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There is a creole expression :
"to walk together".
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Where life is hard, people
depend upon and help each other,
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Haiti amalgamated different tribes
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in a common religion
known as Voudoun,
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so that men may pray together
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to praise the same moral principles
and together reaffirm them.
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In Haiti, a divine spirit
is called a Loa.
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Legba is a Loa who is the link
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between the visible mortal world
and the invisible, immortal realms.
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He is the means and
avenue between them,
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the vertical axis of the Universe.
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As guardian of the sacred gateway,
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it is he who grants contact
with the other Loa.
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Legba must be the first Loa
to be ritually saluted
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if this is to be achieved.
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For this reason,
the crossroads
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is the most important
of all ritual figures.
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Whether drawn in flower
on flat ground
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or traced in the air,
the sign of the crossroads
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is always the juncture where communication
between worlds is established,
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where the traffic of energies
and forces between them is set up.
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Through the center post,
the potomiton, the gods enter.
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At its base,
the vevers are drawn.
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Around the center post,
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all ritual movements
and dances revolve.
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The Rada rites are
a basic African tradition
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in which the deities
play a protective role.
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They are benevolent and paternal.
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The la-place, who is an apprentice
and assistant to the priest,
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carries a sword representing
the guardian god of the temple.
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He is flanked by two flag bearers
who represent the congregation.
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Priest, holding
his sacred rattle,
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and the trio seem to engage
in some strange mock battle.
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There is no question,
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but that it is a competition
between the power of the Loa
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and the congregation together
against that of the hungan.
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The la-place bows and kisses
the earth at the priest's feet
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as a mark of respect.
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The priest kisses
the hilt of the sword.
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He kisses the tops of the flags.
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From this action, we see
the priest's responsibility
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towards the congregation
as well as towards the gods.
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And now another priest salutes
the trio in the same manner.
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A voudoun priest
is called a hungan,
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HUN meaning "of the spirits"
and GAN meaning "chief",
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from the language of
the Fon people of Africa.
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He gives advice
concerning spiritual
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as well as economic, political
and medical problems.
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A strong hungan enjoys
a quality and degree of respect
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which the Haitian
extends to no one else.
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When two hungan salute,
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they mirror each other
with their sacred rattles.
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The rattle is a calabash covered
with a loose web of clay beads
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and snake vertebrae
with a bell attached.
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It is used to summon the Loa
and is a sign of priesthood.
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There are many subtle
gradations of salutation,
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and these indicate the relative
authority of the persons involved.
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Possession is a psychic phenomenon
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wich occurs when the divinity
becomes manifest.
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In the terminology of Voudoun,
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it is said that the Loa
mounts a person,
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or that a person
is mounted by the Loa.
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The metaphor is drawn
from a horse and his rider,
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and the actions
and events which result
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are the expression
of the will of the rider.
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It is the center towards which
all roads of Voudoun converge.
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It is the point which one travels
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by the most visible
and physical means.
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Yet to the traveler,
it is itself invisible.
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Damballa, the Snake,
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arched in the path that
the sun travels across the sky.
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The primordial source
of all life wisdom.
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At once, the ancient past
and the assurance of the future.
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The positive force
which encircles the universe.
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In Voudoun, it is not
the sea that is sacred,
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but the spirit of the sea
who is divine.
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This ceremony celebrates
the wedding of Agwe,
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sovereign of the sea,
to the goddess of love.
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It is Agwe who is in a sense
the ideal husband and lover,
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being as the sea is, a ready
strength and deep peace.
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The ceremony is conducted
by a female priestess called mambo.
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It is perhaps the most elaborate
of all ritual undertakings.
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The Barque (boat) d'Agwe
holds offerings of cake,
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bottles of liqueur,
and even champagne.
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Days of preparation are spent
building and painting the raft
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before it is dedicated
with love to Agwe.
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There, was the sailboat
which awaited us.
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Bright trimmings
dancing in the wind.
