Religious Culture...One of the more obvious links between Saint-Domingue and Southern Louisiana

In congruence with Jon Sensbach's Rebecca's Revival, many different religions came into play in the culture of Saint-Domingue. Due to the factors of missionaries, slave owners, and slave resistance, the island became a melting pot of religion (Much like Southern Louisiana- more specifically, the city of New Orleans).

Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA

Due to the Spanish and French settlement of the island, Catholicism played an integral part in the cultural formation of the island. This is not to say, however, that there was not a protestant presence on the island.  

While some slaves converted fully to some form of Christianity, others committed half-heartedly to this organized religous movement, maintaining their own anscetral religous practices in secrecy to elude punishment by their masters for disobedience. From this, situation, Christianity began to blend with old African rituals. Most popular on the island was the practice of Vodou.

Vodoun flag (a dwapo)

Vodou is an African word which translates into english as "spirit." Those who practice voudo, or "voduisants," follow male priests (houngans) and female priestesses (mambos), and as with most African practices (as well as religious practices on other continents), voudo followers rely a great deal on the power of their anscetors. The official language of Vodou is called "Fon," and they generally worship "Papa bon dieu."

As with Christianity, there are many factions of vodou: In Jamaica, and Trinidad-and-Tobago, vodou is called "Obeah." In other places, it is refered to as "Santeria."-and now...just for Fon....i mean fun:

Another faction of Vodou is the New Orleans form, Voodoo. Again, it differs slightly, as it has assimilated to Louisiana culture. It remains the same in that it it borrows religious images from other religions for its own purposes- namely, from Catholicism. Images of Catholic Angels and Saints are altered to serve as vodoun trinkets, etc.

Voodoo has become a popular topic in many ways in today's world. New Orleans is often thought of as the hub of such practices. This is perpetuated by hollywood...

Sometimes through brightly-colored song and dance:

Other times, by grimly-etched shadowy figures...





The New Orleans AFL team is even named for Voodoo...which is ironic, considering that the NOLA NFL team is The Saints...

Voodoo (AFL) vs. Saints (NFL)

...And multiple slave-manned plantations in Louisiana (some in New Orleans, some in St. James Parish, etc.) are known for their mystical, voodoo-linked stories such as that of the French Quarter's most famous socialite (and assumed voodoo practicer), Madame Lalaurie.

Indeed, voodoo or "vodou" has made quite the impact on Southern Louisiana, as it was carried from the Caribbean isles to New Orleans by Afro-caribbean slaves and immigrants...one of many connections between Louisiana and Saint-Domingue. 

Sources: www.google.com/imghp

www.youtube.com

Corbett, Bob. "An Overview on Haitian Voodoo." Class Lecture Outline. Webster.edu: Haiti: Voodoo. http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti/voodoo/overview.htm

Shaw, Jenny. "Idigenous Caribbean Religions." Class Lecture. 28 Sept 2011.

Sensbach, Jon. Rebecca's Revival. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006.