VODUN – Setting Up the Shrine

We’re listening to music from the west African country of Benin, where members of the Vodun faith take part in a ritual in honor of the Earth. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by the American Museum of Natural History.

Suzanne Preston Blier is a Professor of Fine Arts and Afro-American Studies at Harvard University. She tells us that an important part of Vodun worship is the creation of the altar, a collection of objects which derives power from the close relationships in Vodun between the gods, the Earth and the materials of everyday life.

“The ritual part of creating a Vodun shrine is extraordinarily important. Each priest of each deity creates a temple in a different way depending on the particular god and what is required for that altar. But generally what one does in Benin is to dig a hole and bring together a series of very different materials. And they include everything from plants of various sorts, different types of textiles broken up together, beads because both textiles and beads are associated with different gods. The blood of particular animals which are offered in that context and then consumed generally as part of the feast following that. And different attributes of the gods. For example, for the god Goo, god of iron, one will put in miniature iron tools and weapons and put it together, place it inside the Earth, sanctify it, create a mound on top of it and when you do this in the context of a really serious ritual with a priest and a group of individuals around it, then it becomes something greater. Something which has more power. Something which can in fact effectuate change in the lives of the various individuals.”

Pulse of the Planet is presented by the American Museum of Natural History. Additional funding for this series has been provided by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.

VODUN - Setting Up the Shrine

For adherents of Vodun, the act of setting up a shrine is as spiritually significant as the rituals which take place around it.
Air Date:10/28/1998
Scientist:
Transcript:

We're listening to music from the west African country of Benin, where members of the Vodun faith take part in a ritual in honor of the Earth. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by the American Museum of Natural History.

Suzanne Preston Blier is a Professor of Fine Arts and Afro-American Studies at Harvard University. She tells us that an important part of Vodun worship is the creation of the altar, a collection of objects which derives power from the close relationships in Vodun between the gods, the Earth and the materials of everyday life.

"The ritual part of creating a Vodun shrine is extraordinarily important. Each priest of each deity creates a temple in a different way depending on the particular god and what is required for that altar. But generally what one does in Benin is to dig a hole and bring together a series of very different materials. And they include everything from plants of various sorts, different types of textiles broken up together, beads because both textiles and beads are associated with different gods. The blood of particular animals which are offered in that context and then consumed generally as part of the feast following that. And different attributes of the gods. For example, for the god Goo, god of iron, one will put in miniature iron tools and weapons and put it together, place it inside the Earth, sanctify it, create a mound on top of it and when you do this in the context of a really serious ritual with a priest and a group of individuals around it, then it becomes something greater. Something which has more power. Something which can in fact effectuate change in the lives of the various individuals."

Pulse of the Planet is presented by the American Museum of Natural History. Additional funding for this series has been provided by the National Science Foundation. I'm Jim Metzner.