Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 25, 1995 TAG: 9509260004
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KIRA L. BILLIK ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: PHILADELPHIA LENGTH: Medium
The reality of voodoo is among the subjects tackled by ``Divine Magic: The World of the Supernatural,'' a series on the Discovery Channel. The first episodes air at 10 p.m. tonight (25) through Thursday; the final shows will be broadcast Oct. 23-25.
Wednesday's show, ``The Power of Voodoo'' - narrated by actor Stephen Rea of ``The Crying Game'' - traces the roots of a religion that was born in Africa 400 years ago and brought to the Caribbean, particularly Haiti, during the slave trade. The program explains some of its central beliefs.
Philadelphian Anna Branche, a 64-year-old voodoo priestess, or ``boa mambo,'' was trained in Haiti and Benin, West Africa. She traveled to the birthplace of voodoo to, as she says, ``rediscover what the word `voodoo' means.'' The show offers portions of her initiation ceremony.
She said voodoo practiced in Africa differs from that practiced in Haiti.
``In Benin, the voodoo religion is absolutely pure, as was passed down from generation to generation - as the ancestors practiced it. The slaves that went into Haiti, Brazil, and other countries had to disguise it,'' Branche said in an interview at her home.
``So their slave masters would hear the drums beating and the chants going and they would hear about Jesus Christ and about almighty God and St. Michael and St. Peter and all of those things. However, behind that was the original African gods and deities.''
She describes voodoo as ``shamanistic.''
``It's shamanistic because its goal is to heal. It's shamanistic because it's a root, earth-based religion. It's shamanistic because it's very simple. It's not organized insomuch that curriculum has to be followed.''
Honoring one's ancestors and the spirits of the natural world is the focal point of voodoo, Branche said.
``Their belief is that the ancestors never leave and the ancestors must always be satisfied and pleased,'' she said. ``If your crops are bad or you are infertile or you cannot get a husband, then the ancestors are not pleased.
``Therefore, we must do something to honor the ancestors, and we must have an attitude of sacredness and divineness when we do it. Therefore, here comes the ritual, the ceremony.''
In a ceremony, the ultimate goal is to become possessed by a spirit. Chanting, drums, and dancing all induce possession. Branche says she was possessed nearly 30 years ago on a visit to Haiti. She and some friends were watching a voodoo ceremony when it happened.
``Of course me, I'm getting bored because I can't understand the language, I don't know what's going on, and nobody's explaining,'' she said. ``The next thing I knew, I was out in the middle of it.
``The next thing I remember is they had me in the car. I knew something had happened. I've seen it happen to others - it happens all the time. I wasn't the same after that.''
Voodoo, Branche says, is unjustly maligned.
``There is no other religion that has been bastardized, prostituted, ridiculed, and put in such a bad light by people who knew nothing about it,'' she said.
``All that negative [stuff about] voodoo curses and voodoo dolls and zombies and all of that - that just isn't real.''
Voodoo does have two sides, just like white and black magic. One is rada, which Branche calls ``the gentle and loving and healing side'' of the religion. The other is petro.
``Petro is what they would call the demonic side of voodoo,'' she said. ``It was necessary for petro to come into being because that is how the slaves had their revolution. They called on the gods to take on their warlike energies, to give them a taste of blood, and to arm them with the courage and the strength they needed to fight their enslavers.''
Zombies are a part of the religion, as well. Harvard University anthropologist Wade Davies says a zombie ``has had his soul stolen by sorcery ... (He is) in a state of perpetual purgatory.'' Voodoo priest Max Bouvoir says a zombie ``has committed a serious crime against society,'' and is thereby removed socially from the community.
Branche admits to knowing little about zombies.
``I know I've never even seen one,'' she said.
by CNB