OUIDAH VODUN JAZZ FESTIVAL NEWS
OUIDAH, BENIN - THE BIRTHPLACE OF VOODOO AND THEIR ANNUAL VOODOO FESTIVAL
Benin formerly known as Dahomey sat in the gulf of Guinea hemmed in by the might of Nigeria on its Eastern flank and Togo to the West, with the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean lapping along its palm fringed beaches. This former French colony is rich in colonial history; home to the “Slave Coast” of Ouidah, and the spiritual birthplace of Voodoo.
Trance voodoo dancers arriving at Ouidah for voodoo festival
Voodoo followers from other part of Africa arriving at Voodoo festival in Ouidah,Benin
According to the Voodoo tradition, there is one supreme god, who is known by different names in different parts of the world. In Haiti, for example, he is called Bondye, which comes from the French bon dieu, meaning "good god."
Djabassi Manonwomin, a voodoo priestess, centre, during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Sunday Alamba
Regardless of which name people use, the primary god is immensely powerful and beyond the reach ordinary followers. For this reason, Voodoo practitioners must rely on hundreds or thousands of other spirits to communicate with god.
Voodoo followers at ouidah Voodoo festival in Benin,home of Voodoo.
These spirits are known as loa or lwa in Haiti; anthropologists writing about African Voodoo often refer to them as spirits or gods. The spirits exist in a hierarchy. There are major, powerful loa, many of whom have their own holidays, celebrations or other observances. There are also minor spirits, who play various roles in different regions. Communities and even families have their own loa, such as the spirits of beloved or influential family or community members. The loa receive their power from god and communicate with god on behalf of followers.
Traditional Drummers at annual Ouidah voodoo festival
During ceremonies and observances, followers of Voodoo ask the spirits for advice, protection or assistance. The process is reciprocal; followers must look after the loa by performing rituals, which sometimes come in the form of animal sacrifice. Other rituals allow followers to thank the spirits for protection, blessings or good fortune. To maintain a good relationship with the loa, followers must also conduct themselves properly according to the customs of both the community and the religion. In this way, the practice of Voodoo can influence a person's day-to-day decisions and activities.
Voodoo supreme "POPE' Dagbo Hounon Tomandjre (in the middle) arrives for a festival
Part of the Voodoo belief is that loa communicate with followers through possession. The loa temporarily displaces the soul of its host, or medium, and takes control of the medium's body. According to this belief, the medium cannot feel pain or become injured while possessed.
Voodoo priestess Djbassi Manonwomin leads fellow worshippers of a mermaid deity to a Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Jon Gambrell
The loa speaks through the medium, often giving instructions, advice or prophecies of future events. Sometimes, a loa rebukes followers for failing to perform their duties to the loa, their family or their community. In some Voodoo traditions, a few select people have the privilege of becoming possessed. In others, the loa may choose to possess anyone at any time.
Trance Dancer in full flight at Voodoo festival,Ouidah,Benin.
This idea -- that powerful or influential spirits can possess people -- unites two distinct forms of Voodoo. One exists primarily in the northern and central portions of the western African coast. The other is practiced primarily in Haiti, as well as in parts of North and South America. Books that explore either form often explain the religion through a series of stories or anecdotes instead of as a straightforward analysis. There are several reasons for this:
Agbaza dance at the colorful voodoo festival,Ouidah
Voodoo shrines
-
Voodoo is an oral tradition without a primary holy text, prayer book or set of rituals and beliefs. In different regions, Voodoo practices, the names of gods and other traits can vary considerably.
-
The religion makes use of a wealth of rituals and observations that affect followers' day-to-day lives, making a straightforward list of observances impractical.
-
In many ways, Voodoo is a personal religion. Followers have direct experiences with spirits and loa, and these experiences can be dramatically different from place to place and person to person.
Voodoo, or Vodun as it known locally, is an officially recognised religion, claiming 40% of the population as adherents.
For millions of Beninese, voodoo is a skullduggery-free part of everyday life. It does have a dark side – it’s hard to miss the voodoo dolls riddled with nails – but this is only one aspect of it. Ouidah’s Voodoo Festival, Benin’s most vibrant and colourful festival, is a showcase of its other qualities.
vodussi at oiudah voodoo festival
Since 1997, one year after the government officially decreed voodoo a religion (one practiced by around 60% of Benin’s 7.4 million residents), thousands of believers have flocked to Ouidah, the historic centre of voodoo worship, to receive blessings from the city’s voodoo chief. The celebrations begin when the supreme voodoo priest slaughters a goat to honour the spirits, and are marked by much singing, chanting, dancing, beating of drums and drinking of gin. The beach also briefly becomes a racehorse track.
Voodoo market at Abomey,Benin
The ‘Egungun’ are believed to be possessed by spirits of dead ancestors placed upon earth to guide the living and must be treated with respect. The idea of the ‘spirit’ appears in many guises. The Nigerian Egungun are just one of many spirit incarnations. In other parts of West Africa it is manifested differently like that below.
The ‘Egungun’ are believed to be possessed by spirits of dead ancestors placed upon earth to guide the living and must be treated with respect. The idea of the ‘spirit’ appears in many guises. The Nigerian Egungun are just one of many spirit incarnations. In other parts of West Africa it is manifested differently like that below.
At the same time each year this flamboyant festival takes place which involves a week of activity.
It culminates with people from across Benin as well as Togo and Nigeria descending on the city for the final day. As the religion's followers gather - along with tourists - devotees in animal skins chant and dance as locals drink Gin.
The festival features Nigerian 'voodoo spirits' walking the streets. Each spirit represents the reincarnation of a dead member of the Nigerian 'Nagu' clan.
The festival also features 'Egungun' spirits from the Nigerian Yoruba Clan. The Egungun are masqueraded dancers that represent the ancestral spirits of the Yoruba - a Nigerian ethnic group which are believed to visit earth to possess and give guidance to the living.
Nigerian ‘Egungun’ spirits shuffle through the narrow streets in intensely colourful dress, imparting wisdom in their inimitable high pitched ‘squeaky’ voices.
