Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-02
IN HAITI
IN VIOLENT FORM
Cult of Superstition May
Have Originated in
Snake Worship.

LAS no accurate history of Haiti ca n
dooism, the story of this strange cult
which some authoritiese say still is in
practice in it's most violent form among
the people OF this island and others OF
the West Indies. may be interesting in
connection with the recent investiga-
ton Of American occupation in Haiti. y
says a bulletin from headquarters OF
the National Geographic Society in this
city: ....
religion. but SO strong is its influence
upon the superstitions of the negroes
that, despite efforts to eradicate 1t, ev-
cry year or two dispatches report that
there has been a sudden outbreak oil
cannibalistic practices In connection
| with a revival of devotional enthusiasm
ut is said that no white man would
| be allowed to live long after he had
given testimony leading to the con-
viction of a culprit charged with sac
rificing a child to his god. AS conse-
quence, authentic information is Diff
cult to get, and proof of human sac
rifice almost impossible. Many teachers
and inhabitants of the islands deny the
existence OF the cult, though many
stories Of the horrors perpetrated at a
meeting Of the voodoos are recorded by
naval officers who have visited the
islands and by other men of integrity.
Possible Origin.
1.-THE general belief is that voodooism
was brought to the western hemisphere
from West Africa by the negroes inn
ported as laborers, especially to Haiti,
and it may probably be traced back to
the serpent worship of Egypt. Many of
the characteristics of the worship also
were attributed to the French witches
of the fifteenth century, the most vio-
lent phases Of the practice. perhaps,
being an outgrowth of the African
superstitions Of the black and Of the
French imagination of the white in
habitants of Haiti.
THE god Obeah or Vaudoux. OF
which voodoo is an American corrup-
ton. is supposed to know, to see and
to do all things but he manifests
himself to his worshipers only in the
form Of a non-poisonous snake and
communicates with them only through
a priest and priestess, known as
papa -loi mad maman-loi. who are held in
great veneration by their followers
The ceremony is always held al
night, usually in the fastness of some
daep wood. where there win be no
interruption Of the rites. The devo..
tees take off their shoes and bind
about their bodies handkerchief. the
predominating note of which is red.
and the priest and priestess wear red
bands about their heads in the form
Of crowns. Then they pray to the
Enake, which is exhibited for the pur.
pose Of arousing their emotions. Ma
man-loi mounts the box in which the
god is usually kept, and emits groans,
shrieks and wild gesticulations as
she uters her prophetic sentences.
Primitive "Jazx."
"A dance closes the ceremony. The
king puts his hand on the box and a
shudder somewhat similar to the
effect produced by the most recent
kind Of jazz seizes him. and from
the devotional exercises evolve into a
delirious madness of wild deba uch-
cry and indecency under the cover OF
drunkenness and night
The initiation of convert to the
faith is enough to inspire him with
terror. He pledges himself, when his
lips are touched with warm goats
blood, never under any circumstances
to reveal ne secrets of the fraternity
and to kill any member who proves a
traitor to the brotherhood. This is
the point at which the cannibalism is
supposed to occur, but investigation
has shown that many of the shocking
phases Of the worship have been elm
mated. and the worshipers usually sat
isfy themselves with a cock or a goat,
which is afterward cooked and eaten.
THE voodoo women are thought to
possess supernatural power. and by
working on the superstitiuns of the
natives attain a potent influence over
them. Many strong men have pinned
away merely because they thought an
enemy had put Obeah on them. just
as the southern negro believed in the
conJure' doctor who cast a spell on
him by leaving in his path a bottle
containing horse hairs. snakes teeth.
lizard claws. a piece of dried rat and
a frogs foot. Objects which have
been used in the practice Of the black
art may be seen in the museum of
the Petit Seminaire at Port au Prince.
so deeply have the people of Haiti
become imbued with the cult that an
empty bottle. which probably would
sntice a reminiscent grin from an
American assembly. will throw a Hal
tian group into CONSERVATION, and
educated Haitian girls have been
known to faint at the sight of the
oncanny shivers Of spilled mercury. t"