7117: Re: 7084: Re: 7066: Talking about Vodou in Haiti some more (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Racine125@aol.com
<< 

From: C & C Henrius <haiti@ixks.com>
>
>
>From: Racine125@aol.com
>
>The nationality of the Houngan or Mambo
>is of no importance,  ....


Then how do you account for the Haitian Vodouissant's belief that true
Mambos and Oungans are born to be so and that it is a gift passed from
generation to generation depi nan ginen... and that all others (especially
outsiders) "achte je" or buy their 'sight'?  >>

Who believes this?  Certainly not the majority of Vodouisants that I have worked with.  "The Haitian Vodouisant?"  LOL!  That is like "the white man", there are actually more than one and they don't all think alike.

There may be a statistically higher number of "descendants of Houngans" or "descendants of Mambos" among the clergy, which is only to be expected, just like there are Roman Catholic families with a lot of priests among them.  That does not mean that only people descended from Houngans or Mambos are authentic, far from it!  The lwa reclaim who they choose, it is not up to us.

In every country there are lwa.  Crossroads, Cemetery, Big Woods - that's Carrefour, Cemetiere, Gran Bwa!  Everywhere in the world people have twins - Marassa!  And so on.

A Houngan or Mambo is chosen by the lwa, NOT by their father or mother or auntie who happens to be a Houngan.  In my case, I began to undergo possession without understanding what was happening to me, until finally I got some hints from dreams.  I went to a Houngan in Haiti and asked for initiation as hounsi kanzo, and the Houngan agreed - but the lwa in his head did not!  The lwa insisted that I become a Mambo.

Now, if a person is not chosen for the priesthood by the lwa, they can certainly buy a "point", a magical energy focus obtained through a contract with a lwa.  I and other Mambos and Houngans make and sell points.  I person who buys a point does not become a Houngan or Mambo in that way.

I am certainly not the only non-Haitian Mambo, there are scores and scores.  Vodou is an international religion, and it makes no more sense to suggest that the clergy must be made up of Haitian Houngans and Mambos descended from other Haitian Houngans and Mambos than it would to suggest that all Roman Catholic priests must come from Italian families with priests among them already.

Peace and love,

Bon Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

"Se bon ki ra"  -  Good is rare
Haitian Proverb

The VODOU Page - http://members.aol.com/racine125/index.html