Myths and Music Possession trance today: Candboblé and Possession healing

1. Myths and MusicPossession trance today: Candboblé and Possession healing Vesa Matteo Piludu Helsinki Department of Comparative Religion University of Helsinki

2. Ritualized possession trance • During the rituals (candomblé, santeria, vodoun) • The spirits, animal or divinities … visit the human world … enteringinto the heads and the bodies of the possessed • The possessed acquires the dance steps, the voice, and the behaviours of the spirit (divinities, animals and so on) … the trance is extremely ritualized • The possession is voluntary. The possessed is trained to “welcome” the divinity • Generally the possessed don’t play instruments • The are skilled musicians playing … certain rhythms at the right moments … • The possessed could sing • The possessed is the ”horse” of the spirit, it is controlled by the spirits • After the possession, the possessed don’t remember his acts

3. Candomblé: Possessed by Iemanjá (goddess of the sea)

4. Danças Brasileiras - Candomblé • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dlSVHZtQ_A&feature=related • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1YgesjyCgw&feature=related

5. Angelique Kidjo - Shango • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_VjmiPDZmU

6. Healing possession • Healing being possessed by a healing spirit or divinity

7. Sri Lanka

8. CD: Ceylon’s drum masters and spirits

9. Illness as deamon possession • Man can live thanks a perfect balance • which is endangered by bad eating, bad deeds and bad thoughts • ”illness aliments” can be transmitted by demons • Demon possession cause illness • The illness reaches the whole surrounding group • The ritual rebalance the social unit

10. Expulsion cure • Then a specialist wears a spirit mask … • Is possessed by a spirit … and dances and sings • Finally he chase away the evil demons (or an evil spell) from the body of the patient …

11. CD1: track 1 Evocation of the gods • God are asked for permission to wear costumes • It’s a kind of “warm-up” drumming • The rhythms are calm

12. CD1 track 2 - Athayabera • Question-answer duo between two drums • The rhythm is faster and it grows in intensity • To measure the virtuosity of the player on improvisation • In the meantime the dancers get dressed • 2-3 hours

13. The notes of the basic drum scale, tha-ji-thoh-nun, are salutations to Buddha, the gods, the master or the preceptor, and the audience, respectively magul-bera (ceremonial drum)

14. CD1 track 3 • Ritual proper • 10 dancers and 10 drums • Play for 16 hours to chase away evil spirits • Some demons are going away after an offer of food … as Yak anuma (track 3) • Others must be fought …

15. CD 2 – track 1 Dhuupa Paliya- Possession fight against demons • master Thompsan wears a black mask • He is possessed by a spirit that invite the demon to let go of the patient • From a torch he produces flames, and the smoke surrounds and suffocates the demon

16. Medium-dancers and drummers

17. CD ”Shaman, Jhankri & Nele”Track 18 Tibetan Oracle in Nepal – Bon culture • In Nepal there are still phawos, or Tibetan Oracle Healers • In this track Phawo is possessed by the protector spirit Thangla, who diagnoses illness and foretell the future • The phawo spoke a ”god language” • An interpreter must translate the voice of the god in common Tibetan

18. When it is in trance the phawo drop his rainbow coloured and lotus-shaped headdress over his head NYIMA LAMA

19. Skull Drum (Damaru), eastern Tibet, mid-19th Century - Hourglass-shaped drum constructed of two inverted skull caps, symbolic of the joining of the female and male elements of life. - Silver band, ornamented with coral and turquoise stones, connects the two halves. - Played by rotating, causing the swinging beater to strike each head. Mantras were often written on the interior of drums such as these.

20. CD ”Shaman, Jhankri & Nele”Track 15 - Possession Healing in Korea The Paksu male possessed healer Mr. Pak In-O plays a changgo drum to be possessed by healing spirits Ritual in Seul Possession to exorcize a malevolent spirit causing illness and misfortune

21. P’iri oboe • A musician, Mr. Yang participated to the ceremony playing a piri oboe • He isn’t in trance • Like the Western oboe, the p'iri sound comes from a vibrating reed

22. Possession healing in a modern country • Mr. Pak In-O was seriously ill for five years, when he was a university student … when he refused to become a paksu • The family committed him to a mental hospital for a year … feelingashamed of a family member becoming a possession healer • Later he reluctantly became a paksu … and he remarked … ”I often felt sceptical at the beginning of my work” • Now he has a complete faith that the spirit have power beyond his comprehension

23. Mr. Pak In-O: healing voice, healing words • ”I can diagnose the cause of suffering … because the spirits explain it to me” • ”I know that the spoken words I relay from the spirits to the patient … have curing power …”

24. CD ”Shaman, Jhankri & Nele”Track 1 Indian possession healer: Koshalya • Koshalya is an Indian ohja healer • Is healing using only mantra-song • when she is possessed by the Sitla, the Goddess of smallpox • In this track she is healing female reproductive problems