Shrouded in mystery and often misunderstood, voodoo was acknowledged as an official religion in Benin in 1989. It is increasing in popularity with around 17 per cent of the population now following it.
The festival takes place every year in January.
Nigerian Voodoo masquerades at Ouidah voodoo Festival (
The Egungun are masqueraded dancers that represents the ancestral spirits of the Yoruba, a Nigerian ethnic group, and are believed to visit earth to possess and give guidance to the living. Ouidah is Benin’s Voodoo heartland, and thought to be the spiritual birthplace of Voodoo or Vodun as it known in Benin.
Pope Benedict meets Benin Voodoo worshipers at Ouidah
Voodoo New Year: Benin's witchcraft festival
Voodoo worshippers make sacrifice at the beach during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Sunday Alamba
Thundering drums. Whirling, bare-breasted women. Necklaced men slashing their bodies with knives and pouring alcohol over the wounds. Welcome to one of Africa's most sensational events: the New Year Voodoo Festival.
Staged annually on January 10, the festival unfolds at "the cradle of voodoo", Ouidah: a seaside town in Benin, the West African country between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer.
The constant beat of drumming throughout the day and into the night draws people into the secluded courtyards of Voodoo priests to discover secret ceremonies in hidden shrines and temples
Roots
For centuries, Ouidah was a regional slave trafficking hub. Sometimes trapping slaves in nets, European traders shipped hundreds of thousands from Ouidah to the Americas and the Caribbean.
Pain parade
In the victims' memory, National Voodoo Day festival marchers re-enact the 3-kilometre trek from Ouidah's downtown slave auction block to the harbour. Led by the supreme voodoo chief — a pagan pope — marchers pause to pray at pilgrimage points.
A woman leaves a voodoo ceremony in Ouidah, Benin,�carrying blood from an animal sacrifice.
One point invested with particular meaning is the mermaid statue marking the old spot of a bizarre plant called the Tree of Forgetfulness. Back in the day, departing slaves circled the tree nine times, in step with the belief that the rite would make them forget their identity. Some chance; Voodoo's persistence underlines that the brainwashing failed.
Voodoo worshipers after performing rituals to Mami wata goddess at Ouidah
Ouidah's most striking memorial — the giant Gate of No Return arch — looms at the end of the slave trail, by the sea. A mural spanning the top of the gate shows manacled Africans walking out through the waves, toward a future of permanent hardship — if they survived far beyond the Bight of Benin.
Devout worshipers gather from across Benin, as well as Togo and Nigeria. Along with the odd curious traveler, they descend on the coastal town of Ouidah and surrounding villages to witness a week of intensely colourful celebration, frenetic whirling dancing and rhythmic performance.
Trance party
While dancing marchers circle the gate, horse racers tear across the golden-brown beach. Above the thumping of hooves and drums, loudspeakers blast Congolese music at the throng, which consists of everyday Africans mingling with snazzily dressed royals and entranced, chanting priests.
A dancer in a state of 'Trance' performs at a Voodoo Ceremony on January 9, 2012 in Ouidah, Benin.
Priests shower blessings on followers sipping 'libations' (firewater offerings to the gods). Human haystack 'Zangbetos' meant to police proceedings spin hypnotically.
The spectacle shows that, despite its B-movie black magic image, voodoo means more than pin-skewered dolls, sacrificial virgins and zombies loping through the night of the living dead. Voodoo is about celebration — embracing the values of peace and prosperity, enthusiasts say.
A man enters a state of trance during a Voodoo ceremony on January 7, 2012 in Ouidah, Benin
Gorefest
Animals play a major role as they are selected and sacrificed, the blood poured on the ground as offerings. It is an intense scene and a spectacle not often witnessed by outsiders
Still, WOMAD it ain't. Besides self-mutilation, the gin-fuelled carnival features the waving of wooden phalluses and the sacrifice of chickens in primal style. Priests rip out chook throats with their teeth, spraying blood everywhere and stoking fear of bird flu infection. Undeterred, the priests merrily drink the blood.
Plus, they slaughter a goat, in honour of the python spirit at the heart of the voodoo religion, the cutely named 'Dangbe', who has his own Ouidah temple housing over 400 royal pythons pampered by snake cult devotees.
Waiting for the Voodoo priest, a goat slaughtered during the festival.
PHOTO: BY OYASAF DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER, OGUNTIMEHIN ARIYO
Vanishing act
Voodoo's sensual emphasis on snakes and the like failed to please Benin's former ruler Mathieu Kerekou. During the 1970s, Kerekou (a military Marxist) banned voodoo because it conflicted with the socialist work ethic, he reckoned. He was probably right.
Beginning the voodoo ceremony in Benin. Photos
by Marilynn Windust
Revival
His bludger-friendly successor, however, repealed the ban. When Kerekou was re-elected to office, Beninese refused to recognise his authority until he caved and took an oath of office that specifically mentioned ancestral spirits.
Now, irrespective of whether it erodes productivity, about 60 percent of Benin's 9 million people embrace the faith.
"Magic forms an enormous part of daily Beninese life and is likely to be your enduring memory of the country," writes explorer Stuart Butler in the Bradt Benin guide. "At times you could be forgiven for thinking that everyone you meet is a magician." Butler argues that voodoo is more potent than anything Harry Potter can throw your way.
WOMAN DANCING DURING A CEREMONY OF INITIATION
Force field
A Tourist experiencing how Vudu Python Shrine looks like at Ouidah
Voodoo disciples believe in a Star Wars-style 'force' that courses through everything. The show is run by a supreme god with the help of a shower of spirits running into the hundreds.
Temple of Pythons in Ouidah
Pythons apart, just about everything you care to name has VIP voodoo status. The roll call includes the earth, the wind, thunder, giant baobab trees and vampire bats: all mixed into one magic mashup.
