TRANSCRIPT
MOVIE TRAILER: "From Haiti, land of the Voodoo, comes the most infamous cult of all... Bela Lugosi as Murder Legenre... I see death... Master of the undead damned..."
Well let's face it, Hollywood, and horror movie stars like Bela Lugosi have done very little towards gaining a positive image of Voodoo.
But here at the 2025 Voodoo Festival in Ouidah in the West African country of Benin it's a different story.
The event draws thousands of visitors from across the globe, offering a vibrant celebration of one of the world’s oldest religions.
The annual festival features traditional ceremonies, dances, and rituals that can offer deep insights into the spiritual practices of the region.
For tourists like Jaimie Lyne, a data analyst from Guadeloupe, the festival serves as a meaningful link to ancestral history
“I think one thing I want the people to appreciate about the Vodun culture is that it’s the culture of communion with the land and the elements, and it's really more about how everything has an explanation in terms of all of the symptoms, all of the realities of the world, the rain, the sun, etcetera. So, it's mostly something that just links everything and makes it whole.”
Ms Lyne's curiosity about her roots was sparked by her mother’s visit to Benin in 2023, deepening her connection to the cultural legacy of Voodoo, or Vodun.
One of the world’s oldest religions, Vodun originated in the kingdom of Dahomey — present-day Benin — and is rooted in animism.
It is the belief that all things, from rocks and trees to animals and places, have a spirit.
Vodun, an official religion in Benin, is practiced by at least a million people in the country.
While some scholars argue that the concept of Voodooism is archaic and the festival should be abolished, others believe the religion is misunderstood.
Jaimie Lyne again:
"I think with everything we've seen, I don't think it's excitement. It's coming to, day by day, minute by minute, feeling like, you know, feeling like, you know more, feeling like, you've learned more about your past, about who you are, who your ancestors were. And it's not excitement it's just fulfilment.”
Voodoo Priestess Suzanne Celeste Delaunay Belleville says the festival serves a useful purpose.
“This is a way to show people the pomp, the beauty, and the value of Voodoo, and more importantly, the value and spirit of the Beninese people. I will even say, of all African people. It’s important for us to be able to carry our message ourselves. No one can better talk about us than ourselves.”
Voodoo's arrival in the Caribbean is the result of a tragic history.
European merchants deported an estimated 1.5 million slaves from the what is now modern-day Benin, Togo and part of Nigeria during the 18th and 19th century.
Men, women and children were captured, chained and forced onto ships in Ouidah, mainly destined for what would become the United States, Brazil and the Caribbean.
Slavery brought Vodun to the Americas and the Caribbean, where it became Voodoo, a blend with Catholicism.
Suzanne Celeste Delaunay Belleville again:
“And all the lands that people were sent to deportation from Haiti to Martinique to Guadeloupe, to St. Lucia, to Cuba, and to Brazil, with different names—there is voodoo. With a different history.”
Today, the mayor of Ouidah, Christian Houetchenou says Vodun has played a central role in the nation's cultural identity since it was recognized as an official religion in Benin in January 1996 and this festival invites the African diaspora to rediscover its roots.
“Vodun Days is their return to the source, for all Africans. It is to come back and live their culture, and art, and spirituality for those who practice Voodoo. It’s very important.”
