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

Historical influences in the New World

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