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They sang,
and the drums beat,
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and the trumpet and conch shell
called over and over.
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The mambo stood near
the mast sounding her rattle.
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They chanted songs in praise of Agwe.
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But especially,
they repeated several times
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the most haunting songs of all.
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Protect your children,
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with these voices,
owned by this melody,
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ruffling the waves
of each of them,
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calling Agwe over the vast
reaches of his domain.
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We are now directly over
the sacred island beneath the sea
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where the souls of the dead go
and also where the Loa live.
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When the water lay
almost level with the ray of,
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the men slid the boat
onto the surface of the sea.
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As we all watched it silently,
it seemed to hesitate to a stop.
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And then,
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as if a great hand had reached up
from below and grasped it,
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it disappeared abruptly
into the quiet water.
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Ogoun has given woman
in the figure of Erzuli
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exclusive title
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to that wich distinguishes humans
from all other forms,
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their capacity
to conceive beyond reality,
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to desire beyond adequacy,
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to create beyond need.
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In a crowded peristyle,
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and among all these bodies
which move with such homogeneity,
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there may be one whose movements
are exceedingly spectacular.
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This is a sign that a Loa arrives.
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In Erzuli, Voudoun salutes woman
as the divinity of the dream,
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the goddess of love,
the muse of beauty.
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She is identified
with the Virgin Mary
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as mother of man's myth of life.
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In a sense, she is
that very principle
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by which man conceives
and creates divinity.
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To man himself,
she is as mistress.
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Erzuli move in an atmosphere
of infinite luxury,
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a perfume of refinement.
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Her arrival pervades the very air.
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All anxieties,
all urgencies vanish.
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Tempo of movements
becomes more leisurely.
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Tensions dissolve,
and the voices soften.
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One has the impression
that a fresh, cooling breeze
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has sprung up somewhere,
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and that the heat
has become less intense.
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Ogoun is a Loa of might,
power, authority, triumph.
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He is in fact a hero type
and often a political figure.
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Ogoun can strengthen
a devotee in ways of healing,
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prophecy and magic.
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Guede, the god of life and death,
that eternal figure in black,
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posted at the timeless crossroads
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at which all men and
even the sun one day arrive.
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The cross upon a tomb
is his symbol.
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He is keeper of the cemetery,
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the guardian of the history
and heritage of the race.
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The future stems from the past,
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so life and death
become one and the same.
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The Catholic litany
called "Action de Gr?ce"
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precedes a Voudoun ceremony.
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Libations are poured
as a mark of respect,
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a first offering.
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It is a gesture of the hand
inviting the gods.
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The chicken is passed over
the head and shoulders of the devotee,
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as if it were a large feather cloth
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to wipe away any impurity or evil.
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When everyone has been cleansed,
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the chicken is oriented
to the cardinal points,
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after which it eats food
which lies in the cornmeal drawing.
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When it eats that food,
it becomes identified with the Loa.
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This is a signal it may be
sacrificed and accepted by the Loa.
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The wings and legs are broken,
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so that any impurities that it may
have symbolically collected
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may not fly free.
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The attitude of the Haitians
towards the death and blood
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of these sacrificial beasts
is never morbid.
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The intent and emphasis of sacrifice
is not upon the death of the animal.
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It is upon the transfusion
of its life to the Loa.
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For the understanding
is that flesh and blood
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are of the essence
of life and vigor,
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and these will restore
the divine energy of the God.
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Similarly, the goat
is offered to Guede.
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Just before it is killed,
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it is castrated
and its beard is cut off.
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The physical feasting of the Loa
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is at once the most common
and the most important
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of the obligations of a worshiper.
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To have great power
is to need great energy.
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And so the gods,
like living matter,
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have an unrelenting need for food
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if their life energies
are to be maintained.
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The spirit of Guede is mounting
the body of the priest.
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He's known to be a trickster
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and delights in playing games
to confuse others.
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Here, he pretends
to hand out money.
