Anonymous (The Bizango Warriors)

Haiti

Bizango is a secret society within the Voodoo cult in Haiti. It was founded in the early 19th century by African slaves fighting for their freedom and independence. Despite the wealth of existing anthropological literature, very little has been written about secret societies, and even less about the Bizango and their ritual objects. Originating in the high plateau region along the Artibonite River, the Bizango cult is fundamentally linked to the preservation of Haitian traditions and values. The Bizango warriors are their guardians. Initially created as symbols of resistance against Napoleon’s army, these warriors later came to embody justice, acting as guarantors of peace and social order. Nowadays, certain members of the Haitian elite, more open to popular culture, regard these effigies as works of art, thereby eclipsing the Voodoo ritual practices from which they emerged.