Grigri, Coupe-Coupe

There is a big difference between the Voodoo festivals in larger towns here in Togo where there are numerous tourists with their cameras ready to really “understand” the culture, and the small villages where only select people attend. Last August I visited the more public festivities and was only mildly impressed. It was more of a theatrical performance.

Recently I was exposed to the more private and serious side to Voodoo practices. My village specifically is more of a Christian dominated population, whereas its neighbor, is more Animist/Voodoo dominated. I decided because it might be my only time to have this experience (even though I was slightly terrified of what might happen) I attended.

It all starts with drums, covered in red fabric and white shells. They hit them with their hands and with curved wooden sticks, they tune them and put water in them to keep the animal skinned coverings from drying out.

Then a group of villagers, wearing white cloth, begin singing and dancing something similar to the chicken dance. They wear bracelets on their ankles, arms, necks, their faces covered in white baby powder and blue paint. They sing in Ewe, their words vibrate against the drumming, it feels like the earth is moving.

Then the moment comes when the Voodoo spirit takes over one of the singers and their arms start flailing around and they start to speak some other language, their body twitches and they drag their toes across the ground. Some walk around and shake the hands of their audience and dance, I am not sure how they can move their feet so quickly.

They sacrifice chickens and goats and they wear dried animal blood covered clothing. They paint images of coupe-coupes on their temple walls. They bend and touch their toes before the elders in respect, who in turn bow or put up their fingers in a sort of peace sign.

From about 11 AM until 6 AM the next day they dance and sing and sacrifice. They drink bottles of Sodabi (alcohol) filled with dead snakes. I am not sure how they could dance so long and not be tired.

I saw it for an evening before deciding enough was enough. It is a very interesting experience and it is something that would be impossible to forget. That is one of the good things about Peace Corps. You are not a tourist, you have lived in a small community for a time and the villagers actually consider you a part of their family and you can really get a taste of how people live.