What is a Vodou kleren?
What is a Vodou kleren?
Kleren is the fuel of many Vodou dances, offered to the spirits and the sèvitè (servants of the spirits) alike. The drummers – who often play all night and into the dawn – will be especially appreciative. A series of prayers, sometimes Roman Catholic in origin, begin the ceremony.
What does a Vodou ceremony look like?
You will be able to identify the Vodou initiates (the men and women who will orchestrate the ceremony) by their all-white ceremonial garb. Most initiates wear traditional Haitian skirts in white, starched white blouses and a white handkerchief on the head. Some may wear colorful satin headwraps.
What is a sacred Vodou gathering called?
Sacred Vodou gatherings can be called by many names, most often a ceremony, ritual or dance. In Haitian Kreyòl, Vodou practitioners often refer to the event as a dance ( dans ). The terms dance and ceremony will be used interchangeably for the purposes of this guide.
How long does a Vodou dance last?
A Vodou dance can last a long time. In Jacmel for example, the rum-fuelled drummers that launch a ceremony at dusk can be found still drumming at dawn – albeit with swollen and bruised hands. So like any dance you attend in a foreign city, bring plenty of water and relax expectations of a set time for when it will end.
