Abducted and forced into barbaric slavery, the West African peoples exploited for labor on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola shared the spiritual bonds of their homelands. In the former French colony of Saint-Domingue, slaves melded spiritual traditions rooted in ancestor worship and animism with elements of the Catholic faith forced upon them, forming a new and unique belief system. Vodou united slaves in defiance of their oppressors, inspiring a revolution that led to the world's first and only republic founded by slave rebellion: the nation of Haiti. Brutally suppressed during colonial rule, and relentlessly maligned and sensationalized ever since, Vodou has survived all efforts at eradication and flourishes in Haiti to this day. The religion recognizes a single supreme deity, or God, and a pantheon of supernatural beings known as "Lwa" in Haitian Kreyòl. These spirits embody forces and elements of nature, such as earth, water, air, and fire, and represent human values and emotions such as love, courage, wisdom, and justice. Vodouists believe the Lwa have the ability to take control of the human body and divine power to intercede in the affairs of man. The faithful plead with the spirits for guidance and divine intervention in matters of health, love, and personal hardship, and also to give thanks for granted wishes, and through spirit possession they transcend their earthly existence and enter the realm of the divine.
