The following presentation and art workshop were created by:

Sarah Stone

www.sarahstoneart.com

Please note that in preparing this workshop I have made every effort to respect copyrighted material and comply with fair use guidelines.  If you feel I have violated your copyright, please notify me and I will remove the offending

material, or at your discretion, include a credit to you and your copyright. This product is an educational resource, the primary intent is to provide a resource for deeper enjoyment of art and art history in context with broader appreciation

of history and world cultures.

This presentation was intended for students aged teen through adult.Though this project is not religious, this subject

matter may elicit religious sensitivity among some people.

World Art

La Sirene Vodou Banner, by artist Evelyn Alcide (Port-au-Prince, Haiti)

Spirit Flags of Haiti

In 1492 Christopher Columbus landed on a small island in the West Indies which he named Hispaniola, claiming it

for Spain.

The Spanish, excited by Columbus’ claims that the island was gold-rich, enslaved the island’s indigenous people, the Taino/Arawaks,

to dig for gold.

But there was very little gold on the island. Unable to meet the Spaniards’ demands, the native Tiano/Arawaks, weakened by hard labor and deprivation, succumbed to diseases carried by the Spanish and died.

In 1664 France claimed the Western portion of the island and established plantations of tobacco, indigo, cocoa

and cotton.

With no native work force left, slaves were imported from Africa to provide the labor to work the fields.

The French called their part of the island “Saint-Domingue.”

It became one of the richest colonies in the French empire.

By the 1700s, plantation owners on the island were importing 40,000 African slaves per year.

Many different ethnic populations of people were uprooted from Africa and imported to Hispaniola/ Saint Domingue

during the African slave trade.

The captured native Africans were forcefully separated from their families, cultures and religions. People with different languages, backgrounds and tribal histories were

thrown together. In spite of this fragmentation, the Africans in the New World began to weave their disparate traditions together to form a new and unified community.

This combination of traditions included beliefs and practices from many of the West African countries such as Guinea and Dahomey, now known as Benin and Nigeria, producing a religion which still exists on the island

today:

Vodou.

The word “Vodou”, also called “Vudu”, is a word from the West African Ewe language meaning “spirit”.

The Vodou religion incorporates a pantheon of major spirits, called “Loas”, which is a Yoruban word for

“mysteries”. They are often represented by runic symbols, or “Veves” like this one.

In addition to the Loas there are hundreds of minor spirits governing things like water, healing, storms,

crops and love.

The spread of slavery throughout North and South America and the Carribbean also spread the Vodou religion to those

regions.

Vodou and related traditions descending from African tribal roots can be found today in Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Louisiana, and Brazil as a direct result of the slave trade.

Ewe dancers, West AfricaCuba

Carribbean

Brazil Louisiana

European plantation owners persecuted slaves who practiced Vodou. As a result, followers of Vodou found counterparts

for their loas in many of the Catholic saints, giving their religion an acceptable appearance to their owners.

Dambala, the snake spirit, is equated with:

St Patrick, who rid the land of snakes

Hollywood films have depicted “Voodoo”- the Americanized spelling- as an evil practice focused mainly on casting spells and creating zombies.

In practice Vodou is concerned with overcoming daily hardships, communing with one's ancestors, and requesting divine guidance.

Some of the very beautiful objects used in Vodou houmforts (or temples) are these sequined and beaded “spirit flags” also called “Drapo Voudou.”

.

These elaborate flagsrepresent the Loas,or spirit helpers, withwhom believers cancommunicate.

Each spirit helper hastheir own special strengths whichmakes them unique, andeach has their owncharacteristic symbols.

Drapo Vodou is an artform unique to Haiti,giving visual lifeto Vodou Loas.

The Drapos (flags) are elaborately decorated with colorful sequins, each stitched onto a satin

background.

This flag is for Erzulie, spirit of love. Her symbols (seen in this flag) are heart, seeds,

water, and flowers.

Sometimes the flags do not show physical forms,

but represent powers, colors, and personal symbols.

