Lamp, F. (1985). Cosmos, Cosmetics, and the Spirit of
Bondo.African Arts, 19 (3). Retrieved January 14,
2008, from http://www.jstor.org
Lamp, F. (1988). An Opera of West African Bondo: The
Acts, Ideas, and the Word.African Arts, 32 (2).
Retrieved January 14, 2008, from
http://www.jstor.org
Watkins, M. H. (1943). The West African “Bush”
school.The American Journal of Sociology, 48(6).
Retrieved January 17, 2008, from
http://www.jstor.org
BONDYE
Among the most important principles in the Vodu
religion as practiced in Haiti is the veneration of
God. Bondye(also referred to as Olohoum by
some Voduists, from YorubaOlorun“the master
of the skies; supreme God”) designates the
Supreme Being for Voduists, theGran Mèt, the
master of all matters, as he or she is often referred
to. Because of the fluidity of gender in Vodu cos-
mology, as it is the case in African cosmology
in general, although God is often called Papa
Bondye, the ultimate Father, a male figure, some
contemporary scholars view the Vodu God as also
being female.
The Africans brought into the American hemi-
sphere carried with them many of their religious
beliefs and practices. The God of Vodu, as prac-
ticed in Haiti, displays fundamental African
characteristics: It is the creator of all that is, tran-
scendent, omniscient, immanent, benevolent,
almighty, but also, and most important, removed
from the human world. As a result, the Supreme
God, Bondye, does not intervene in human affairs.
Providing assistance to human beings is the
primary and direct responsibility of the Lwa, cre-
ated by God to that end. The Lwa work in coop-
eration with Bondye, the Supreme Judge,
omnipotent arbiter, and final authority, but also
the God full of love and compassion for all his or
her children in the midst of their terrestrial tribu-
lations. The Lwa of the Vodu pantheon serve as
the intermediaries between God and humans.
Unlike Bondye, who does not intervene directly in
worldly matters, although he or she protects the
faithful, the Lwa preside over all aspects of
human life and help with problems of daily exis-
tence from love and finances to family relation-
ships and communal issues.
As it is the case in much of the African tradi-
tion, Bondye is not the object of any direct cult
or worship. This is reserved to the Lwa. Yet it is
fair to say that Bondye is the ultimate recipient
of all prayers, all offerings, and all sacrifices.
Indeed, Haitians, and in particular those from
rural backgrounds in Haiti, never start a sen-
tence without uttering Si Dye vle(“God will-
ing”) orBondye bon(“God is good”), another
sign of God’s omnipresence in the daily lives of
Vodu followers. Clearly, Voduists believe in the
power and beneficience of this important cosmic
force, Bondye, who, along with and above the
Lwa, form this complex pantheon of supreme
deities in Haitian Vodu.Claudine MichelSee alsoGod; Lwa; Vodou in Benin; Vodou in HaitiFurther Readings
Hurbon, L. (1987).Dieu dans le Vaudou Haitien. Port-
au-Prince, Haiti: Editions Deschamps.
Métraux, A. (1958).Le Vaudou Haitien. Paris, France:
Gallimard.
Michel, C., & Bellegarde-Smith, P. (Eds.). (2006).Vodou
in Haitian Life and Culture:Invisible Powers.New
York: Palgrave Macmillan.BOOK OF THECOMING
FORTH BYDAY(THE BOOK
OF THEDEAD)The Book of the Dead, originally called “Pert em
hru,” which translates as “Manifest in the Light,”
is also referred to as The Book of the Coming
Forth by Day. It became known asThe Book of
the Dead, Der Todenbuch, in 1842 by German
Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius. It is known as
one of the most important books in antiquity.
The Book of the Dead was in circulation in
Kemet from at least the 2nd dynasty to early cen-
turies of the Christian era in various formats.
Copies ofThe Book of the Deadfrom inscription136 Bondye