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He may be playing the clown,
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but if you will call him aside,
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and humbly ask him
in all seriousness
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an important question,
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he will generally answer you
thoughtfully and carefully,
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and it will usually be
the best possible advice.
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Clown though he be,
and trickster,
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he is also history,
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the experience from which
the living learn.
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And in this role,
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he is as deeply responsible
and trustworthy
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as he is bizarre
in his other aspects.
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Guede is also a god of fertility
and protector of children.
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The women bump against him
to ensure healthy children.
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As guardian
of the history of the race,
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the continuity of its Loa lines,
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he is particularly interested
in seeing that a child does not die
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before it has developed a soul
which can be immortal.
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Azaka,
the god of agriculture,
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appears in the form
of a work peasant.
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He's a very hard worker,
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and is frequently feasted
by the grateful farmers.
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The actions and utterances
of the possessed person
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are not of his own expression,
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but of the god's.
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In this way,
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the god gives instruction
and exercises his authority.
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Guede poses most frequently
as a poor wandering beggar.
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He often arrives unasked
at a ceremony for another Loa.
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Banda is a suggestive dance,
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usually beaten
by the request of a Loa,
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often Guede, who feels
like doing a gay dance.
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Many of the participants
are receiving the spirit of Guede.
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Guede is ready to depart.
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It is the custom
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to remove all accoutrements
of the guard when he leaves.
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As they reach for his
glasses, Guede says :
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"Don't touch my glasses,
I'm not finished."
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The intimate relation
between Loa and worshiper,
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the dependence
as it were of the Loa
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upon the very blood of the serviteur
for existence and transmission
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has been the guarantee
of the Loa's life.
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By placing the hat and bag
on another person,
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Azucar transmits his spirit.
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The Loa greets the other
with a handshake.
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Through the left hand,
psychic contact is made.
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The shoes are removed
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because the guard likes
to dance in bare feet.
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Again, the Loa greets
with a double handshake.
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The spin takes her
on a special journey
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which inevitably
leads to possession.
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Sometimes there is a period
of physical movement
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which is very intense
and seems violent.
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This reflects the inner conflict
of the soul of the person with the Loa
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over the possession
of the physical body.
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Once the Loa is installed,
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this conflict resolves
and subsides.
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It is the God who is the virtuoso,
not the human being.
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And indeed, a Loa is capable
of putting its horse
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through paces which the
individual in a normal state
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could never achieve.
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00:32:57,964 --> 00:33:00,787
The God departs the body,
245
00:33:01,411 --> 00:33:04,034
and the man returns
to the physical world.
246
00:33:38,514 --> 00:33:42,369
The Kongo Tribe of Africa,
which came to Haiti,
247
00:33:42,493 --> 00:33:44,947
is known for
its elegance and style.
248
00:33:46,247 --> 00:33:48,539
Tribesmen brought
their particular rituals,
249
00:33:48,563 --> 00:33:50,855
their drumbeats and dances.
250
00:33:50,980 --> 00:33:54,019
These have a strong influence
in secular music.
251
00:33:54,219 --> 00:33:57,542
In fact, their roots hold firmly
in modern day jazz.
252
00:34:26,974 --> 00:34:28,814
The rythm and sound of the drum
253
00:34:28,838 --> 00:34:30,817
brings out the movements
of the dancing.
254
00:34:30,941 --> 00:34:33,876
It is the drumming
which fuses together
255
00:34:34,076 --> 00:34:37,012
the 50 or more individuals
into a single body,
256
00:34:37,036 --> 00:34:39,609
making them move as one,
257
00:34:39,609 --> 00:34:42,962
as if all had become linked
on the thread of a single pulse.
258
00:34:51,736 --> 00:34:55,968
This dance of rejoicing
is a dance of celebration.
259
00:34:57,092 --> 00:34:59,589
Although dancers
may follow a ceremonial,
260
00:34:59,668 --> 00:35:03,414
their form and purpose
is religious, not secular.
