Both Santeria and Vodou are much maligned and oft-misunderstood traditions that deserve to have a better image in the mind of the public. Both traditions incorporate a lot of controversial aspects, particularly with regard to blood sacrifices and dramatic possession rituals. However, the stereotypes that surround them are borne out of misinformation and racism, and these are in fact two beautiful, vibrant, and incredibly adaptive religions. Both are fascinating in that they combine the passionate imagery of two completely desperate systems-Catholicism and native traditions-and because they were and are survival strategies of the highest sort.

Santeria, or La Regla Lucumi (The Way of the Saints), is a syncretic religion which blends African indigenous traditions, primarily those of the Yoruba people, with Catholicism. Originating in Cuba, Santeria or one of its variations is now also practiced in Haiti (where it is called Vodou or Vodun), Brazil (where it is called Macumba) and the Caribbean. It has also flourished in the immigrant communities of Florida, New York City, and Los Angeles.

Baba Eyiogbe writes on his website Orishanet, "The slave trade brought many [Africans] to the shores of Cuba, Brazil, Trinidad and Puerto Rico among others. But along with the bodies being brought over for sale into a life of misery, something else was being brought along... their religion." Once in the New World, African religions survived by merging with Catholicism.

According to Harry Lefever's book, the two religions possess some naturally sympathetic parallels, "Both religions had high gods who were perceived as creators and sustainers of the world. And both religions had a host of intermediaries that stood between the high gods and the humans who worshipped them. The Catholics had their saints and the Africans had orishas."

For the purpose of clarity it should be noted that Santeria and Vodou are two distinct traditions. Their primary difference is that Vodou began in Haiti; Santeria in Cuba. However, because both are syncretic religions that blend African indigenous traditions with Catholicism, there are basic similarities with regard to belief and practice. Both religions involve sacrifice, trance, initiation, and divination, and although in Vodou the spirits are called the lwa and not the orishas, they perform the same functions and are similarly associated with the saints.

The orishas

The primary focus of Santeria is the worship of the orishas. Joseph Murray describes orishas in his book, Santeria, as "The person- ifications of ashe that can be put at the disposal of human beings who honour them." Ashe is the blood of cosmic life; a divine current that finds many conductors. This divine current, then, is concentrated in the orishas, each of whom govern a specific area of human life. Each orisha, while associated with a Catholic saint, at the same time has a much wider field of meaning. As Karen Brown writes in her book, Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn, "The Vodou spirits are not models of the well-lived life; rather, they mirror the full range of possibilities inherent in the particular slice of life over which they preside. Failure to understand this has led observers to portray the Vodou spirits as demonic or even to conclude that Vodou is a religion without morality - a serious misconception." In this way, the orishas are much like the Greek and other gods - they quarrel, rage, kill, love, have sex, betray each other, etc., and generally provide models for all the possible roles a person might take in their life.

Each orisha favours certain numbers, colours, foods, dances, and symbols. Beyond these external signs, each orisha is understood to possess a very idiosyncratic personality, and paying close attention to the orisha's likes and dislikes is essential to proper worship. In this way, the relationship between orisha and devotee is highly personal and places a great deal of importance on the notion of reciprocity. All forms of worship are done with a mind to placate and to honour the orishas so that they will continue to provide for the devotee.

Six times a year, around the saint's days of the Catholic calendar, Vodou priests or priestesses hold "birthday parties" for the favoured spirits. This is a very personal method of honouring the spirits, and they are treated exactly as you would treat a very honoured human guest, by showering them with their favourite foods, colours, symbols, and songs. If the spirit feels sufficiently honoured, they may even make an appearance to "ride" one of the devotees, possessing him or her, in order to speak to the community. Another facet of Vodou worship which points to the highly intimate relationship between lwa and devotee is the practice of "marrying" one of the lwa. When a devotee "marries" a spirit, he or she will then set aside one night a week for the spirit, taking no human lover and waiting for the spirit to arrive in his or her dreams. On the spirit's day, the devotee will wear his or her colour; the devotee will also refer to the lwa as his or her "husband" or "wife". What could be more intimate than marrying the object of your worship?

Blood Sacrifice

The notion of reciprocity is perhaps most evident in the practice of blood sacrifice. In sacrificing an orisha's favoured animal, a devotee is "feeding" the orisha with the animal's invisible ashe. As Murphy writes, "The theory behind all Santeria sacrifice is that the orishas consume the invisible ashe of the sacrifices that is instilled in or, better, liberated from them through consecration." This ashe is offered up as part of an exchange between orisha and devotee: "Sacrifices are gifts to propitiate the orishas, to give them the life that they need and to spare the devotee's own: vida para vida, say the Santeros, life for life." In one sense, this is similiar to the Aztec notion that human sacrifice was needed in order that the sun should rise each day: to the Aztecs, human blood was the life force that kept the sun going; to practitioners of Santeria, the ashe inside the animal's blood is the life force that keeps the orishas going, and most of all, happy.

The appropriate animal must be chosen with regard to the orisha's known likes and dislikes. For instance, Shango prefers male roosters; but for his wife Oshun, a female white hen is best. The animal's blood is poured or sprinkled on sacred stones, or when used in an initiation, directly on the head of the initiate. Later, the sacrifice is eaten by the participants. It should be noted that animals are not the only food offered to the orishas; offerings may include vegetables, cakes, candy, soups, and all manner of delicacies are offered up in order that the orishas may consume their ashe. However, in non-animal sacrifice the ashe is invisible, unlike in animal sacrifice, when the blood actually represents and contains the ashe.

