Saint Anne in Haitian Vodou
Saint Anne is syncretized with multiple lwa in Haitian Vodou.
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May 18, which is both her feast day and Haitian Flag Day, is a time when she is venerated under the names Saint Soleil Haiti and Grand Saint Anne.[1][2] A different syncretic form, Ti Saint Anne or Ti Sentàn, has its main focus in Anse-à-Foleur and is observed on July 26.[3]
Quick Facts
- Feast day (aloumandia)
- May 18
- Region of worship
- Artibonite, north-central Haiti
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Dessalines wore a yellow headscarf adorned with brown and black as a symbol of his faith to Aloumandia during the Haitian Revolution.[4] According to a contemporary Vodou song, Aloumandia warned Dessalines of an assassination plot, which he ignored.[5] Ti Saint Anne is based on a legend that a doll was found in a river by Catholic pilgrims in the early 20th century.[3] The lwa Aloumandia is chiefly worshipped in the Artibonite department and is associated with the Artibonite River as a river spirit.[6]
She belongs to the Kongo, Rada, or Ogou groups of lwa; within the Ogou nation she stands out as an uncommon grandmotherly presence.[6] Although the doll was thrown away, it was said to have produced miracles, such as coming back from a well and delivering a private revelation.[3] Most pilgrims to Anse-à-Foleur are women seeking blessings for good luck; in 2007, a fee of 10 Haitian gourde was charged to view the doll.[3]
What the cited sources add
A 2007 newspaper article notes that the site of Ti Saint Anne is a destination for pilgrims seeking miracles of all kinds.[7] The same report states that the celebration includes a traditional mass, a street fair with local produce and Vodou artifacts.[8] It also notes that Ti Sentàn is regarded by many Vodou practitioners as one of the most significant mystical places in Haiti.[8] A 2012 holiday guide lists May 18 as Flag Day or the Feeding of Grande Aloumandia.[2]
That guide explains that feeding Grandmother Aloumandia is a way to demonstrate respect for ancestors.[2] A 2024 Haitian Times report notes that the patronal feast on July 26 in La Branle and Anse-à-Foleur blends Catholic and Vodou practices.[8]
References
- Wikipedia, "Saint Anne in Haitian Vodou" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ribeiro, "Haitian Holidays", The CRUDEM Foundation, Inc, 2012; "Déita" Guignard, "La Légende des Loa: Vodou Haïtien", 1993; Mirabeau, "Repertoire of Haitian Vodou Songs", National Endowment for the Humanities (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Ribeiro, "Haitian Holidays", The CRUDEM Foundation, Inc, 2012. facts only, no text reused. crudem.org
- Wikipedia, "Saint Anne in Haitian Vodou" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Dauphin, "La Sainte-Anne de l'Anse-à-Foleur", Le Nouvelliste, May 10, 2007; Louissaint, "I went on a Voodoo pilgrimage in Haiti", The Conversation, 2019; Joseph, "Celebration of patronal Saint-Anne and Saint Joachim across Haiti: a fusion of faith and tradition in La Branle and Anse-à-Foleur", The Haitian Times, 2024 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Saint Anne in Haitian Vodou" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Courlander, "The drum and the hoe; life and lore of the Haitian people", Berkeley, University of California Press, 1960; "Déita" Guignard, "La Légende des Loa: Vodou Haïtien", 1993; Mennesson-Rigaud, "Le rôle du Vaudou dans l'indépendance d'Haïti", Présence Africaine, 1958, p. 43–67 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Saint Anne in Haitian Vodou" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rigaud, "La tradition voudoo et le voudoo haïtien: Son Temple, Ses Mystères, Sa Magie", Editions Niclaus, 1953 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Saint Anne in Haitian Vodou" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Daniels, "Africa and its Historical and Contemporary Diasporas", The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2023; Courlander, "Gods of the Haitian Mountains", The Journal of Negro History, July 1944, p. 339–372; Courlander, "Gods of the Haitian Mountains", The Journal of Negro History, July 1944, p. 339–372; Daniels, "Africa and its Historical and Contemporary Diasporas", The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2023; "Déita" Guignard, "La Légende des Loa: Vodou Haïtien", 1993; "Déita" Guignard, "La Légende des Loa: Vodou en.wikipedia.org
- Dauphin, "La Sainte-Anne de l'Anse-à-Foleur", Le Nouvelliste, May 10, 2007. facts only, no text reused. lenouvelliste.com
- Joseph, "Celebration of patronal Saint-Anne and Saint Joachim across Haiti: a fusion of faith and tradition in La Branle and Anse-à-Foleur", The Haitian Times, 2024. facts only, no text reused. haitiantimes.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Saint Anne in Haitian Vodou (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Saint Anne in Haitian Vodou (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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