, basically leave offerings for them. Lots of things can be used to draw the Veve- common ones are chalk and cornmeal- but I've seen people use all kinds of Sweeping Powders, brick dust, ink and stuff to draw them as well. You can draw it as a positive image- by letting a small amount of cornmeal slip from your hand in the proper lines or you can draw it as a negative image by sprinkling the cornmeal down and then tracing it in. You say your prayers to feed them and leave their offering on the Veve. I've traced Veves in rum on my front door for protection with certain prayers before too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:44 am
Question! You said ritual meaning the Loa riding a horse? May I ask exactly what this means?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 12:42 pm
PersianPapiiChulo Question! You said ritual meaning the Loa riding a horse? May I ask exactly what this means? In Vodou rituals, the Loa will possess the Mambo or Houngan. This is sometimes called Monter la Tete- or Mounting the head, sometimes dancing in the head- but it's common slang to say the Loa is riding the person- so they're commonly called a horse.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 12:51 pm
Oh. Hmm. Very intersting. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 11:33 am
So question. I think you practice Haitian Vodou yes? Please let me know if I've misinterpreted. Anyway, what do you know about American/Louisiana style Vodou and how it differs from what you work with? A lot of the people in the pagan group I work with are getting pretty heavy into it and I was curious to know something about it from another perspective. See if they know what they;re talking about and such.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 12:25 pm
This is just personal opinion- what I have seen from the people I know- New Orleans Vodou has more magical workings than Haitian Vodou which focuses more on the service of the Loa. It's mostly about a different ratio- but there are other things too.
New Orleans Vodou was influenced by non-Vodou traditions from the South East more than Haitian Vodou was- so you'll run into more variety in their working with things borrowed from Native American medicine and other stuff too.
I'm not an anthropologist though- so keep in mind this is just what I noticed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 2:22 pm
Christmas and New Years are holidays that feature "Lucky Baths". Usually these are herbal formulas and often have water drawn from baths taken by Vodou Horses who were ridden by specific Loa.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 1:31 pm
To me superstition is a word that means a belief not baised on reason...
If my ancestors have held a superstition generation after generation perhaps there is a good reason for it. They went to alot of trouble to
get things the way they are today, and something tells me their quirks intelligently guide those who observe them. That being said, I have been told that Hodoo is a word that is sort of a series of belifes about the concept of entraptment, whereas Vodoo is more about healing and the superstitions about it. I would love to hear and remember some Vodoo chants...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
