Afro-Caribbean Spiritualities
• Many linguistic and religious traditions in Africa
• Dahomean (from Dahomey)
• Nigeria and Benin• Yoruban (from
Yoruba) • “Slave Coast”
Historical Precursors
• African Religions• Dahomean• Spiritual Hierarchy:
– Nana-Buluku– Mawu-Lisa– Da– Vodou (gods)
• Legba (intermediary)• Sakpata (earth)• Sogbo (sky)• Agbe (water)
Historical Precursors
• Dahomean hierarchy, continued:– Nature Spirits– Ancestors– Humans
• Ancestral soul• Personal soul• Divine soul
– Animals– Objects
Historical Precursors
• The Slave Trade• Native American:
– Arawak– Ciboney– Population on Haiti 60,000 in 1508,
500 in 1548– Population on Cuba 60,000 in 1492,
1500 in 1550– Smudging, herbal lore
• European Undesireables:– Jews, Muslims, Moors, “Heretics,”
Ladinos– Folk traditions
• Racial Slavery
“Indians Punished” 1532
The Slave Trade
• The African Trade• Haiti:
– 1515-1730: 200 slaves per year
– 1730-1792: 13,000 slaves per year
• Cuba:– 1511-1788: 360 slaves per
year– 1781-1865: 7,000 slaves
per year
Slaves on the Middle Passage
The Slave Trade
• Slavery Experience:– Mostly male– 8-10% died during
“Middle Passage”– 8-10% died per year
on plantations– ‘Breeding’ slaves a
U.S. phenomenon– Female slaves after
1840 in Cuba “Punishing Slaves in Cuba” 1860’s
Impact of Slave Trade
• Changes to belief & ritual structure of African religions– Nature Spirituality lost– Ancestor worship lost– New level of cosmos
conceptualized: Ginen– New Vodou (lwas)
discovered – angry deities• Changes to system of
transmission of beliefs– Old ways: 1) inheritance 2)
childbirth 3) illness– New ways: adoption via
initiation into lineage
Forced Christianization• Africans had no “true” religion• Conversion would make
slaves accept their fate as part of God’s plan
• Code Noir 1685• Revisions to Code Noir
mid-18th c.: – slaves cannot congregate
except in presence of priest– Penalties for violation:
branding, whipping, death– Slave owners who allow their
slaves to congregate fined 100 gold crowns; second offence could be punished with life imprisonment on slave galley ships
Caption (translated): Exorcism-Baptism of the Negroes.
Slave Catechism• Who is the principal slave of Satan'? – the
principal slave of Satan is the houngan [vodou priest].
• What are the names given by houngan to Satan? – The names given to Satan by houngan are loas [the term for the gods], angels, saints morts [venerated ancestors], and marass [the divine twins].
• Why do houngan give Satan the names of angels, saints, and morts? – Houngan call Satan after saints, angels and morts in order to deceive us more easily.
• How do men serve Satan'? – In sinning, casting spells, practicing magic, giving food-offerings, worshipping les anges, worshipping marassa.
• Are we allowed to mingle with the slaves of Satan? – No, because they are evil-doers; like Satan himself they are liars.”
“Negro prayer meeting” 19th c.
Folk Catholicism
• Official Catholicism:– Baptism– confirmation– matrimony– extreme unction– Eucharist– penance– holy orders
The Seven African Powers
Folk Catholicism• Independent of Church control• Cult of Personages (Cult of
Saints) including Mary & Jesus• God in places, objects:
candles, statues, relics• God in everyday life: feasts,
prayer without priestly intercession could bring God’s aid
• Public religion – processions, feast days
• Emphasis on death (martyrdom)
• Focus on religious value of weak and downtrodden
"an old-time midnight slave funeral” 1881
Haitian Revolution• August 22, 1791• Ratio of slaves:owners
= 100:1• Large numbers of
escaped slaves• Boukman• Francois L’Overture• Jean-Jacques
Dessalines• Republic of Haiti Nov.
28, 1803 - 70,000 Haitians, 70,000 french soldiers dead
Haitian Revolution
• Significance:• Republic of Haiti without
Official Catholic influence for about 50 years – room for Vodou to flourish
• 1791—1803, Fleeing Slave-owners go to Cuba – bring Vodou with slaves to Cuba
• 1809 – banished from Cuba, Slave-owners go to Louisiana – bring Vodou to New Orleans
Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Spiritism
• Allan Kardec (Hyppolyte Leon Denizard Rivail)
• Investigation into Spiritualism• The Spirits’ Book (1857)• 3 types of souls: recently dead
& impure souls; reincarnated human souls; evolved spirits of light
• Many worlds of beings: earth is 3rd world; spirits of light are on 7th and highest world
• God is distant from human concerns; spirits of light are closer to us, and help us
• Karma governs reincarnation
Spiritism• Communication via mediumship
with spirits• Spirits of recently dead can
communicate with us and help us• Ancestors, friends speak via spirits
of light who possess mediums - blends seamlessly with African emphasis on ancestors and gods/lwas
• Spiritist services are called Misa: they are seances with possession trance, messages from the dead - become major way Vodou practitioners communicate with ancestors and/or divine