Voudun and Slavery’s Legacy in Ouidah (Africa)
Groundswell
Because Benin, sandwiched between Nigeria and Togo, is off the average radar, its spiritual shindig has yet to become a massive tourist magnet. But that may change. Already, scores of slave descendants and voodoo followers from as far afield as Haiti and the US attend. And the backpackers are coming ...
start dancing at Voodoo Festival in Ouidah,Benin
Shake a tailfeather
If you go, whatever your take on the occult, you must admire the theatre. Watch out for the master magician in a sequined top hat, strolling under an umbrella held by a servant.
If you have no idea what to wear, feathers and face paint are a good look. Carry water to offset the heat and the effect of your glass of fiery moonshine that may be magically, repeatedly refilled.
Children at Voodoo festival
KPESSE SACRED FOREST OF VOODOO GODS
This Sacred Forest in Ouidah (is where Abojevi was born). The forest has a number of statutes of vodun spirits and practitioners. Legend has it that centuries ago King Kpasse fled his enemies by escaping into the forest and turned himself into a tree called the Iroko tree.You’ll see Legba, with his large erection, Abojevi’s favourite god. Abojevi also was a fan of the serpent god and would love the python temple. Remember our community was also called Dangbe comme (serpent community). You’ll also see Shango, god of thunder with the horns and red arrow in his mouth. Hopefully we’ll get to see the sacred forest ourselves one day. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_QkYpdNhvU&feature=player_embedded#!)
OUIDAH, BENIN - THE BIRTHPLACE OF VOODOO AND THEIR ANNUAL VOODOO FESTIVAL
Benin formerly known as Dahomey sat in the gulf of Guinea hemmed in by the might of Nigeria on its Eastern flank and Togo to the West, with the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean lapping along its palm fringed beaches. This former French colony is rich in colonial history; home to the “Slave Coast” of Ouidah, and the spiritual birthplace of Voodoo.
Trance voodoo dancers arriving at Ouidah for voodoo festiva
Voodoo followers from other part of Africa arriving at Voodoo festival in Ouidah,Benin
According to the Voodoo tradition, there is one supreme god, who is known by different names in different parts of the world. In Haiti, for example, he is called Bondye, which comes from the French bon dieu, meaning "good god."
Djabassi Manonwomin, a voodoo priestess, centre, during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Sunday Alamba
Regardless of which name people use, the primary god is immensely powerful and beyond the reach ordinary followers. For this reason, Voodoo practitioners must rely on hundreds or thousands of other spirits to communicate with god
Voodoo followers at ouidah Voodoo festival in Benin,home of Voodoo.
These spirits are known as loa or lwa in Haiti; anthropologists writing about African Voodoo often refer to them as spirits or gods. The spirits exist in a hierarchy. There are major, powerful loa, many of whom have their own holidays, celebrations or other observances. There are also minor spirits, who play various roles in different regions. Communities and even families have their own loa, such as the spirits of beloved or influential family or community members. The loa receive their power from god and communicate with god on behalf of followers.
Traditional Drummers at annual Ouidah voodoo festival
During ceremonies and observances, followers of Voodoo ask the spirits for advice, protection or assistance. The process is reciprocal; followers must look after the loa by performing rituals, which sometimes come in the form of animal sacrifice. Other rituals allow followers to thank the spirits for protection, blessings or good fortune. To maintain a good relationship with the loa, followers must also conduct themselves properly according to the customs of both the community and the religion. In this way, the practice of Voodoo can influence a person's day-to-day decisions and activities.
Voodoo supreme "POPE' Dagbo Hounon Tomandjre (in the middle) arrives for a festival
Part of the Voodoo belief is that loa communicate with followers through possession. The loa temporarily displaces the soul of its host, or medium, and takes control of the medium's body. According to this belief, the medium cannot feel pain or become injured while possessed.
Voodoo priestess Djbassi Manonwomin leads fellow worshippers of a mermaid deity to a Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Jon Gambrell
The loa speaks through the medium, often giving instructions, advice or prophecies of future events. Sometimes, a loa rebukes followers for failing to perform their duties to the loa, their family or their community. In some Voodoo traditions, a few select people have the privilege of becoming possessed. In others, the loa may choose to possess anyone at any time.
Trance Dancer in full flight at Voodoo festival,Ouidah,Benin.
This idea -- that powerful or influential spirits can possess people -- unites two distinct forms of Voodoo. One exists primarily in the northern and central portions of the western African coast. The other is practiced primarily in Haiti, as well as in parts of North and South America. Books that explore either form often explain the religion through a series of stories or anecdotes instead of as a straightforward analysis. There are several reasons for this:
Agbaza dance at the colorful voodoo festival,Ouidah
Voodoo shrines
-
Voodoo is an oral tradition without a primary holy text, prayer book or set of rituals and beliefs. In different regions, Voodoo practices, the names of gods and other traits can vary considerably.
-
The religion makes use of a wealth of rituals and observations that affect followers' day-to-day lives, making a straightforward list of observances impractical.
-
In many ways, Voodoo is a personal religion. Followers have direct experiences with spirits and loa, and these experiences can be dramatically different from place to place and person to person.
Voodoo, or Vodun as it known locally, is an officially recognised religion, claiming 40% of the population as adherents
For millions of Beninese, voodoo is a skullduggery-free part of everyday life. It does have a dark side – it’s hard to miss the voodoo dolls riddled with nails – but this is only one aspect of it. Ouidah’s Voodoo Festival, Benin’s most vibrant and colourful festival, is a showcase of its other qualities.
vodussi at oiudah voodoo festival
Since 1997, one year after the government officially decreed voodoo a religion (one practiced by around 60% of Benin’s 7.4 million residents), thousands of believers have flocked to Ouidah, the historic centre of voodoo worship, to receive blessings from the city’s voodoo chief. The celebrations begin when the supreme voodoo priest slaughters a goat to honour the spirits, and are marked by much singing, chanting, dancing, beating of drums and drinking of gin. The beach also briefly becomes a racehorse track.
