Introduction | Browse the Caribbean Pantheon

If you think that the Gods of the Caribbean bare a striking resemblance to those from certain parts of Africa you would be right and it's no coincidence. Folks from Benin, known as Dahomey at the time, and other regions rich in age old belief were forced to leave their home shores and found themselves offloaded in parts of the USA and West Indies with Haiti being a popular drop off spot.

Ironically, the enforced immigration and desolation of enslaved Africans which the European colonists hoped would prevent the varying ethnic groups from coming together as a community, actually did exactly the opposite. Their captors grossly underestimated the human spirit and unbeknownst to them the workers had taken their Gods with them. In the misery of slavery they found a common thread and began to pool their beliefs as the Yaruba's Vodoun mingled with Ewe, Ebo, Dindi and dozens besides. Stir in a little forced Catholicism, season and simmer.

This Afro-Caribbean hot pot of a religion became known as Voodou, but not the sensationalized hollywood claptrap depicting powder blown up the nose, brain dead zombies and pin ridden dolls. 'Voo' means introspection and 'Dou' means into the unknown and while it does have its unsavoury elements show me a religion that doesn't.

Principally the Gods and Spirits in this section will be Voodou. that's voodoo to the big screen addicts, who's belief structure is shrouded in mystery but it's primary elements are similar to other faiths. Don't be scared, you don't have to enrol.

Location : The Caribbean (West Indies) including Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
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Database entry : 02 February 2008 ~ Last update : 02 February 2008