SOCIAL SYMBOLS IN HAITIAN VODU AND ITS MEANINGS

Abstract

This article deals with the Voodoo religion, in particular, the sacred social symbols of Haitian voodoo and their symbolic meanings. For that, it is necessary to understand how the relationship between Voodoo and Christianity was established. This religion brought about by the colonizers carried out a persecution over the Voodoo religion and its adherents trying to impose itself as "the" religion of civilization. In this tense relationship there were changes and syncretisms between the two religions that can be identified in the sacred symbols of Voodoo. These sacred objects are loaded with meanings and empowered. Our research will have an ethnographic approach, based on the analysis and interpretation of the selected documents, which are already included in our research theme. Such sacred objects are signified by the followers of voodoo as identity and political resistance against the impositions and repressions made against both voodoo and its followers, guaranteeing their transmission from one generation to another. The sacralization of objects made by the followers of voodoo serves as the beginning of their construction not only as resistance from voodoo against various repressions made against him, but also the survival of Haitian voodoo.