Voodoo market at Abomey,Benin
The ‘Egungun’ are believed to be possessed by spirits of dead ancestors placed upon earth to guide the living and must be treated with respect. The idea of the ‘spirit’ appears in many guises. The Nigerian Egungun are just one of many spirit incarnations. In other parts of West Africa it is manifested differently like that below.
The ‘Egungun’ are believed to be possessed by spirits of dead ancestors placed upon earth to guide the living and must be treated with respect. The idea of the ‘spirit’ appears in many guises. The Nigerian Egungun are just one of many spirit incarnations. In other parts of West Africa it is manifested differently like that below.
At the same time each year this flamboyant festival takes place which involves a week of activity.
It culminates with people from across Benin as well as Togo and Nigeria descending on the city for the final day. As the religion's followers gather - along with tourists - devotees in animal skins chant and dance as locals drink Gin.
The festival features Nigerian 'voodoo spirits' walking the streets. Each spirit represents the reincarnation of a dead member of the Nigerian 'Nagu' clan.
Egungun masquerades
The festival also features 'Egungun' spirits from the Nigerian Yoruba Clan. The Egungun are masqueraded dancers that represent the ancestral spirits of the Yoruba - a Nigerian ethnic group which are believed to visit earth to possess and give guidance to the living.
Nigerian ‘Egungun’ spirits shuffle through the narrow streets in intensely colourful dress, imparting wisdom in their inimitable high pitched ‘squeaky’ voices.
Shrouded in mystery and often misunderstood, voodoo was acknowledged as an official religion in Benin in 1989. It is increasing in popularity with around 17 per cent of the population now following it.
The festival takes place every year in January.
Nigerian Voodoo masquerades at Ouidah voodoo Festival (
The Egungun are masqueraded dancers that represents the ancestral spirits of the Yoruba, a Nigerian ethnic group, and are believed to visit earth to possess and give guidance to the living. Ouidah is Benin’s Voodoo heartland, and thought to be the spiritual birthplace of Voodoo or Vodun as it known in Benin. )
Pope Benedict meets Benin Voodoo worshipers at Ouidah
Voodoo New Year: Benin's witchcraft festival
Voodoo worshippers make sacrifice at the beach during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Sunday Alamba
Thundering drums. Whirling, bare-breasted women. Necklaced men slashing their bodies with knives and pouring alcohol over the wounds. Welcome to one of Africa's most sensational events: the New Year Voodoo Festival.
Staged annually on January 10, the festival unfolds at "the cradle of voodoo", Ouidah: a seaside town in Benin, the West African country between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer.
The constant beat of drumming throughout the day and into the night draws people into the secluded courtyards of Voodoo priests to discover secret ceremonies in hidden shrines and temples
Roots
For centuries, Ouidah was a regional slave trafficking hub. Sometimes trapping slaves in nets, European traders shipped hundreds of thousands from Ouidah to the Americas and the Caribbean.
Pain parade
In the victims' memory, National Voodoo Day festival marchers re-enact the 3-kilometre trek from Ouidah's downtown slave auction block to the harbour. Led by the supreme voodoo chief — a pagan pope — marchers pause to pray at pilgrimage points.
A woman leaves a voodoo ceremony in Ouidah, Benin,�carrying blood from an animal sacrifice.
One point invested with particular meaning is the mermaid statue marking the old spot of a bizarre plant called the Tree of Forgetfulness. Back in the day, departing slaves circled the tree nine times, in step with the belief that the rite would make them forget their identity. Some chance; Voodoo's persistence underlines that the brainwashing failed.
Voodoo worshipers after performing rituals to Mami wata goddess at Ouidah
Ouidah's most striking memorial — the giant Gate of No Return arch — looms at the end of the slave trail, by the sea. A mural spanning the top of the gate shows manacled Africans walking out through the waves, toward a future of permanent hardship — if they survived far beyond the Bight of Benin.
Devout worshipers gather from across Benin, as well as Togo and Nigeria. Along with the odd curious traveler, they descend on the coastal town of Ouidah and surrounding villages to witness a week of intensely colourful celebration, frenetic whirling dancing and rhythmic performance.
Trance party
While dancing marchers circle the gate, horse racers tear across the golden-brown beach. Above the thumping of hooves and drums, loudspeakers blast Congolese music at the throng, which consists of everyday Africans mingling with snazzily dressed royals and entranced, chanting priests.
A dancer in a state of 'Trance' performs at a Voodoo Ceremony on January 9, 2012 in Ouidah, Benin.
Priests shower blessings on followers sipping 'libations' (firewater offerings to the gods). Human haystack 'Zangbetos' meant to police proceedings spin hypnotically.
The spectacle shows that, despite its B-movie black magic image, voodoo means more than pin-skewered dolls, sacrificial virgins and zombies loping through the night of the living dead. Voodoo is about celebration — embracing the values of peace and prosperity, enthusiasts say.
A man enters a state of trance during a Voodoo ceremony on January 7, 2012 in Ouidah, Benin
Gorefest
Animals play a major role as they are selected and sacrificed, the blood poured on the ground as offerings. It is an intense scene and a spectacle not often witnessed by outsiders
Still, WOMAD it ain't. Besides self-mutilation, the gin-fuelled carnival features the waving of wooden phalluses and the sacrifice of chickens in primal style. Priests rip out chook throats with their teeth, spraying blood everywhere and stoking fear of bird flu infection. Undeterred, the priests merrily drink the blood
Plus, they slaughter a goat, in honour of the python spirit at the heart of the voodoo religion, the cutely named 'Dangbe', who has his own Ouidah temple housing over 400 royal pythons pampered by snake cult devotees.
Waiting for the Voodoo priest, a goat slaughtered during the festival.
PHOTO: BY OYASAF DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHER, OGUNTIMEHIN ARIYO
Vanishing act
Voodoo's sensual emphasis on snakes and the like failed to please Benin's former ruler Mathieu Kerekou. During the 1970s, Kerekou (a military Marxist) banned voodoo because it conflicted with the socialist work ethic, he reckoned. He was probably right.
