The Gods Of the Caribbean

Introduction

This covers the Islands in the Caribbean including Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

Much of the slave trade was directed to these areas, especially Haiti, from the Dahomey, Ebo and Yoruba tribes in Africa. Unknown to their captors they took their Gods with them.

Traditional beliefs were mixed and stirred with the prevailing Roman Catholic rituals and Voodou became a powerful influence especially in Haiti where the slaves eventually had a successful rebellion against their oppressors and have been independent ever since. Not always happily.

'Voo' means introspection, 'Dou' means the Unknown. Although Possession is said to be nine tenths of the law and the Catholic Religion claims 85 per cent faith, this is not always what it seems - not even with syncretism. Voodou has spread and various brands have taken hold on other islands and other deities have drifted in from the nearest parts of South America.

Principally the Gods and spirits in this section will be Voodou. But not the Voodoo of Hollywood with Zombies and pin-ridden dolls lurching all over the place. Voodou does have its unsavory aspects, but the populist Hollywood version is a highly sensationalised fiction based on stereotype and brute ignorance. A myth based on myth, if you like.

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REGIONS COVERED: The Caribbean (West Indies), including Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

Many Gods are spread across different regions, cultures and tribes. We've tried to pin them down to a particular area if possible. But amendments and corrections are always welcome, especially from people with first-hand knowledge. So if you live in the region and would like to comment, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us here.

TRIBES, CULTURES AND PEOPLES COVERED: Cubans, Haitians, Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans...

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The Gods told us to do it.