Haitian Vodou Flags, or Drapo

Haitian vodou is a religious manifestation of the New World phenomenon of cultural collision. One in a panoply of syncretic religions which fuse African religious beliefs with those of the European Catholics, Haitian vodou is a way of life for the people of Haiti.

Each flag contains tens of thousands of sequins fastened to the back panel by a bead of the same or differing color. No photo does justice to these magnificent works of art made by hand in honor of a specific lwa (spirit). This one is in honor of Grand Bois Ilê (The spirit of the forest, sacred leaves and forces of nature). The drapo are similar in meaning to the stained glass windows of Catholicism.

This particular flag was made by one of the finest flag makers in Haiti Yves Telemaque. Works by this artist are museum quality and in fact have made a tour of U.S. museums in 1995. His work is marked by the colorful geometric borders which actually take up half of the surface area of the flag.
After studying Haitian vodou with the very interesting folklorist Donald Cosentino, I achieved a level of profound respect for this religion and the people of Haiti. I wanted to commemorate that enlightenment with an authentic vodou artifact. This drapo hangs proudly in my home lending me inspiration
and strength as I face my daily tasks. It

measures 34" x 40" and has over twenty-thousand sequins and beads on it (I counted them).

It is important for Americans to understand that Haitian vodou is not a world of spells and evil incantations practiced by zombies, but rather a sophisticated legitimate religion, and honorable belief that is rooted in thousands of years of history written before the two cultures collided in the New World.
Back