potomitan, which is therefore seen as a magical
axis. Given this, the potomitan plays a critical
role during Vodu ceremonies.
In addition to the peristyle, the oumfò also
includesanumberofsmallroomsthataresanctu-
aries dedicated to the Lwa honored in the oumfò
in question. One of them, thedjèvo, is the most
sacred and secret of those sanctuaries: It is indeed
where thepé, a stonework altar, the Vodu shrine,
is located. Important items of the Vodu cult are
placedonthepé,suchasthecolliers(sacredneck-
laces), flags,govi(jars that contain spiritual ele-
ments of the initiates), and books. Furthermore,
the djèvo is also the room where initiates are
secluded for several days, thus undergoing sym-
bolicdeaththere.Itmayalsobetheplacewherea
large enough basin filled with water is kept for
aquatic Lwa such as Danbal-Wedo and Ayida-
Wedo. Other chambers are dedicated to the Lwa
served in a particular oumfò, containing all the
symbols associated with the Lwa. Thus, there
might be a room for Papa Ogu, with his cutlass,
hat, and bottle of rum; or there may be one for
Ezili Fréda, with her expensive perfumes, delicate
attires, and so on. Sometimes, due to space con-
straints, several Lwa may have to share a room.
Outside of the peristyle and spiritual chambers
that make up the oumfò, one may observe addi-
tional items devoted to the Lwa, such as a big
black cross for Baron-Smaedi or sacred trees usu-
ally decorated with Vodu spiritual items. Also
noticeable is a profusion of white doves, pigeons,
and chickens. These may be animals that will be
sacrificed at a later date or were previously called
on for rituals and then set free.
In addition to being places where spiritual
ceremonies are held, oumfòs also function as
communes. Indeed, attached to the Mambo or
Houngan, who presides over the oumfò, are a
number of persons who were initiated by her or
him or who have come to gravitate toward them,
that is,Hounsis.The latter owe total respect and
complete devotion to their Papa or Manman. In
fact,theyformasociety,withclearrules,centered
on the Houngan or the Mambo. They usually
spend a significant amount of time at the oumfò,
may even sleep there at times, and certainly must
come when called for help, especially during cere-
monies, when dancers and singers are needed.
TheymayalsobecalledontocookfortheLwaor
the Houngan/Mambo to clean the peristyle and,
generally speaking, get things ready for cere-
monies. In return for their loyalty, the Mambo or
Houngan must act as their counselor and protec-
torandisultimatelyresponsiblefortheirneeds.If
necessary, she or he must feed them and help pay
for their hospital bill or their children’s school
tuition.Inotherwords,theoumfòisanimportant
placeofcomfortandsupportforallattachedtoit.
Outside of Vodu ceremonies, the peristyle is used
asalivingspace,wherehounsissocializeandmay
perform their various duties. It is where visitors
wait or even sleep. Oumfòs vary in size: Some
may be big and others small depending on the
Houngan/Mambo’s resources and success. In any
case and regardless of its size, an oumfò is always
kept clean because it is a most sacred place.Ama MazamaSee alsoVodou in HaitiFurther Readings
Deren, M. (1972).Divine Horsemen:The Living Gods
of Haiti. New York: Delta.
Desmangles, L. (1992).The Faces of the Gods:Vodou
and Roman Catholicism in Haiti. Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina Press.
Mazama, A. (2005). Vodu. In M. K. Asante &
A. Mazama (Eds.),Encyclopedia of Black Studies
(pp. 468–471). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Métraux, A. (1958).Le Vaudou haitien. Paris:
Gallimard.OVAHERERO
The Ovaherero belong to the Bantu linguistic
group.Thepopulationisabout500,000,andthey
arefoundinAngola,Botswana,andNamibia.Itis
believedthattheOvahereromigratedfromCentral
Africa to Angola and from Angola to the present
settlement in Namibia at the end of the 16th cen-
tury and the beginning of the 17th century.
The Ovaherero include subgroups such as
Ovahimba, Ovambanderu, Ovazemba, Hakawona,
Ovatjavikwa,andOvakuvare.Itisdifficulttodefine
the Ovaherero as one homogeneous group becauseOvaherero 511