voodoo and mourning

[wanderingwidget]

Hello all, I have a question about voodoo.

I think I saw on some 80's tv show that white was worn for mourning in the voodoo religion, but I don't know if that was a fact or a fudged fact.

Any other interesting little bits of obscuria on the subject would be appreciated also ^^

Comments

[stinksap]

I can't tell you about Voodoo, but at nearly *all* Santeria ceremonies, including Itutu, white is the color of choice.
It is considered spiritually pure, and helps to repel evil influences.
Are you looking for pure Haitian Voodoo, or are you setting your story in Cuba or America, where Santeria is a strong influence, or in Brazil where Candomble is dominant?

Each of these 'sects' shares some roots and traditions, drawing from tribes in adjacent regions, but due to the different proportions of ethnic groups mixing in each area during the slave trade, each developed along unique lines.
Haiti is closest to pure 'congo' though there is some Yoruba influence.
Cuba is dominantly Yoruba, though some of the congo traditions have been preserved.
Brazil is mixed, with Yoruba traditions dominating in some Loas ceremonies, Congo in others.
America is also a mixed bag, and the influences on local practice would depend on the date, and the ethnic history of the people involved. In a story set in the past, traditions might be more similar to those in Haiti, while a modern story would probably have more Cuban influence (Unless the family/house were Haitan or Brazilian immigrants.)

That said, if I were going to a *funeral* of a priest or priestess, I would dress soberly, according to European tradition, but probably wear a white blouse.

If I were attending an Itutu (Youruba ceremony for a deceased priest or priestess in the Santeria Tradition- a separate ceremony from the funeral, although it is a funerary ceremony.) I would wear all white, all my elekes (beads signifying initiation into the mysteries of various orishas) and a had scarf would be a must. (Hat for a man.) Ideally, everything except the beads would be pure white.

If you have any general questions about Santeria, please feel free to email me. I will answer if I can.

[wanderingwidget]

YAY! thank you for all of this information @_@ it makes me happy ^^ and the family in question would be in the southest of the USA in the present, thanks again!