25. Koshalya healer: initiation • ”Sitla came upon me. My eyes were closed. • When they opened I saw strange things. • Songs and words were pounded in my head • For seven days and six nights the goddess lived in me. I Stayed inside her temple • When Sitla left me I knew I was a healer”

26. More than 25 healing songs • ”I have more than 25 healing songs; I treat infertility, jaundice, and smallpox and fevers” • ”Villages babies always have fevers. The music soothes them and lowers temperatures. Sitla is the goddess for cooling the temperature”

27. My patient have no money for medical doctors • Few in the village can afford to pay for medicine at pharmacies or to go to a doctor • Payment to Koshalya usually comes in the form of flowers, food or an offering to the goddess • Koshalya:”My patient have no money for medical doctors in the city, and they don’t have faith in that”

28. CD ”Shaman, Jhankri & Nele”Track 2 Indian possession healer: Babaji Babaji is an Indian male ohja healer • healing using only mantra-songs • Treatment against depression and fatigue

29. Babaji’s initiation: close your shop! • “I prayed to the goddess … • She came upon me (saying): ”Close your shop and build a temple in his field. Fly a red flag from the roof. You will become an ohja … Do not worry about money or your family needs • I closed my shop the next day, and everything has come to be. • I could not sing before and now I have a beautiful voice to heal with, a gift from the goddess!”

30. All my songs come directly from the goddess • “All my songs come directly from the goddess • I sing a devotional song in the beginning to prepare myself and the patient. There must be an atmosphere of trust and devotion. • When the goddess has come upon me I hear her song and I see with her eyes” • Each mantra is specific to the patient • The patient attention is continuously directed toward the goddess in an effort to shift the focus away from the illness spirit

31. Babaji: a healer for all the faiths • “My teacher was a Muslim man and I am Hindu by birth • If a Hindu comes to me, I heal them in front of this Hindu shrine • If a Muslim come to me I step over the fence, and treat those people”

32. A special doctor • “The goddess told me to send my oldest son to the medical school • The power of the goddess Durga will be with him • He will be a very special doctor!”

33. Haitian vodou

34. Haitian vodou: forget zombies!

35. Haitian vodou: forget black magic’s puppets!

36. Haitian vodou is much more connected with healing • A vodou priest treats an ill woman with mud from the sacred pool in Plaine du Nord • 300 kilometres north of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, during the annual festival honouring the spirit Ogou

37. CD ”Shaman, Jhankri & Nele”Track 5: Haitian Vodou Mambo • Healing with Leaves ceremony • Micheline Forestal, possessed mambo • Musicians from the Lakou Badjo spiritual community • Lead singer: Janet Previllon • Daome drummers • Nago Drummers

38. Haitian mambo priestess

39. Herbs • Plants and their leaves are important medicines • Haitian healers are skilled botanist and herbalist • Using herbs properly is a form of spiritual work • You have to know ho to pick the leaves, how to pray over them and how to use them

40. Haitian ritual song • ”Leaf O, save my lfe • I’m in mysery • My child is sick, I run to the healer-priest • If he’s a good priest, he’ll save my life • I live in poverty O”

41. Micheline forestal: using leaves for healing • ”You can (brew) tea or (use them) in a bath. • You bathe the person. You rub the leaves all over their body to take out what’s bad • We use all kind of leaves • You take it and make a pomade with out of it • You crush it … and put it on the body to reduce swelling • You might boil it up and have the person eat it • You put somebody back the way they were”

42. The power of leaves and the lwa and mysté • The power of leaves come from Gran Mèt (God), from guardian angels (lwa) and from the mysté (spirits, divinities) • Lwa and mysthè are possessing divinities of West African origins

43. http://www.vodou.org/of_herbs1.htm • A webpage about vodou herbalism

44. Healing opera • The healing plants are ”activated” by music • In case of long illness the drummers come to play and the community assembles to sing and dance in a long, healing ”opera” with possession trances

45. Lakou Souvenance, rada drums

46. Rada drum carved in relief

47. Forestal: Drums are freedom • Music is essential for the mambo • ”Drums are freedom • When the drums beats, it gives you strength. • Then we have power. • If we were weak, we would call Papa Feray and Gran Ezili, and when we were calling them they would give us strength • Then we don’t feel weak anymore • Then the spirit might come and do a treatment • and they do it right

48. Healing possession • Forestal is possessed by the Lwa Ezili Danto, the feminine divinity of motherhood, love, healing … • During the possession the Lwa … administers a healing herbal bath to a young man

49. Erzulie - Ezilí Dantó - Ezili Freda

50. Forestal: ”We chase away bad spirits” • ”A lot of people come to me for treatment … • It’s like a little hospital • I see all kind of sickness … some have high fevers, diarrea, vomiting • We chase away the bad spirits … • But if there were no bad spirits on the person, we send them to the doctor … that’s a case for a doctor”