Beginning the voodoo ceremony in Benin. Photos
by Marilynn Windust
Revival
His bludger-friendly successor, however, repealed the ban. When Kerekou was re-elected to office, Beninese refused to recognise his authority until he caved and took an oath of office that specifically mentioned ancestral spirits.
Now, irrespective of whether it erodes productivity, about 60 percent of Benin's 9 million people embrace the faith.
"Magic forms an enormous part of daily Beninese life and is likely to be your enduring memory of the country," writes explorer Stuart Butler in the Bradt Benin guide. "At times you could be forgiven for thinking that everyone you meet is a magician." Butler argues that voodoo is more potent than anything Harry Potter can throw your way.
WOMAN DANCING DURING A CEREMONY OF INITIATION
Force field
A Tourist experiencing how Vudu Python Shrine looks like at Ouidah
Voodoo disciples believe in a Star Wars-style 'force' that courses through everything. The show is run by a supreme god with the help of a shower of spirits running into the hundreds.
Temple of Pythons in Ouidah
Pythons apart, just about everything you care to name has VIP voodoo status. The roll call includes the earth, the wind, thunder, giant baobab trees and vampire bats: all mixed into one magic mashup.
Voudun and Slavery’s Legacy in Ouidah (Africa)
Groundswell
Because Benin, sandwiched between Nigeria and Togo, is off the average radar, its spiritual shindig has yet to become a massive tourist magnet. But that may change. Already, scores of slave descendants and voodoo followers from as far afield as Haiti and the US attend. And the backpackers are coming ...
start dancing at Voodoo Festival in Ouidah,Benin
Shake a tailfeather
If you go, whatever your take on the occult, you must admire the theatre. Watch out for the master magician in a sequined top hat, strolling under an umbrella held by a servant.
If you have no idea what to wear, feathers and face paint are a good look. Carry water to offset the heat and the effect of your glass of fiery moonshine that may be magically, repeatedly refilled.
Children at Voodoo festival
KPESSE SACRED FOREST OF VOODOO GODS
This Sacred Forest in Ouidah (is where Abojevi was born). The forest has a number of statutes of vodun spirits and practitioners. Legend has it that centuries ago King Kpasse fled his enemies by escaping into the forest and turned himself into a tree called the Iroko tree.You’ll see Legba, with his large erection, Abojevi’s favourite god. Abojevi also was a fan of the serpent god and would love the python temple. Remember our community was also called Dangbe comme (serpent community). You’ll also see Shango, god of thunder with the horns and red arrow in his mouth. Hopefully we’ll get to see the sacred forest ourselves one day. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_QkYpdNhvU&feature=player_embedded#!)
Here is the chameleon ...
... emblem of King Akaba (1680-1708) founder of Dahomey ...
Young worshippers of a mermaid deity prepare for the Voodoo Festival, in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Jon Gambrell
Jean Zossounjbo, a guide, shows a python at the Temple of Pythons in Ouidah, Benin, on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. AP / Jon Gambrell
entrance to the kpesse sacred forest in benin
Voodoo worshippers dance during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Sunday Alamba
Aduare Achumba, a visitor to the Temple of Pythons, reacts as a guide puts a python on her head in Ouidah, Benin, on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. Ouidah, considered the major cultural city in the West African nation of Benin, held its annual Voodoo Festival on Thursday. Voodoo is an official religion in this nation of 9 million people and this year's festival honored the slaves taken from surrounding countries and sent into America and the Caribbean, people who brought the religion with them. AP / Sunday Alamba
Kpasse Sacred Forest
A gigantic centralized false cola nut tree in the Kpasse Sacred Forest. Cotonou, Benin. Photo ©Tom Ritchie
Voodoo worshippers dance at the Temple of Pythons during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Sunday Alamba
Voodoo chiefs walk past The Point of No Return monument, which commemorates the slave trade during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Sunday Alamba
A man raises a knife to a crowd of worshippers and onlookers before slaughtering a goat at the Temple of Pythons during the Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Jon Gambrell
A man slaughters a goat at the Temple of Pythons during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Jon Gambrell
Voodoo chiefs watch as a man slaughters a goat, not in frame, at the Temple of Pythons during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Sunday Alamba
Iroko tree in Sacred forest in Ouidah
In 1988 this tree fell during a storm. Next day, as they were preparing to take the tree away, it rose back to its place. that is why they protect it now - people come for luck etc.
voodoo girls
Left: Jean Zossoujbo, a guide at the Temple of Pythons, shows a python to a visitor to the temple in Ouidah, Benin, on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. Right: A Voodoo worshiper dances during the annual Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Sunday Alamba
Dancing worshippers surround a man carrying a slaughtered goat during a voodoo ceremony in Ouidah, Benin, on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. AP / Jon Gambrell
Jean Zossoujbo, a guide at the Temple of Pythons, shows a python to a visitor at the temple in Ouidah, Benin, on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. AP / Sunday Alamba
Voodoo worshipers attend the annual voodoo festival at the village of Ouidah, Benin.
A voodoo curse, the head of a monkey with its tongue sticking out wrapped around the stick, can be seen in Ouidah, Benin, on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013. AP / Jon Gambrell
Voodoo dolls are seen wrapped into a woman's dress, during the Voodoo Festival in Ouidah, Benin, on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. AP / Jon Gambrell
BENIN, GRAND POPO. Annual meeting of voodoo cult followers in January 1998
Photos:http://www.dankitwood.com/2012/06/15/voodoo/
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COMMENTS
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star loveAugust 13, 2013 at 7:40 AM
beautiful, the mother of all known religions, a source of psychotherapy and real power without weapons with a natural justice system build in: power abused will be punished!
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UnknownNovember 18, 2014 at 11:23 AM
I would be happy if i get help to madam Good god Bondye place
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ForeignObserverBahamasJanuary 12, 2015 at 4:16 AM
Satan at his dirty tricks again and the Pope should be condemned for not speaking to these deluded people the same way Paul spoke to the Athenians.
