West African Vodún

Rare card · No. 68091

Vodún, Vodu, or vodunsinsen (Fon: vodúnsínsɛ́n) is an African traditional religion practiced by the Aja, Ewe, and Fon peoples of Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Nigeria. There is no central authority in control of the religion and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as vodúnsɛntó or vodúnisants. Vodún teaches the existence of a supreme creator divinity, under whom are lesser spirits called vodúns. Many of these deities are associated with specific areas, but others are venerated widely throughout West Africa; some have been absorbed from other religions, including Christianity and Hinduism. The vodún are believed to physically manifest in shrines and they are provided with offerings, typically including animal sacrifice. There are several all-male secret societies, including Oró and Egúngún, into which individuals receive initiation. Various forms of divination are used to gain information from the vodún, the most prominent of which is Fá, itself governed by a society of initiates...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Yemi festus, CC BY-SA 4.0