d_redant
Site Admin
Joined: 03 Jan 2005
Posts: 742
Location: London, UK.
|
 Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:16 am Post subject: A Dictionary of Voodoo terms |
 |
|
A Dictionary of Voodoo terms
By Bob Corbett, 16 July 1995
Sects of Voodoo:
Rada
African influenced family spirit Voodoo. This is a
Voodoo of the so-called sweet loa, a relatively
peaceful happy group of spirits.
Petro (Also called Congo).
Black magic Voodoo, the so-called bitter loa, a group
of angry, mean and nasty loa. They are thought by some
to be of Caribbean origin, not African. Dangerous
things happen in Petro including death curses, other
lesser curses, and the making of zombies.
Special note: By virtually all scholarly estimates one
can find, Rada accounts for about 95% of all Voodoo
practiced (and about 1% of Hollywood's image!). Petro
is real, but less widespread, constituting about 5% of
Voodoo practiced (and nearly 100% of the American
image).
...............................................................
Priesthood:
houngan
A male Voodoo priest.
mambo
A female Voodoo priestess.
(Voodoo does not prefer one sex over the other.)
bokor
A houngan who practices black magic or Petro Voodoo.
There are few, if any female bokor.
...........................................................
Other religious officials
la place
A master of ceremonies who works directly under the
houngan or mambo.
houngonikon
The director of music and dancing.
hounsi
A group of servers, usually women, dressed in white.
serviteurs
Serious practitioners of Voodoo; people who are said
to 'serve the loa' or 'follow the loa.'
..............................................
Spiritual beings:
Bondye
The one and only God. Basically the same God the
father as in Christianity.
Granmet (Great Master)
another name for Bondye.
Loa
Spirits, both spirits of various functions of the
universe (loa of agriculture; loa of death etc.) and
spirits of dead family members. The loa are not really
gods. There is only one God, Bondye.
mysteries
A term to refer to the loa and sacred knowledge.
Les Invisibles
all spirits.
zanj
angels
djab
devils
baka
An evil spirit which can assume various forms from a
human child, or animal to butterfly--any being it
wishes.
lougarou
A female werewolf--a human is condemned to this state
by a bokor, and then sucks the blood of its victims.
Marasa
Twins who died in their early childhood and are
innocent and capricious. They are the image of
contradictory forces in the universe.
..........................................................
Terms connected with ceremonies:
hounfo
The parish or region of a houngan or mambo's
influence.
peristyle
The building or outdoor area where Voodoo ceremonies
are held.
poto mitan
The center pole in a peristyle. It represents the
center of the universe and the access to the spirit
world. All dancing revolves around the poto mitan.
asson
The sacred magic rattle of the houngan or mambo. It is
a gourd with natural handle. The outside is covered
with bits of coral and snake bones.
veve
Ceremonial drawings of the various loa. These are done
in flour or cornmeal, usually next to the poto mitan.
flags
Banners which represent various loa and are used to
help summon particular loa.
mounting (possession)
Loa often come to a ceremony and possess serviteurs. A
horse and rider image is used a the loa is said to
MOUNT the serviteur. Voodoo theology says the loa
takes over the serviteur's body during possession. It
is not clear where the serviteur goes while his or her
body is possessed by the loa.
lave tet (washing of the head)
An initiation ceremony held for serviteurs after they
have been mounted for the first time.
kanzo
The initiation ceremony of fire for those moving into
a very serious level of Voodoo practice.
taking of the asson
The final initiation into the status of being a
houngan or mambo.
.................................................
miscellaneous terms:
zombi
a human who first dies, usually thought to have been
poisoned by a bokor, then comes back to life after
three days and serves a master as a mindless, but very
strong slave.
the crossroads
A central image in Voodoo. This is the place where two
worlds meet--earth and the spirit world. Virtually all
Voodoo acts, even healing, begin with the
acknowledgement of the crossroads.
wanga
An object, or combination of objects which has
received, as a result of magic, a property that is
harmful to some person or group.
ti-bon-ange
Part of the soul of an individual, it is the
changeless, impersonal cosmic consciousness. Upon the
death of the individual the ti-bon-ange rejoins the
cosmic forces and can be reused.
gro-bon-ange
The personal soul which animates the human body. The
gro-bon-ange is an individual immortal soul and can
pass through stages eventually becoming a loa.
............................................
drums
Music and dance are central to Voodoo, and the music
is primarily made by drums.
Rada music
primarily played by three drums, played incessantly
for hours on end.
manman drum
The largest of the three, about 3 ft. tall. It is
beaten by a standing drummer using a small wooden
hammer in one hand and the other bare hand.
segond drum
A smaller drum, perhaps 2 foot tall, beaten by a
seated drummer holding the drum between his knees.
This drum is usually beaten with the hands.
bula
A very small drum beaten by a seated drummer with two
long thin sticks.
Petro music
Two drums; the manman and the petit or ti-baka.
The smaller drum is beaten with the bare hands.
The Assotor drum is a huge special ceremonial drum
(used in both Rada and Petro) carved from a single
tree trunk. It is 6 foot or taller and must be beaten
by drummers who are on a platform. It is a sacred
drum, sort of an idol or fetish.
=====
www.geocities.com/mystic_moon_dreams |
|
FAQ
Refer A Friend
Search
Usergroups
Register
Subscription
Transactions
Log in to check your private messages
