User:Coconutbaby/sandbox

The source of the root hun', which features in Houngan and other Voodoo terms such as hounsi and hounfort, is synonymous with Voodoo in Dahomey

A Houngan will perform many roles such as priest, healer, fortune teller, exerciser and entertainer

Spiritual forces are involved in a Houngan's practice, to create and recreate the world.

Iwas are often invoked by Houngans.

"When the houngan greets his laplace or assistant, the two face each other holding each other's hands and perform a number of turns-first clockwise, then counterclockwise-to represent the sights of the profane world of men as re-flected in the cosmic mirror of the loa."

Draft Of Additional Paragraph

Haitian Vodou originates from the Kingdom of Dahomey which makes up a part of modern-day Benin and western Nigeria. During the slave trade, thousands of people from Dahomey were enslaved and transported across the Atlantic to islands in the Caribbean. During the French Colonial Period, the economy of Saint-Domingue (modern day Haiti) was based on slave labour working on sugar plantations. These West African natives brought the Vodun culture and religion to Haiti. Vodun alongside the western enforced Roman Catholicism, fused to create what we know as Haitian Vodou. Therefore, there are many elements of Haitian Vodou that can be traced back to Dahomey origins. In Dahomey, the term Vodou is synonymous with the prefix hun-, which lends itself to the root of the name Houngan amongst other terminology such as hounsi and hounfort4. The ending -gan, also originates from Dahomey, meaning “chief of spirits” or in other words “priest”.

Alongside Vodun and Roman Catholicism, Haitian Vodou also has elements of African forms of Christianity, Islam and Celtic Sailors mythology which came to light on the slave boats and in ports. This blend of traditions give Houngans a reputation of being ‘cosmopolitan’ in their manner. Houngan’s are responsible for keeping the vitality of Haitian Vodou alive and adapting it to 21st century needs. It has been said by author Ian Thomson that a “voodoo priest is usually an astute businessman”, proving that both the Houngan and the Haitian Vodou religion are flexible and able to adapt to their changing environments in order to survive.

Answers to Module 7 Questions

1. Media - audio recording from a diary entry of a visitor experiencing a Haitian Vodou Houngan performing a ceremony. 2. It is my own work, using the text from E.Wade Davis. 3. It is an audio file 4. It has a CC licence (selflcc-by-1.0) 5. I will add it to the categories - Religion of Haiti 6. The file will be described as - audio of diary entry by E.Wade Davis describing a Houngan performing a Vodou ritual.