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Has voodoo been misjudged? The BBC Explains
[BBC] While many African traditions and cultures are under threat from modern life, there is one which is holding its own - voodoo.It has suffered from a bad press internationally but is an official religion in the West African country of Benin. In the voodoo heartland of Ouidah, the sound of drums fills the air, while men and women dressed mainly in white take turns to dance around a bowl of millet, a freshly slaughtered chicken and alcohol. These are the day's offering at the Temple of Pythons. They have an audience of about 60 people who have gathered from nearby towns for an annual cleansing ceremony. Inside the temple, where more than 50 snakes are slithering around a custom-made pit, local devotees make amends for sins of the past year. Blood, snakes and power. In voodoo, the python is a symbol of strength - the devotees explain they are relying on Dagbe, the spirit whose temple this is, to give them the power to change. And to make that change happen, blood must be spilled. Posted by: Besoeker 2017-09-01 |
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