Haiti Local
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Ville de Saut D'eau (Saut d'eau Center), also known as Ville Bonheur, is the primary settlement of Saut-d'Eau, Haiti.

Ville de Saut-d'Eau 31922

Ville de Saut-d'Eau

About[]

"Ville Bonheur would be only a little insignificant village without the legendary appearance of a Virgin who would have descended there during the reign of the Emperor Soulouque," notes one historian.

The inhabitants are religious and have a blind faith in their virgin; they do not devote themselves to vodun at all. From Port-au-Prince to Ville Bonheur it takes 8 horse riding.

The town of Saut-d'Eau owes its name to a waterfall called " Le Saut " whose waters come from the Terrible Mountain . This place is a sacred place for Catholic and vodun believers. Voduners worship vodun spirits such as Lwa, Erzulie. The city has become more and more a real tourist center where thousands of visitors come to appreciate this charming city where peace and warmth attract the most homebody in the world. The state has made great efforts to enhance the image of this small country town. Electricity is present 24 hours out of 24 as well as running water. Many streets in the city have been concreted or adoculated - which gives a nice look to this nice place by many of its aspects.

History[]

It was one morning, around July 16 - 18, at barely eight o'clock and the villagers were in their habitual occupations, when, with a shouting cry, the village was erected under one of the palms forming a shelter, where usually poor poor people meet. A Virgin, in all her immaculate whiteness. had just appeared, suspended between two green branches with rays fringed with gold. She was balancing gently with the divine breath, spreading in all its vague and imprecise form still, fine sheaves of a holy light of which suddenly declared healed all those sick, poor, brain and altered senses.

Neighboring sections
North 114 Michael Vedrine 625
2e La Selle
Ville de
Saut-d'Eau
South 114 Michael Vedrine 625
1re Rivière-Canot


Religious history[]

The Vodun religion was brought to Haiti by Congolese slaves, becoming embedded in Haiti's culture, early in its history. But the primary religion of faith in Haiti has always been the Catholic Church. The Vodun religion has managed to survive, in part, because of its openness to outside influences. For this reason, Catholicism has helped to shape its religious rites. And the baptism at the Saut-d'Eau waterfall is an example of this influence.

At one point in Haiti's history, the practice of Vodun was outlawed for more than a half century. It was perceived as superstitious, permitting animal sacrifice to appease its pantheon of gods. But recently, in 2003, Haiti recognized Vodun as a legitimate faith.

During the Saut-d'Eau rituals, bathers imbibing in the waterfall's cleansing properties hope to achieve a state of ecstasy to allow possession by one of the Vodun spirits. Some bathers perform the bathing ritual with medicinal herbs.

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