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2012年9月24日
贝宁OUIDAH-伏都的诞生地及其年度伏都节
贝宁以前被称为达荷美，坐落在几内亚的海湾中，它被尼日利亚的势力包围在其东翼和多哥向西，大西洋的温暖海水沿着其棕榈边缘的海滩l绕。这个前法国殖民地拥有丰富的殖民历史。乌达（Ouidah）“奴隶海岸”（Slave Coast）的所在地，也是巫毒教徒的精神发源地。
nce巫毒舞者抵达Ouidah参加巫毒节
来自非洲其他地区的伏都教徒信徒抵达贝宁Ouidah的伏都教音乐节
根据伏都教的传统，有一个至高无上的神，在世界的不同地方以不同的名字而闻名。例如，在海地，他被称为邦德（Bondee），他来自法国的bon diu，意为“好神”。
benin_voodoo_06.jpg
伏都教女教士Djabassi Manonwomin于2013年1月10日星期四在贝宁Ouidah举行的年度伏都教节日期间居中。AP /星期天Alamba
无论人们使用哪种名称，主神都具有强大的力量，超出了普通追随者的能力。因此，伏都教修炼者必须依靠成百上千的其他精神与上帝沟通。
ouidah伏都教节日的伏都教追随者在贝宁，伏都教的家。
这些精神在海地被称为loa或lwa；关于非洲伏都教的人类学家经常将它们称为灵魂或神灵。精神存在于等级制度中。有大量的重要贷款，其中许多都有自己的假期，庆典或其他纪念活动。还有一些小精灵，他们在不同地区扮演着不同的角色。社区甚至家庭都有自己的意愿，例如心爱或有影响力的家庭或社区成员的精神。贷款从上帝那里获得权力，并代表跟随者与上帝沟通。
一年一度的Ouidah伏都教音乐节上的传统鼓手
在仪式和纪念日期间，伏都教的追随者向精神家寻求建议，保护或帮助。这个过程是对等的。追随者必须通过执行仪式来照顾Loa，仪式有时以动物牺牲的形式出现。追随者可以通过其他仪式来感谢精神保护者，祝福者或吉祥者。为了保持与这笔贷款的良好关系，追随者还必须根据社区和宗教的习俗适当地行事。这样，伏都教的做法会影响一个人的日常决策和活动。
伏都教至尊“ POPE”达博·侯农·托曼杰尔（中间）参加节日
Voodoo的部分信念是Loa通过拥有与追随者交流。 Loa暂时取代了其宿主或媒介的灵魂，并控制了媒介的身体。根据此信念，介质在拥有时不会感到疼痛或受伤。
benin_voodoo_07.jpg
2013年1月10日，星期四，伏都教女教士Djbassi Manonwomin带领美人鱼神的同胞们参加了贝宁Ouidah的伏都教节。
贷款协议通过媒体讲话，经常给出指示，建议或对未来事件的预言。有时，一笔小额贷款谴责了追随者未能履行对小额贷款，其家人或社区的职责的追随者。在伏都教的一些传统中，少数有选择的人有被附身的特权。在其他情况下，贷款可以选择随时拥有任何人。
在充分的飞行在伏都教节日，Ouidah，贝宁的舞蹈家。
这个想法-强大或有影响力的精神可以拥有人-团结了伏都教的两种不同形式。一种主要存在于西非海岸的北部和中部。另一种则主要在海地以及北美和南美的部分地区实行。探索这两种形式的书籍通常通过一系列故事或轶事来解释宗教，而不是直接分析。有几个原因：
厄瓜多尔伏都教节日上的Agbaza舞蹈
伏都教神社
巫毒教是一种口头传统，没有主要的圣经，祈祷书或一套礼仪和信仰。在不同地区，伏都教的习俗，神的名字和其他特征可能有很大的不同。
宗教利用了影响追随者日常生活的大量仪式和观察，从而使简单的遵守仪式变得不切实际。
在许多方面，伏都教是一种个人宗教。追随者对精神和意向有直接的经验，而这些经验因地而异，因人而异。
巫毒教（Voodoo）是当地官方认可的宗教，声称40％的人口是信徒。
对于数以百万计的贝宁人来说，伏都教是日常生活中无骷髅的一部分。它的确有阴暗面-很难错过钉满指甲的巫毒娃娃-但这只是其中一个方面。 Ouidah的Voodoo音乐节是贝宁最具活力和丰富多彩的音乐节，展示了其其他品质。
沃达伏都教节日上的沃都西
自1997年政府正式颁布巫毒教（一年后，贝宁740万居民中约60％实行宗教信仰）后的一年，成千上万的信徒蜂拥而至，拜访了伏都教历史悠久的市中心Ouidah，以得到该市伏都教酋长的祝福。庆祝活动始于最高的伏都教牧师宰杀山羊以示敬意，并以唱歌，诵经，跳舞，打鼓和喝杜松子酒为标志。海滩也短暂地成为赛马场。
贝宁阿波美的伏都教市场
据信，“ Egungun”是死掉的祖先的灵魂所拥有的，它们被放置在地上以指导生命，必须受到尊重。 “精神”的概念以多种形式出现。尼日利亚的Egungun只是众多精神化身中的一种。在西非的其他地区，其表现方式也与以下方式有所不同。
据信，“ Egungun”是死掉的祖先的灵魂所拥有的，它们被放置在地上以指导生命，必须受到尊重。 “精神”的概念以多种形式出现。尼日利亚的Egungun只是众多精神化身中的一种。在西非的其他地区，其表现方式也与以下方式有所不同。
每年的同一时间，这个华丽的节日都会举行，其中包括一周的活动。
最后一天，来自贝宁，多哥和尼日利亚的人们来到这座城市。当该宗教的追随者与游客聚集在一起时，当当地人喝杜松子酒时，信奉兽皮的信徒就歌颂和跳舞。
该节日的特色是在街上漫步的尼日利亚“伏都教精神”。每一种灵魂都代表着尼日利亚“ Nagu”氏族死者的转世。
节日还包括来自尼日利亚约鲁巴族的“ Egungun”烈酒。 Egungun是伪装的舞者，代表了约鲁巴（Yoruba）的祖先精神-尼日利亚族裔，据信访问地球是为了拥有并为生活提供指导。
尼日利亚的“ Egungun”精神穿着色彩艳丽的装扮在狭窄的街道上穿梭，以无与伦比的高调“吱吱作响”的声音传授智慧。
伏都教笼罩在谜团中，常常被人们误解，于1989年被公认为贝宁的官方宗教。它的受欢迎程度日益提高，目前约有17％的人口信奉该宗教。
该节日每年一月举行。
