RARA Vodou, Power and Performance
Rara as a Religious Obligation in Vodou
Related Media: Images | Audio | Video
Images
 Rara queen salutes a daughter of the spirits ++ high res |  The Rara walks to ritually salute the lakou (compound). ++ high res |  Rara leaders do spiritual work over a bonfire ++ high res |
 Rara Queen and Kings receive instruction on how to dance before the ancestors at the cemetary. ++ high res |  The cape and the tomb ++ high res |  Rara Majo Jon metalwork sculpture ++ high res |
 Fire in the crossroads ++ high res |
Video
 | Rara band arrives a large lakou in the Artibonite. They salute the
spirits
who live at the gates with large circling dances called vire (turn). (This
means that this Rara is also part of a religious society.) Later that
night,
the patriarch of the lakou will come out to receive them. This is all
part of the
politics of patronage, both of the human and spirit worlds. ++ High Bandwidth + Low Bandwidth |
 | The Rara has arrived in the cemetery and is saluting the cross of Bawon
Simitye. He lights a fire lit below the cross, and leans brooms against
it, for future use.
++ High Bandwidth + Low Bandwidth |
 | After lighting a fire on top of the veve, the priest activates the veve even
more with salt and rum, and throws salt to the four directions. ++ High Bandwidth + Low Bandwidth |
 | Veve drawing before the Rara. The priest traces the veve, or sacred
drawing, for Simbi. See the Fieldnotes section of this website for details ++ High Bandwidth + Low Bandwidth |
 | Rum flares up the fire for Bawon, to activate this energy and heat it up. ++ High Bandwidth + Low Bandwidth |