~ VODOU SCHOOL ~
On Tuesday, July 10 the new initiation candidates arrived, some led by international members who were already initiated. The group boarded the small plane for Jacmel and arrived happily at the Rendez-Vous Guest House. As I flew over the mountains of Haiti's southern penninsula with them, I was impressed by their positive attitude, courage, and intelligence. They were clearly ready, willing and able to learn, and thus I was looking forward to teaching as well as managing the ceremonial progression of the kanzo. My Haitian members awaited us in Jacmel, and we had a happy, if brief, informal meeting before dinner.
On the morning of July 11, the new initiates were plunged into Vodou School! The internationals formally greeted the Haitian membership, and returing initiates renewed old friendships. I spoke to my children, and taught them the structure of a Vodou house. I taught them something about Rada service and the origins of the Rada lwa. But shortly, I taught the way I think is best - by example! I taught my children to dance, and to sing Rada songs. First we taught them the subtle steps of Rada dancing, the yanvalou, the , the twa rigol.
Our song:
Nou tout se yon O!
A hey! A hey O!
Nou tout se yon O!
Devan Bondye!
We all are one oh!
Ah hey! Ah hey oh!
We all are one oh!
Before Good God!
Roots Without End Society members and candidates join together in the peristyle for Vodou School. Here left to right are Houngan Wolmer, Tom Seeber, Louvel Delon, Houngan Maxilien Floriant, Brian Coffey, hounsi Emmaneus Floriant, hounsi Levoyis Metellus and hounsi Wilfrid. Each and every one of the international men pictued here completed their ceremonies successfully, and are now Houngans asogwe! I am enormously proud of them. Throughout this photoessay, therefore, they will be referred to as "Houngan", and the newly initiating women will be referred to as "Mambo" or "hounsi"; because those are the initiatory ranks they now hold. Ayibobo for the Children of Guinea! Ayibobo for the initiates of the Roots Without End Society!
Under a mural of the lwa Erzulie Dantor, Mambo Lisa and hounsi Gina warm up in the cool morning. Mambo Lisa immediately impressed the house with her courage, her intelligence, her personal beauty, and her beneficent perisonality. Hounsi Gina likewise became beloved, with her sprightly, youthful verve, her willingness to work, her capacities as a dancer, her grace and charm. As I conducted the opening rounds of Vodou School, I introduced and demonstrated each step, and encouraged a relaxed, no-hazing atmosphere. Vodou dances are not difficult, they are simply different from those known by most international candidates. Once learned, these dances are hard to forget, they stay with you for life.
Another new member I was delighted to receive was Mambo Kineta. She is an internet designer, and has several other professional skills as well as her artistic and spiritual activities. She's wonderful! Sweet, uncomplaining, with an IQ that surely scales dizzying heights and a notably fine physical condition, Mambo Kineta was a ball of positive energy! I was very grateful for her presence, and I am delighted that she is a member of our house.
Indeed, I have been very fortunate in the membership of my house. The Haitian members are all local residents, and all from Vodouisant families. Sons of bokors, grandchildren of Mambos, daughters of Houngans, all are represented in our membership. As in most Haitian peristyles, our membership tends to include several extended family gruops. We have three biological brothers, any number of cousins, wives, husbands... once a person joins our house they usually bring other people to us.
The international membership likewise is composed of spiritually motivated, productive, positive people. Many of our members have websites, and you can find them on The VODOU Page. Just as the Haitian members do, international initiates frequently bring new people to our house.
Once the new candidates had learned the dances passably well, we began our training in earnest! We carefully explained to the candidates the manner in which we salute God, the lwa, and each other. Then we were off! Salutes, dances, rounds of songs led by our houngenikon or songleader, Houngan Babou Floriant; all supported by our master drummer, Hilaire and his drum group, La Fleur de Guinea. A good drummer is indispensible, and the Roots Without End Society is privileged to enjoy the presence of the very best! They are so very much in demand that we reserve the kanzo dates long in advance, so that other Houngans and Mambos can not engage them.
Every year, we offer those international members who can not attend, and the international Vodouisant community in general, the opportunity to offer sacrifice to the lwa. We buy the sacrifical animals for them, and sacrifice them with the appropriate ceremony. On this first morning, we offered two goats. The goats were first presented by hounsi Emmaneus.
The goats are bathed, and marked with sacred designs that set them apart and designate them as belonging to the lwa. The lwa are invoked and appear through possession to claim their sacrifice. Either the lwa marks the animal and the people present then slaughter it, or the lwa itself kills the sacrifice. Then the animal is quickly skinned and butchered, so that the cooking can start. The life energy and the blood of the animal is for the lwa, the meat is for the congregation.
As the ceremony wound down and the members went to their tasks, cooking and carrying wood, doing errands in town and caring for their own livestock and farms, drummer Hilaire relaxed with Houngan Brian Coffey. Hilaire is a patient teacher and Houngan Brian learned all he could!
Go on to the next page to continue viewing the July 2007 Kanzo of the Roots Without End Society.
For more information about the Vodou religion, see The VODOU Page