Voodoo/MamaLola

A detailed Summary of Voodoo/MamaLola

All religions are very specific with the details which set that religion apart from others. However, when all the little details are melted away, there are only a mere handful that are different in essence. When looked at closely, even the religions which are perceived completely dissimilar at first glance are surprisingly similar. For example, the Voodoo religion, and that of early Christianity are stereotyped as extremely different, but with closer inspection, not only are these two religions are very obviously similar, but Voodooism stemmed, partly, out of Christianity. Both religions revolve around a mortal individual being used as a mouthpiece by a higher, being, be it spirit or god, to communicate with our mortal world. Yet at the same time, each religion has taken it's own path and although equivalent in essence, have very different aspects with respect to background (such as time and status), as well as publicity, and language.

In the Voodoo religion, a priestess hosts a number of different ceremonies each year. During these ceremonies, one of the people present (usually the priestess herself) is supposedly possessed by one or more spirit(s) who then communicates with the rest of the people present. A typical example of

In contrast, early Christianity, includes only one person in particular at each oracle would go into a trance, upon request from someone seeking advice. The most popular of these oracles was the Oracle of Delphi where the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo, when asked for advice, would enter a cave, and become completely transfixed by what was said to be the spirit of Apollo and she could then communicate with people on behalf of the God. A temple was erected around the cave, and after an offering was made to the god, in return for the advice, Pythia would sputter many incoherent things which were then interpreted by the prophetic priests who translated her utterances into prophetic perimeter.

It is amazing how two religions, such as Voodoo and Christianity, can be filled with so many awesome differences with respect to time eras, status, publicity, and language, and yet still have an almost identical core ideal. This also demonstrates that this core ideal of the use of humans as a mouthpiece of the divine has been a long lived concept which people, such as Mama Lola and her family, still believe in and practice today. Perhaps this proves there is some truth in the idea, and most likely, we will never know for sure, whether this concept, in it's many different forms continues to live on, or if it dies out.

Yet one more aspect which exhibits the substantial difference between these two religions without effecting their core, is language. The Pythia at Delphi prophetized in tongues which needed to be interpreted by certain, trained people; the prophetic priests. Without these translators who rephrased Pythia's prophesies into nice and neat prophetic prose, the entire oracle itself, -regardless of which one, would be useless. What good is a prophet who cannot be understood? In opposition, when a spirit came to one of Mama Lola's ceremonies, it spoke in a known language so that it could be understood by anyone spoke it, or cared

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Approximate Word count = 1308
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Religion