Loup Garou and Loa Tales from Northern Haiti

Haitian loups garous are sorcerers who have the power to change themselves into dogs, horses, trees, and other animals or objects. The same term, with the same meaning, is found in France and in French Canadian areas. While some folk tales are told in Haiti simply for amusement, those about loups garous and loas are usually taken very seriously. Haitian peasants are individualistic and are inclined to suspect their neighbors of having malicious intentions towards them. The ordinary peasant goes to the houngan, a priest in the vodun cult, to obtain magical assistance in injuring his enemy, but the loup garou does not need this professional service. After assuming some non-human form he is quite capable of committing any evil deed. It is interesting that the persons who are accused (never openly) of being loups garous are often the most prosperous individuals in the region. Insofar as the loup garou tales stress the real or imagined grievances against enemies, they contribute to the solidarity of the extended family group. The most important gods in the vodun cult, the hybrid religion of most Haitian peasants, are the loas. Some of these gods are of African origin, others appear to have come into being in Haiti. They differ widely in physical appearance, mentality, temperament, and moral traits, and the peasants disagree from temple to temple on the exact relationships between them and the Catholic saints. Each believer has one or more loaprotecteurs, and he is expected to provide offerings from time to time for his benefactors. Practitioners of magic often seek the advice of the loas in connection with their activities as healers, diviners, or conjurers. The great interest which the peasants have in the loas has led to the formation of many tales, and the tales have served to reinforce the beliefs of the faithful. According to recent reports from reliable informants a large number of houngans have renounced their connections with the vodun cult. However, I doubt if the whole belief-system of vodun will disappear quickly. Even though many officiants have given up their temples, one wonders if others will not take their places sooner or later, and in small ways if not openly and on a large scale. For while it is true that the vodun beliefs sometimes induce fear, they also inspire confidence in the peasant as he

Ethnology · Genealogy · Geography · Caribbean and African Literature and Culture · History · Migration, Identity, and Health

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