乌达伏都教节上的尼日利亚伏都教化装舞会（
Egungun是伪装的舞者，代表了尼日利亚族裔Yoruba的祖传精神，并被信访地球以拥有并为生活提供指导。 Ouidah是贝宁的伏都教心脏地带，被认为是贝宁众所周知的伏都教或伏敦教的精神发源地。 ）
教宗本尼迪克特在瓦达会见贝宁伏都教徒
巫毒新年：贝宁的巫术节
benin_voodoo_04.jpg
2013年1月10日星期四，在贝宁Ouidah举行的年度伏都教节期间，伏都教信徒在海滩上献祭。美联社/周日Alamba
令人震惊的鼓声。婆，的女人。戴着项链的男人用刀砍死自己的身体，并在伤口上倒酒。欢迎来到非洲最激动人心的活动之一：新年伏都教节日。
该音乐节每年于1月10日举行，在瓦伊达（Ouidah）的“伏都教摇篮”上举行：位于西非国家贝宁的一个海边小镇，位于赤道和北回归线之间。
白天和黑夜不断打鼓，将人们吸引到伏都教牧师的僻静庭院中，在隐藏的神殿和庙宇中发现秘密仪式
根源
几个世纪以来，瓦达（Ouidah）一直是区域奴隶贩运中心。有时，欧洲商人有时将奴隶囚禁在网中，数十万人从厄伊达运往美洲和加勒比海。
痛苦游行
在遇难者的记忆中，全国伏都教日节日游行者重新制定了从Ouidah市区奴隶拍卖场到海港的3公里长途跋涉。在最高的伏都教首领（异教徒教皇）的带领下，游行者停下来朝圣地点祈祷。
一名妇女在贝宁的瓦伊达（Ouidah）举行了伏都教仪式。
有一点特别意义的投资是美人鱼雕像，它标志着一种叫做“健忘之树”的奇异植物的古老景点。早在那天，即将离任的奴隶就绕着树转了九圈，并坚信礼仪会让他们忘记自己的身份。一些机会； Voodoo的坚持不懈表明洗脑失败了。
巫毒教徒在Ouidah向Mami wata女神举行仪式后
瓦达最醒目的纪念馆-巨大的不归之门拱门-在海边的奴隶步道尽头隐约可见。跨过大门顶部的壁画显示，被困的非洲人在海浪中行走，朝着永久困境的未来迈进，如果他们幸存下来的距离远远超出贝宁湾。
虔诚的信徒聚集在贝宁，多哥和尼日利亚各地。与奇异的好奇旅行者一起，他们来到沿海城市瓦伊达（Ouidah）和周围的村庄，见证了为期一周的丰富多彩的庆祝活动，狂热的旋转舞和有节奏的表演。
党
当跳舞的游行者绕过大门时，赛马运动员撕破金黄色的沙滩。喇叭声和鼓声高高地上，扬声器在人群中轰炸刚果音乐，其中包括每天非洲人与穿着时髦的皇室成员以及有魅力的，高呼的牧师交往。
处于“发呆”状态的舞者于2012年1月9日在贝宁Ouidah的伏都教仪式上表演。
牧师向信徒们祝福，lib饮“解放”（向众神献水）。人类的草堆“ Zangbetos”意在催眠旋转警察程序。
奇观表明，尽管巫术电影具有B级电影的黑色魔幻影像，但它所代表的意义不仅仅在于针串的洋娃娃，牺牲的处女和僵尸在活死人的夜晚徘徊。爱好者们说，伏都教关乎庆祝-拥抱和平与繁荣的价值观。
一名男子在2012年1月7日在贝宁Ouidah举行的伏都教仪式上进入of状态
Gorefest
在选择和处死动物时，动物起着主要作用，血液作为供品倒在地上。这是一个激烈的场面，外人很少见到的奇观
不过，WOMAD并非如此。除自残外，杜松子酒狂欢节还以木制阴茎的挥舞和原始风格的鸡牺牲为特色。牧师用牙齿撕开窒息的喉咙，向各处喷血。
此外，为了纪念伏都教宗教中心的蟒蛇精神，他们宰杀了一只山羊，名字可爱，名为“ Dangbe”，他有自己的Ouidah神庙，里面藏有400多个受到蛇邪教奉献者宠爱的皇家蟒蛇。
等待伏都教牧师，节日期间宰杀了一只山羊。
照片：OYASAF摄影记者，OGUNTIMEHIN ARIYO
消失的行为
伏都教对蛇之类的感性强调未能取悦贝宁的前统治者马修·克雷库（Mathieu Kerekou）。他认为，在1970年代，Kerekou（军事马克思主义者）取缔了伏都教，因为它与社会主义的职业道德相冲突。他可能是对的。
2012年9月24日
贝宁OUIDAH-伏都的诞生地及其年度伏都节
贝宁以前被称为达荷美，坐落在几内亚的海湾中，它被尼日利亚的势力包围在其东翼和多哥向西，大西洋的温暖海水沿着其棕榈边缘的海滩l绕。这个前法国殖民地拥有丰富的殖民历史。乌达（Ouidah）“奴隶海岸”（Slave Coast）的所在地，也是巫毒教徒的精神发源地。
nce巫毒舞者抵达Ouidah参加巫毒节
来自非洲其他地区的伏都教徒信徒抵达贝宁Ouidah的伏都教音乐节
根据伏都教的传统，有一个至高无上的神，在世界的不同地方以不同的名字而闻名。例如，在海地，他被称为邦德（Bondee），他来自法国的bon diu，意为“好神”。
benin_voodoo_06.jpg
伏都教女教士Djabassi Manonwomin于2013年1月10日星期四在贝宁Ouidah举行的年度伏都教节日期间居中。AP /星期天Alamba
无论人们使用哪种名称，主神都具有强大的力量，超出了普通追随者的能力。因此，伏都教修炼者必须依靠成百上千的其他精神与上帝沟通。
ouidah伏都教节日的伏都教追随者在贝宁，伏都教的家。
这些精神在海地被称为loa或lwa；关于非洲伏都教的人类学家经常将它们称为灵魂或神灵。精神存在于等级制度中。有大量的重要贷款，其中许多都有自己的假期，庆典或其他纪念活动。还有一些小精灵，他们在不同地区扮演着不同的角色。社区甚至家庭都有自己的意愿，例如心爱或有影响力的家庭或社区成员的精神。贷款从上帝那里获得权力，并代表跟随者与上帝沟通。
一年一度的Ouidah伏都教音乐节上的传统鼓手
在仪式和纪念日期间，伏都教的追随者向精神家寻求建议，保护或帮助。这个过程是对等的。追随者必须通过执行仪式来照顾Loa，仪式有时以动物牺牲的形式出现。追随者可以通过其他仪式来感谢精神保护者，祝福者或吉祥者。为了保持与这笔贷款的良好关系，追随者还必须根据社区和宗教的习俗适当地行事。这样，伏都教的做法会影响一个人的日常决策和活动。
