You two you too - Voices speaking from the truth…
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Ultimately, what you do to another you do to yourself, because you are virtually the other ~
that is the essence of voodoo, writes Monideepa Chatterjee
The term ‘Voodoo’ is usually associated with gruesome rituals, zombies and the living dead. This paranormal phenomenon is often regarded as the origin of religion. In fact, many consider it to be one of the world’s oldest known religions prevalent in Africa since the beginning of human civilisation. Some conservatives estimate that these civilisations and religions to be over 10,000 years old. These then identify voodoo as probably the best example of African syncretism (fusion) in America.
Although its essential wisdom originated in different parts of Africa long before the Europeans started the slave trade, the structure of voodoo, as we know it today, was born in Haiti during the European colonisation of Hispaniola. Ironically, it was the obligatory immigration of enslaved African from different ethnic groups that provided the circumstances for the development of voodoo. European colonists thought that by desolating the ethnic groups, these could not come together as a community.
However, in the anguish of slavery, the shuffled Africans found in their faith a common cord. They began to summon not only their own Gods but to practice rites other than their own. In this process, they co-mingled and modified rituals of various ethnic groups. The result of such fusion was that the different religious groups integrated their beliefs leading to the birth of a new religion: Voodoo.
Faith, derivation and tradition
Historically, from its inception, the word “voodoo” was deliberately employed to mock and disparage what most American media, and popular culture believed was a malevolent, superstitious, irrational, primitive African belief system. Also, it was typically the ceremonial facet, particularly healing, and protection rituals, which were known as “the work.”
Voodoo, (Vodun or Vudun in Benin and Togo; also Vodou in Haiti) has a varied ancestry. According to some ethnographers, these comprise Fon, Ewe, Mina, Yoruba and Kabye people of West Africa, from western Nigeria to eastern Ghana. While the word “Vudu” (in Ewe) and “Vodou” (in Fon) are ancient words still existing in West Africa, some western scholars have speculated that the word “voodoo” is a transliteration of the French words vous tous (pronounced voo-too), meaning ‘you all’.
Like most faith systems, the core function of voodoo is to explain the forces of the universe, forces that influence those forces and in turn influence human behaviour. Its oral tradition of faith stories carries forebears, record of the bygone times and fables to succeeding generations. Devotees honour deities and revere ancient and recent ancestors. Folklore and fallacy
Voodoo has been associated with the teachings of zombies, voodoo dolls and Satanism. The common practice of inserting pins in dolls can be traced back to European folk magic. The myth behind this belief, commonly known as a celebrated method of cursing an individual of what is presently known as New Orleans-Voodoo, which is a limited deviation, is a mystery. Some researchers view it as a means of self-protection to coerce credulous slave owners.
Read the full story from www.thestatesman.net
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