“Our government is in Bwa Kayiman:” A Vodou ceremony in 1791 and its contemporary significations

The Haitian Vodou religion has evolved alongside the Haitian nation state and the local interpretations of a linkage between national identity and Vodou appear strong – also in comparison with other African-American religions. This paper explores representations of Vodou’s role during the Slave Revolution which resulted in the declaration of Haiti’s independ- ence in 1804. The article specifically addresses the Vodou ceremony which presumedly took place at Bwa Kayiman in northern Haiti in 1791. Against this background, contemporary uses and repercussions – not the least among Vodou practitioners – of the historiography of Vodou and the Revolution, as well as their consequences for the Vodou religion are discussed.