Haitian Vodou

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/haitian-vodou

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the ritualistic practice?Emphasizes communal ceremonies involving drumming, singing, dancing, offerings, and spirit possession (trance)
2. Why do Haitian Vodou ceremonies have drums and dancing?The drums and dancing help bring the spirits called Lwa into the ceremony. They create energy and invite the spirits to join the celebration.
3. How do people honor the spirits called Lwa?People honor Lwa by offering food, drink, colors, and songs. They also dance, sing, and sometimes let the spirits speak through them.

Syncretism: The blending of different religious beliefs and practices, as seen in Vodou's fusion of African and Catholic traditions.
Veve: Intricate symbolic drawings made on the ground during ceremonies to invoke and honor specific Lwa.
Possession: A spiritual state in Vodou where a Lwa temporarily inhabits a devotee, communicating through them.