261
00:35:30,426 --> 00:35:34,442
If the Rada Loa represents
the protective guardian powers,
262
00:35:35,066 --> 00:35:39,190
the Petro Loa are the patrons
of aggressive action.
263
00:36:07,090 --> 00:36:10,467
The Petro cult was born
out of a cosmic rage.
264
00:36:11,567 --> 00:36:13,768
It is the rage
against the evil fate
265
00:36:13,792 --> 00:36:16,917
which the African suffered
because of his enslavement.
266
00:36:26,717 --> 00:36:30,592
The energy from that rage
enabled him to regain his freedom
267
00:36:30,616 --> 00:36:33,741
by winning the revolution
against the Napoleonic forces.
268
00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:43,582
The bull is run at full speed
269
00:36:43,647 --> 00:36:45,728
around the eight sides
of the temple
270
00:36:45,752 --> 00:36:47,654
with everyone in full pursuit.
271
00:37:04,314 --> 00:37:07,701
The chase ends at a given
tree in the courtyard.
272
00:37:12,950 --> 00:37:17,126
The sacrifice of the bull
is the ultimate feast for the God,
273
00:37:17,301 --> 00:37:19,981
an offering which
as sheer nourishment
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00:37:20,005 --> 00:37:22,148
will most invigorate
the Loa.
275
00:37:28,248 --> 00:37:31,808
The cross is the symbol
of life and death,
276
00:37:31,932 --> 00:37:35,592
the axis of the physical
cycle of generation
277
00:37:35,592 --> 00:37:38,714
and the metaphysical cycle
of resurrection.
278
00:37:44,374 --> 00:37:46,249
Life, for Guede,
is a destiny,
279
00:37:46,273 --> 00:37:50,373
the inevitable and erotic in man.
280
00:37:51,297 --> 00:37:54,056
He is lord of that eroticism,
281
00:37:54,156 --> 00:37:57,555
which being inevitable
is beyond good and evil,
282
00:37:57,579 --> 00:38:00,778
and beyond the elations
and despairs of love.
283
00:38:01,678 --> 00:38:04,777
Of this he is neither
proud nor ashamed.
284
00:38:04,901 --> 00:38:06,654
If anything, he is amused
285
00:38:06,678 --> 00:38:08,731
by eternal persistence
of the erotic,
286
00:38:08,830 --> 00:38:11,664
and by man's eternally
persistent pretense
287
00:38:11,688 --> 00:38:13,222
that it is something else.
288
00:39:25,140 --> 00:39:27,593
These men are talented performers
289
00:39:27,717 --> 00:39:30,070
rather than possessed
by divine spirits.
290
00:39:31,170 --> 00:39:34,798
The spirit of Guede, however,
the god of life and death,
291
00:39:34,822 --> 00:39:38,433
does preside over the Spring
Festival called Rara.
292
00:41:34,674 --> 00:41:36,181
The twirling of the baton
293
00:41:36,205 --> 00:41:38,748
suggests a Hunter
or Warrior Festival.
294
00:41:38,972 --> 00:41:41,446
The baton perhaps
replacing weapons.
295
00:43:29,498 --> 00:43:33,080
Carnival celebrates
a triumph over Death,
296
00:43:33,304 --> 00:43:35,883
of Spring life over the Winter,
297
00:43:35,907 --> 00:43:37,686
which was death for the Earth.
298
00:43:37,986 --> 00:43:40,900
A time for putting the Past behind,
299
00:43:40,924 --> 00:43:43,474
of excitement,
of hope and promise
300
00:43:43,474 --> 00:43:46,562
of fresh start
and a clean beginning.
301
00:45:48,486 --> 00:45:50,521
All the fantasies of the people
302
00:45:50,545 --> 00:45:53,788
can come to life in this period
of joyous festivities.
303
00:45:54,512 --> 00:45:55,936
And through all this,
304
00:45:55,936 --> 00:45:59,923
the spirit of life, Papa Guede,
reigns supreme.