Pilot course · Foundation
Introduction to Haitian Vodou
A documentary introduction to the history, cosmology, spirits, symbols and contemporary life of Haitian Vodou — taught with historical sourcing and cultural respect.
0 of 5 modules completed
Origins & History
Haitian Vodou did not appear from nowhere. It was assembled in the colony of Saint-Domingue by people from many African nations who were forced together, and who rebuilt religious life under conditions designed to destroy it.
Geography & Diaspora
Vodou is Haitian, but Haitians are everywhere. This module follows the tradition from West and Central Africa to Haiti, and from Haiti to Miami, New York, Montreal, Paris and beyond.
Cosmology & Worldview
Vodou is often described from the outside through objects and drama. Understood from within, it is first a worldview: a set of relationships between the creator, the spirits, the ancestors, the community and the land.
Important Spirits, Deities & Ancestors
The lwa are numerous, named and specific. This module introduces a small number with care, and explains why lists of 'correspondences' circulating online are usually misleading.
Misconceptions & Cultural Appropriation
For two centuries Vodou has been described mainly by people hostile to it. This module examines where the stereotypes came from, what they were for, and how to study the tradition responsibly.