Haitian Vodou (mainstream)
Haitian syncretic religion blending West African (Fon, Yoruba, Kongo) traditions with Catholic iconography. Distinctive lwa veneration and houngan/mambo priesthood. Mostly low-control mainstream tradition.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — Haitian syncretic religion; mainstream low-control reference.
Profile facts
In context
Haitian Vodou developed during the colonial period from multiple West African traditions and Catholic iconography. Worship organised through houngans (male priests) and mambos (female priests) leading peristyle communities. Mostly low-control mainstream tradition heavily distorted in popular Western media.
Key control doctrines
- Lwa veneration
- Houngan/mambo priesthood
Recovery resources
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
- INFORM (Information Network on Religious Movements) — LSE-founded UK research-based information service covering new religious movements.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources and family-side exit guidance.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Legal cases & controversies
- Historical persecution; popular Western misrepresentation
Evidence by BITE axis
- Specific charismatic priest sub-communities can exhibit higher control
- Lwa veneration
- Houngan/mambo priesthood
- mainstream low-control reference
Timeline
- Colonial periodHaitian Vodou crystallises
- 1791–1804Haitian Revolution
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
| Title | Type | Reliability | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| African same-sex sexualities and gender-diversity: an introduction — Culture, Health & Sexuality (2013) | Academic | Secondary | — |
| African same-sex sexualities and gender-diversity: an introduction — Culture, Health & Sexuality (2013) | Academic | Secondary | — |
Sources
- Karen McCarthy Brown, 'Mama Lola' (1991) search ↗
- African same-sex sexualities and gender-diversity: an introduction — Culture, Health & Sexuality (2013) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F13691058.2013.797218 open ↗
- African same-sex sexualities and gender-diversity: an introduction — Culture, Health & Sexuality (2013) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F13691058.2013.797218 open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗ runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch J: per-group recovery resources applied via programmatic palette (closest-fit by category + subCategory + score). Palette: Mainstream-comparator lighter.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
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