(We forget our traditional ways once exposed to foreign culture)

Knowledge and experience come with age.

There’s a divine creator known commonly known as ‘Mawu’ or ‘Nana Buluku’ and whole range of lesser spirits which inhabit rivers, trees, rocks, etc… These lesser spirits are the ‘vodun’ and are the main focus of the religion. The ’vodun’ differ amongst the various tribes and clans. Along West Africa, some of the vodun may include ‘Mami Wata’ - goddess of water, Mawu Lisa – spirit of creation and Baka – an evil spirit which takes the form of an animal. The creator doesn’t meddle in the everyday lives of its followers, therefore the vodun are the ones whom the followers worship. Many have likened this to catholicism where there’s God and all those saints who intercede on the behalf of humans.

The humans and vodun rely on each other; the vodun get food and other materials as sacrifices from humans and give them the requisite protection, good health, fortune, etc in return. Amongst the many spirits is the messenger god known as ‘Eshu’ who relays messages between humans and the vodun.  He is depicted as a short dark man with a large stick who usually has a pipe, candy or his fingers in his mouth. He mediates between the two worlds to maintain a balance of peace, communication and order.

Amongst other things, followers of Vodun believe a dead person can be resurrected after being buried, however s/he becomes a zombie with no will of his/her own and is controlled by others.

Although Haile Selassie himself didn’t believe nor preach any of these theories, Rastafarians believe he is God and he’ll conduct a mass exodus of blacks living outside Africa, due to colonisation and the slave trade, back to the motherland. They believe blacks are the chosen people of God whose roles were suppressed during colonisation. They follow a number of Old Testament laws, strict dietry rules and abstain from alcohol. They inhale marijuana to increase spiritual awareness. They are forbidden to cut their hair, thus they grow and lock it. Their symbol is a lion, which is said to represent Haile Selassie I, who’s known as the ‘Conquering Lion of Judah’. Dreadlocks represent the lion’s mane.

Although women are referred to as “Queens”, they’re still subordinate to men and are delegated to the role of housekeepers and childbearers. Their main duty is to look after their King (husband). They can only be called into the religion through their husbands and must not use birth control; Rastafarians believe birth control is a European tactic to suppress the development of the African population. Women must not cook for their Kings when menstruating….

They believe in “Good thoughts, good words and good deeds” and try to live according to this mantra. At the age of seven, Zoroasters are initiated into the religion. They are given a sacred shirt and a cord as part of the initiation and tie the cord around the shirt three times to remind themselves of “Good thoughts, good words and good deeds”. This ritual is carried out when praying. Zoroasters are encouraged to pray several times a day.

Unlike in other religions such as Christianity and Islam where Man is God’s servant, Zoroasters believe we are God’s helpers not servants. Thus we ‘help’ by making positive choices which eradicate evil to facilitate the establishment of God’s Paradise on earth.

Another interesting thing about Zoroastrianism is the manner in which funerals are conducted. Based on the belief that as soon as a person dies the body is no longer pure, they regard it as sacrilegious to bury a body which would decay and rot into the beautiful earth God made. So they build special towers and lay the body on these towers to be exposed to the sun, wind and rain and be eaten by vultures…..

Interestingly, the concept of good and evil does not exist in Candomblé; each individual is expected to fulfill his/her destiny, whatever it may be. However this doesn’t mean you can get away with evil; whatever evil you do would return to you. So if it is your destiny to be evil – you will have to be evil and what you do would be done back to you.