The voodoo religion has its origins in West Africa. This is where the basis for voodoo lay, namely the animistic religions of West African tribes. There have been important influences, for example, from the Dahomey, Ghanaian and Senegalese ethnic groups. According to some, the word voodoo comes from the Dahomey language. This kingdom was located in the area we now call Benin. Very likely, voodoo was mainly influenced by the animism that was practiced in the kingdom of Dahomey.
In these animistic religions, spirit and ancestor worship were the most important. We see this again in the later formed voodoo religion. Even now, there are countless people on the African continent who practice this religion, which is often primitive in the eyes of Western people. Moreover, these religions also mix with other religions than the Christian, as we see for example in Africa where Islam is mixed with other religions to form African folk Islam. Since voodoo originates from the animistic religions, it is also logical that making sacrifices and performing other rituals are so important in current voodoo. During the time of slavery, these religions were taken to the new homes of the Negro slaves.
These slaves also ended up on the Caribbean island of Haiti. This island, discovered by Columbus in 1492, was first a colony of the Spanish, who gave command of the island to the French in 1697. At that time, approximately half a million Negro slaves had been shipped from Africa to Haiti. There they had Christianity forced upon them by the Roman Catholic priests. Although the slaves were not convinced of Christianity, they were still baptized because they saw baptism as something magical and in most cases they were simply forced. They continued to believe in their old religions, but because this was banned they had to make some adjustments here and there. For example, from now on the rituals had to be held in secret and from this period onwards elements of Christianity were added to the old animist beliefs. This created voodoo as we know it today. For example, all voodoo gods have Roman Catholic counterparts, which meant that they could still be worshiped under the rule of the French. The Roman Catholic Church together with the French rulers tried to tackle voodoo followers by introducing all kinds of punishments, such as whipping and even the death penalty. The French also ensured that slaves from the same tribe were separated from each other. In the absence of a common language, religious rituals were the only area in which slaves could find solidarity and kinship.
Voodoo also played a very important role in the struggle for independence of the slaves against the French ruler. Thus the battle started in 1791, which would last 13 years. It all started on August 22, 1791, a few days after the ritual led by slave and voodoo priest Boukman. By slaughtering a pig and drinking its blood, the slaves made a pact with the devil, which meant that they would serve the spirits of the island for 200 years in exchange for freedom. Slaves from all over the region had gathered and once they returned to their fields they delivered the message of resistance. Within a few days the fertile fields were on fire and the urge for freedom became stronger and stronger until the final independence of 1804. Haiti became the first independent ‘black’ republic in the then New World.