伏都教至尊“ POPE”达博·侯农·托曼杰尔（中间）参加节日
Voodoo的部分信念是Loa通过拥有与追随者交流。 Loa暂时取代了其宿主或媒介的灵魂，并控制了媒介的身体。根据此信念，介质在拥有时不会感到疼痛或受伤。
benin_voodoo_07.jpg
2013年1月10日，星期四，伏都教女教士Djbassi Manonwomin带领美人鱼神的同胞们参加了贝宁Ouidah的伏都教节。
贷款协议通过媒体讲话，经常给出指示，建议或对未来事件的预言。有时，一笔小额贷款谴责了追随者未能履行对小额贷款，其家人或社区的职责的追随者。在伏都教的一些传统中，少数有选择的人有被附身的特权。在其他情况下，贷款可以选择随时拥有任何人。
在充分的飞行在伏都教节日，Ouidah，贝宁的舞蹈家。
这个想法-强大或有影响力的精神可以拥有人-团结了伏都教的两种不同形式。一种主要存在于西非海岸的北部和中部。另一种则主要在海地以及北美和南美的部分地区实行。探索这两种形式的书籍通常通过一系列故事或轶事来解释宗教，而不是直接分析。有几个原因：
厄瓜多尔伏都教节日上的Agbaza舞蹈
伏都教神社
巫毒教是一种口头传统，没有主要的圣经，祈祷书或一套礼仪和信仰。在不同地区，伏都教的习俗，神的名字和其他特征可能有很大的不同。
宗教利用了影响追随者日常生活的大量仪式和观察，从而使简单的遵守仪式变得不切实际。
在许多方面，伏都教是一种个人宗教。追随者对精神和意向有直接的经验，而这些经验因地而异，因人而异。
巫毒教（Voodoo）是当地官方认可的宗教，声称40％的人口是信徒。
对于数以百万计的贝宁人来说，伏都教是日常生活中无骷髅的一部分。它的确有阴暗面-很难错过钉着钉子的巫毒娃娃-但这只是一个
2013年1月9日，星期三，在贝宁Ouidah举行的伏都教仪式上，跳舞的信徒们围着一个抬着屠杀山羊的男子。AP / Jon Gambrell
benin_voodoo_15.jpg
2013年1月9日，星期三，Python庙宇的导师Jean Zossoujbo向贝宁Ouidah庙宇的访客展示了一条蟒蛇。美联社/星期日Alamba
伏都教徒参加在贝宁Ouidah村举行的年度伏都教节日。
benin_voodoo_19.jpg
2013年1月9日星期三，在贝宁的Ouidah可以看到伏都教的诅咒，一只猴子的头伸出舌头，缠在棍子上。AP / Jon Gambrel
Each country publishes a song and sings a theme song in different languages. This will be a very interesting competition in the form of various theme songs, so that people from all countries can participate in it. Finally, these songs will become the culture of the festival. In summary, there may be a theme song concert as the ending performance of the festival. It will be a very interesting thing. The selected songs will get the greatest honor and give musicians an opportunity to improvise music. Finally, all the songs are merged into one song, which is also an opportunity to test all musicians and bands.
每一个国家出一首歌曲，不同的语言演唱一个主题歌曲，这将会是一个很有趣的多样主题歌的形式比赛，让所有国家的人都能参与其中，最后这些歌曲成为各国对这个节日文化的总结，还可能有一场主题歌曲音乐会作为音乐节的结束演出。那会是一件非常有趣的事，入选的歌曲会得到最大的荣誉，给音乐家一个即兴创作音乐的机会，最后所有歌曲融合成一首歌曲，也是考验所有音乐人和乐队合作的机遇。
The theme song of the Jazz Vodun festival
Lucky draw and sponsor honor
We have on-site sweepstakes and online ticket purchases. The more tickets you buy, the easier it is to win the sweepstakes and winning chances. This is especially true for our sponsors. Sponsors can also receive special honor awards and special cultural gifts. If you have special support for music and our music festival, we will also give you special local treasures and gifts, so that you can become one in cultural and spiritual honor and wealth and luck..
我们有现场抽奖活动和线上购票抽奖活动，票买得越多越容易获得抽奖和中奖机会，我们对赞助商更是如此，赞助商还可以获得特殊的荣誉奖，和特别的文化礼物，如果您对音乐和我们的音乐节特别支持，我们还会赠送您特赠的地方特色宝藏和礼品，让你在文化和精神荣誉和财富运气中合二为一。
