The Purification Hut

The Purification Hut

In Vodoun convents, life is above all communal : each family holds a precise role, passed down from generation to generation. It is here that the family « Deh Agbotagbato » officiates — their charge is to break the head of the sheep or goat sacrificed during the great ceremonies. This sacred duty belongs to the family alone, and should the family head be absent, his eldest son may represent him to carry out the rite.

Two calabashes accompany the ceremony : one holds the blood of the sacrificed animal, the other kola nuts and other ritual components. The blood is closely guarded, for it holds all the energy needed for communion with the spiritual universe.

At the heart of the enclosure stands the sanctuary, the most sacred hut of the temple. Built of earth since 1717, it houses the altar of the mother deity worshipped here. Restored in 1992 for the Ouidah 92 festival, its roof and frame were repaired — the straw roofing was kept, while the floor was reinforced with concrete to preserve the integrity of the original building as much as possible.

On market days, ceremonies take place here : the mother deity is prayed to, with offerings, for peace, prosperity and protection. Only priests and initiates are permitted to enter.

As in all the sacred huts of Vodoun convents, strict taboos are religiously observed here :

• No one who has not been initiated may enter.
• It is forbidden to cross even the portico wearing shoes or a hat.
• One must be in a state of purity to enter : women who are menstruating are excluded.
• The python venerated here is never killed — that would be an abomination.

As Saint Augustine said, « to err is human » — our deities are deities of clemency and mercy. So when a wrong has been committed, it is in this hut that one must be purified. The purification hut is in fact also the confession hut — which is why it is built low : one must kneel there to implore the grace of forgiveness, a sign of humility.