In this workshop we will make our own colorful Spirit Flag.Like the Drapos we have seen, our flag will incorporate symbols

from our own traditions.

What symbols can you think of that represent somethingimportant to you?

Procedure Part 1

This is a good question to begin this project.

What symbols would you use/create to represent ideas or activities that are important to you?

Materials to use: Paper & Pencils or markers

Begin by drawing simple sketches of things that you like such as:

•your pet

•your house

•your favorite color

•your vehicle

•your favorite hobby / sport

•your favorite food

Simple cut-out style drawings are best, no need to be super realistic

with this activity.

OK, now that you have come up with some simple symbols that you like,

Pick 3 or 4 that you like the best.

Procedure Part 2

18” x 24” is a good size for a flag.

Here is what you will need (per person):

1)An 18” x 24” piece of muslin 2)2 x 14” x 16” pieces of muslin 3)Acrylic paint colors4)Painting brushes5)Scissors6)Assorted glitter colors7)White glue8)Optional: sewing needles and thread9)20” dowel 3/8 diam (approx) 10)Access to printer or Xerox for enlarging

Paint the 18 x 24 muslin one color of acrylic paintPaint (1) 14 x 16 muslin another color of acrylic paint

1) Using a copy machine or printer, enlarge your chosen symbols to about 3” - 8” across per EACH SYMBOL. The size choice will depend on your

final composition. You may have to resize a couple of times to get it where you want it.

2) Cut out each symbol and lay them on the unpainted 14 x 16 sheet of muslin, arrange until you have a pleasing composition.

Once you have a design you like:

3) Trace the shapes onto the unpainted 14 x 16 muslin and cut out. (Remember, or photograph your design before you cut your shapes)

Great! Let’s finish our flags:

1.Using your acrylic colors paint each cut-out shape a color different than the two sheets you have already painted. The shapes can be all one color or varied colors. Have fun, these will be background colors.

2.When the paints are dry, coat 1 shape color side up with white glue. Choose a glitter color and sprinkle

liberally on this glued shape until covered. It’s OK if the under-color shows through.

3.Repeat this process with all of your other shapes.

4.Let your shapes dry.

5.Lay your glittered shapes onto the painted 14” x 16” muslin. At this point, depending on how much time and patience you have, you can glue the backs of each piece and lay them down according to the pattern you designed, or you can stitch them on using your needles and threads.

6.Once the pieces are attached, securely, and dry…

Now you have your design shapes cut out of muslin, yes?

And two pieces of muslin painted different colors?

Get out your white glue again and coat the

background 14” x 16” sheet of muslin

with glue. (Go AROUND your shapes)

This can be evenly applied

or you can drizzle it in patterns depending on the finish look you

want.Don’t get the glue on

your shapes!While your glue layer is WET, sprinkle with a

glitter color.

>Pick one that will look well with the background color of

the 14 x 16 sheet.<

Shake excess glitter off when done.

Glue/glitter goes on background, don’t get glue on the shapes

When your 14” x 16 layer is completely dry, glue (or sew)this layer onto the 18” x 24” background layer.

Be sure to measure it so that there are 2” on right, left & bottom of the 14” x 16” layer and 6” at the top.

It will look like this:

The final step is to fold the 6” of fabric at the top in half and glue or sew together

to make a sleeve pocket for your dowel.

Voila! Your “Drapo” is now finished.Add string and hang!

Thank you for participating!

The information provided in this presentation is by no means comprehensive.

If you are interested in expanding your knowledge of Haiti/Hispaniola, Vodou or Drapos, please explore these

resources:

http://www.hispaniola.com/dominican_republic/info/history.php

http://theculturetrip.com/caribbean/haiti/articles/vodou-flags-between-the-terrestrial-and-the-spiritual-/

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=79329&fileId=S0010417501003590

Zora Neal Hurston, Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica (New York: Harper Perennial, 1990)

With gratitude,

www.sarahstoneart.com