Bois-Caïman may have been two ceremonies foreshadowing Rada and Petro Vodou traditions
Evidence
Before the insurrection of 1791 there may in fact have been two ceremonies: one in which a cow was sacrificed, perhaps to serve the deity Ogou, who is still served in this way; and the other, at Bois-Caïman, in which a pig was sacrificed. These were perhaps early versions of two traditions of worship that were later brought together in Haitian Vodou—the “Rada” and “Petro.” The Rada rites have their roots in West Africa, while the Petro seem to have evolved from Kongolese traditions. The Petro lwa—Vodou gods—are more unpredictable, temperamental, and at times violent than the Rada, and carry the marks of both slavery and resistance. — Dubois, Laurent, Avengers of the New World_ The Story of…, 349
Categorization
- DEFINE: Clarifies the Rada/Petro distinction in Vodou that recurs throughout the revolution narrative.
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Dubois, Laurent, Avengers of the New World_ The Story of…, 349
- XREF: connects to: Bois-Caïman functions as a founding charter uniting Vodou and liberation