The ancient Afrikan spiritual system as expressed by the Fon, Mahi, Evhe, and related people of West Afrika is a melding of several West and West Central Afrikan traditions. It is a complete system which shares the same source as the Nago (Yoruba) Ifa way of the life.

If you have read the link on Vodun theology you have an idea about how the Vodunsi (one who worships the Vodun)metaphorically expresses his/her idea of creation. Behind this asili (Kiswahili for "cultural seed, germ, origins, firsts") is a deep philosophy reaching back into the wells of our original Dream Time.

To the Vodunsi the world is but a manifestation of the great Dada Segbo Lisa Daho Daho - the infinite, creating, spiritual power; or Mawu-Lisa.

The Bokonon (Nago-Babalawo) Sagbaju relayed to Suzanne Preston Blier (African Vodun)that the radical vo means to rest or relax, and dun means to draw water. He went on to say:

"One says Vodun, 'put yourself at ease to draw water', because if you work until you are debilitated and you rest quietly for a bit, your body will be at ease. When your body is at ease, the exhaustion will leave your body, and you will be well". (p 39 African Vodun)

The water refered to here is the pool of knowledge, wisdom, choices both productive and destructive, negativity, etc. All resides within this pool because all comes from the waters. One must rest and reflect before drawing from the waters in order to make the right choices. In the Evhe language, the word vo means "hole, secret, hidden". This carries a connotation of that which should not or cannot be touched. Vodun is something that remains apart - that which can touch you but you cannot fathom its minutest abstract.It is that which rests above and below. Vodun is subconscious at its most ethereal level. The Fon say "Ba nu do" which translates as "he/she looked into the 'hole' of something". This means that this individual has saw into the depth of the sacred mystery or bo (Nago awo).

Vodun is a teaching of the linking of every minute soul to the great soul or Segbo. Every person has a se which he or she is responsible for cultivating the maximum spiritual adeptness for. Sometimes we refer to the great Se simply as Mawu. This term suggests a negation type description which means "Nothing more" or "nothing greater than". There is none greater than the Mawu. Segbo is that aspect of Mawu that is the sum total of all se and which fills the entire cosmos. The Fon say that the mystery of Mawu is great in that there have been many Mawu that created the one after It. It is obvious that the Fon had the awareness of the infinitude of the Infinite thousands of years before Europeans could ever devise the plan to come plagiarize and steal these ancient concepts from Afrikans in our more recent history (past 2500-3000 years ago). To be continued next month...

This is intended to be a monthly column dedicated to the various ideas of what Vodun is. Please, send any contributing articles to awo@newafrikanvodun.com. o