Possession-Performance

Perhaps the most captivating aspect of Santeria and Vodou practice to an outsider is the phenomenon of possession-performance, wherein a lwa or an orisha "rides" a devotee. I chose to use this term, rather than "trance" or "spirit possession", because I feel that it points towards the theatrical quality of the visits by the spirits. The terminology used by people who pratice Santeria and Vodou - "ride", "mount", etc., shows that possession-performance is a very different phenomenon from those who "channel" deities for a living. In fact, it is perhaps most like the Pentecostal pratice of speaking in tongues: spontaneous, relatively short, and visceral.

The initial transformation is marked by jerky movements, starts, and shakes, but once the transition is complete the medium's movements become precise and controlled. It is at this point that the orisha or lwa speaks to the community through the medium, giving advice, warnings, admonishments, and even lottery predictions.

The question of whether these possession-performances are the genuine act of a spirit, is, of course, impossible to answer. The amnesia of the mediums allows them both to de-emphasize their own personal involvement, and for special opportunities for uncensored self-expression. But it is important to emphasize here that for practitioners of Santeria and Vodou, it is not the medium who is seen to benefit, but the community. In fact, being possessed is physically taxing, and seems to confer no special status on the individual.

Altars and Shrines

Within the framework of reciprocity, Vodou and Santeria altars provide another means by which to worship the spirits. Devotees cover the altars with images of the spirits, and leave them offerings; in return the spirits are expected to answer the devotee's prayers. Altars can be in public places, or in basements and bedrooms. They can be to several spirits, or only one. But each altar must be constructed with careful attention to the spirits likes and dislikes. Brown writes, "Vodou altars... contain a wealth of information about the nature of a spirit or a group of spirits, as indicated in food preferences... some like their food very spicy, whereas others consume only sweet things. Some drink liqour, some do not." The colours, symbols, and offerings all must be appropriate to the spirits being honoured. The makeshift beauty of these altars certainly constitutes an art; from streamers, scarves, and cardboard, a mood of "dense opulence" is created. Haitian slave plantation altars were known to be constructed out of torn lace, sequins, feathers and empty whisky bottles with which they made working models of heaven. The riotous assemblage of colours, smells, and sights forms a pwen, a point of contact between the human realm and the spirit world. Here, divine and human energy is concentrated in order to affect change and bring about healing.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Vodou and Santeria altars are their use of what we might call "secular" objects, such bottles of Anais-Anais perfume and cigarettes. Brandon comments in his article "Vodou Altars" from the Spring '96 issue of African Arts, "Most of the shrine objects are bought and manufactured objects which were not created to symbolize the [orishas/lwa]." For a Santero, a bottle of French perfume symbolizes romance the same way that a rose does. One is not "better" because it is more natural, or not a product of consumer culture; that is a value judgement of our culture. The devotee, especially if he or she is a poor slave, sees the magic and symbolism in whatever they can get a hold of. In addition, the orishas and the lwa contain some fundamental similarities with you and me, and wouldn't you like some french perfume or some cigarettes?

A key to understanding Vodou and Santeria altars is to understand that they are not static; they are alive, ever-changing. Thus, "activating" or "heating up" an altar is an important part of Vodou or Santeria ceremony. The devotee interacts with the altar, bringing it fresh offerings, spraying rum or perfume on it. It is constantly added to, rearranged. Thus the altar evolves as does the human life.

Certain Santerian practices have been somewhat controversial, and have involved their followers in a number of court cases, one of which went all the way to the Supreme Court of the Unites States. In 1987, the Hialeah City Council in Florida banned animal sacrifices within city limits after a priest of the church decided to buy a building in Hialeah for religious services. According to local papers, city officials said the sacrifices were cruel to animals and unhealthy for people, while attorneys for adherents of Santeria contended the city was violating the first amendment by trying to outlaw a religion council members found offensive. Fortunately, in 1993, the court decided unanimously in favour of Santeria. Justice Anthony Kennedy declared that, "Our review confirms that the laws in question were enacted by officials who did not understand, failed to perceive or chose to ignore the fact that their official actions violated the nation's essential commitment to religious freedom." Cases have also been brought against Santeros by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), which Santeros see as another chapter in the religion's long history of harassment.

It is difficult not to view within these legal cases an overt racism, for what else would justify the obvious hypocrisy? Although the majority of the North American population consume meat every day, the taint of the "barbaric" lurks in animal sacrifice, and this is what gets people's knickers in a knot.

Conclusion

Santeria and Vodou are complex, fascinating religions. Although it is difficult to gain accurate knowledge of them because of the long history of racism and the resulting secrecy of their followers, research within the last few decades has allowed a picture to emerge of an amazing religion. The ultimate in survival strategies, Santeria and Vodou allow their practitioners to keep old traditions alive while infusing them with new things. Both religions are immanently adaptable, allowing their followers to address the concerns of each era. Because of this, they are alive, vibrant and beautiful at a time when many other traditions have become stagnant and thus, dead.

[back to the top]

[back to issue 1]