What is a "Hate God"?
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A "hate god" is a fierce-looking figure used in the voodou religion. The village priest drives nails and spikes into the hate god to cast spells for the villagers. Hate gods are also known in Africa as Minkisi. |
| description of minkisi taken from kitsch parade |
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Minkisi (sing. nkisi) were used, in the extreme, as "self-serving attempts to improve one's lot at the expense of others," and as a means for chiefs to communicate with their ancestors. The term for the spirit that is invoked is also nkisi (pl. bakisi).
Minkisi empower the nganga (ritual specialist) to affect the lives of those who he consults with, the chiefs who commune with ancestors to secure earthly power, and the individuals who seek defense against the "witchcraft" of others against them. Used to enforce agreements that transferred slaves, refugees or clients from one clan to another, this object was used to reinforce a chief's power, as minkisi were "functionally interchangeable with human beings." By activating this object, its "victims" were inflicted with a variety of physical punishments. The blades are driven into the figure to arouse its power; this is done not by the nganga, but by those who "make the contract" to invoke the spirit. |
photo from SUJARO African and World Imports
so why "HAiTiAN"?
the first time we ever saw a "hate god" was in a museum as part of a display
of voodou artifacts that were acquired in Haiti. it is rare that items like this
are used in Haitian vodou, if they are ever used at all.
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