The people who practice voodoo believe in a pantheon of Gods who control and represent the laws and forces of the universe. In this pantheon, there is a supreme deity and the loa-a large group of lesser deities comparable to the saints of the Catholic Church. These gods protect people and give special favours through their representatives on earth which are the hougans (priest) and mambos (priestesses).
Voodoo is the main religion of Haiti and is taken very seriously. There is one God, Bondye. Bondye is a remote being and is too far from human understanding for direct understanding. Bondyes will is shown through the Iwa.
The Iwa are numerous spirits of family members which practitioners interact with. The names of Catholic saints became the names of lwa. In many cases, the lwa's role reflected that of the corresponding saint.
Voodoo is the main religion of Haiti and is taken very seriously. There is one God, Bondye. Bondye is a remote being and is too far from human understanding for direct understanding. Bondyes will is shown through the Iwa.
The Iwa are numerous spirits of family members which practitioners interact with. The names of Catholic saints became the names of lwa. In many cases, the lwa's role reflected that of the corresponding saint.