Morality


	S O S Y E T E D U M A R C H E , I N C


	M A M B O V Y E Z O S O S Y E T E D U M A R C H E T H E F O U R C I R C L E S H O U S E O F T H E W A L K E R

Morality in Haitian Vodou
By Dr. Claudine Michel

Our ancestral religion represents a key element of Haitian consciousness and provides moral coherence through common cosmological understandings. The principles outlined here constitute some of the core moral values emphasized in Haitian Vodou. Though the essence of these beliefs and principles originate from a worldview deeply rooted in the traditional African value system, they also remain authentically Haitian in their Creolized form.

Holistic Concepts of Life

All knowledge presupposes a fundamental holism grounded in the ideas of oneness and unity of all forces of nature, in the idea of interdependence and interconnectedness of these forces, and in the premise of supremacy of totality over individuality. The universe is a seamless cosmos where every force of nature has a meaning, and a connection with other entities. Creating dissonance in nature's polyrhythms, disturbing the harmonious flow of things, bringing about division in the community, are all acts which represent moral transgressions in the Vodou world. Due to the web of interconnectedness, a person's morals violations distract, disturb, and perturb the outer world which ought to seek restoration of its harmonious state and rhythm. Morality for those who serve the spirits is a constant effort to maintain social cohesion, harmony, and balance. What is "right" in the Vodou world is not a function of abstract reasoning, but is relative to what will achieve unity in the community.

Humanism

Human beings occupy a central cosmic position in Haitian spirituality which is anthropocentric as well as humanist. Though people are not the "rulers" of creation, they are at the center of it, which explains why Vodou's paramount goal is to improve living conditions on earth. The veneration of dieties is purposeful and serves humans through blessings from good health and well-being, to marriage and love, to work and finances, to rain and to plentiful harvest, and children who grow up to be respectful of people and traditions. Human connection is the assumption in the Haitian worldview: there is suppression of unique life history in favor of a collective personhood from which energy is derived. Individuals become real persons and true members of society only through their interactions with others; they define themselves and mature by being attentive and responsible in their relationships with family and community.

Centrality of Community

The paradigm 'we are, therefore I am' expresses well the 'societary' essence of the Haitian community. It shows the ties that link members of the same community as a part of the human web. We are not only accountable for our individual acts, but we are also responsible for people around us in that each of our actions and deeds influences the balance of the outer world. There are major communal expectations in the Vodou world and the extended family, a highly valued institution which prepares the individual for integration into the larger community, is the first unit where this communal sense manifests itself. Ignoring family responsibilities, jeopardizing communal interests, and neglecting the loas are serious moral offenses which trigger the disapproval of the group and may endanger the care and protection of the spirits. Morality in the absolute sense can never be placed above the welfare of the collectivity.

Honor and Respect for Elders

Customs and implicit rules regulate obligations and responsibilities towards the collectivity and the entities which compose it. Allegiance, love, prayers, faithfulness, respect, material support, as determined by seniority, status, and financial means, are due to all members of the group under all circumstances. However, extreme respect and honor are particularly accorded to the elders, the bearers of knowledge and wisdom, and the repository of experience. Respecting them, honoring them, serving them is inherent in the very essence of the religion. To be virtuous is to provide for the elderly, to give them care, food, money, clothing, but also to show them love, respect, deference and appreciation. Failure to give absolute respect to elders may attract imbalance in the life of the person who erred and becomes morally destructive for the entire community.

Other virtues valued for their potential to help develop knowledge and wisdom among adepts of the Haitian religion include: beneficence, benevolence, generosity, hospitality, forbearance, forgiveness, sense of justice, magnanimity, and love, all qualities aiming at supporting the ultimate aim — the well-being and preservation of the community. Clearly, Vodou, in its affirmation of our traditional sense of humanism and communality among the people of Haiti, has been a central thread in the very fabric of the Haitian experience. As such, it is a true measure and expression of the nation consciousness and African continuity in the Americas.

Dr. Claudine Michel teaches in the Department of Black Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is the author of "Aspects Educatif et Moraux du Vodou Haitien," Le Natal, Port-au-Prince (1995) and of many articles focusing on value transmission and education in Africa, the Carribean, and The United States. She is currently editing a book on Disney.