Vodou School, Day 4
Petro Practice
By the fourth day of Vodou School, the initiates were gaining confidence. This day focused on Petro dancing and Petro theology. By this time the initiates had learned their salutes, their dances, songs... and some were invoking the lwa with greater power than ever before!
Houngan Louvel is flanked by his brothers, hounsi Emmaneus and huonsi Wilfrid, as he practices saluting the drums.
We prepared to sacrifice two pigs, offered by friends of our ouse to Erzulie Dantor and Simbi Makaya. Mambo Drapo Deplwaye expertly invokes Erzulie Dantor, and possession takes place!
The pair of pigs, male and female, are brought into the peristyle. The lwa examines the pigs and accepts them by lightly cutting their ears.
The pigs are butchered one by one, and quickly made ready for cooking. Two large pigs can feed many people!
As the morning's work was finished, the tired initiates waited for their meals. Then they were free to rest until the third, final and most intense night of the bat ge.
Go on to the next page to view the third and final night of the bat ge.
For more information about the Vodou religion, see The VODOU Page