by Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen

Ogoun is one of the most important lwa in Haitian Vodou — the divine warrior, the spirit of iron and war, patron of soldiers, blacksmiths, surgeons, and anyone who works with metal or who must cut through obstacles. He is served in the Rada rite (the "cool" nation of lwa), though aspects of Ogoun also appear in the Petwo and Nago nations.

This post, from May 2005, explains one of the most striking features of Haitian Vodou practice: the use of liturgical song as magical warfare. Mambo Racine introduces the concept of the "chante pwen" — literally "point song" — a barbed, loaded song used to send messages in a ritual context, particularly in situations of conflict between houses. The song she presents, addressed to "Ogoun Fer" (Iron Ogoun), encodes a challenge: if you know how to attack with the machete, you must also know how to parry. This is sung when another houngan's hounsis are obligated by ritual protocol to sing along — compelling them to participate in a challenge against their own house.

The post also includes a practical guide for non-initiates wishing to work with Ogoun — the rock, the rum, the fire, the direct speech to the lwa asking him to clear obstacles or return malevolent magic fourfold to its sender. The tone is Mambo Racine's characteristic blend of authority, pedagogy, and dry humor.

Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen was an American-born mambo asogwe of Haitian Vodou, initiated in Haiti, where she ran a peristyle in Jacmel, Southern Department, and trained initiates from multiple countries for over two decades.

In Vodou, there is an expression, "Fer koupe fer" — "Iron cuts iron." This refers to "wanga wars," when two people send aggressive magic back and forth at each other.

This is a "chante pwen," a "point song" — and in this context "pwen" or "point" means just what it can mean in English: a pointed, barbed reference to something that is happening. For instance, if I go to a peristyle and I know that the Houngan has done wanga to try to take away my clients, I might sing this song:

Ogoun Fer, e!
Ogoun Fer, si ou konnen tire machet,
Fok ou konnen pare.
Ogoun Fer, e!
Ogoun Fer, si ou konnen tire machet,
Fok ou konnen pare.
Tire! Pare!
Tire! Pare!
Ogoun Fer, e!
Ogoun Fer, si ou konnen tire machet,
Fok ou konnen pare.

("Tire" is pronounced "TEE-ray" and "pare" is pronounced "PAH-ray.")

Iron Ogoun, eh!
Iron Ogoun, if you know how to strike with the machete,
You must know how to parry the blow.
Iron Ogoun, eh!
Iron Ogoun, if you know how to strike with the machete,
You must know how to parry the blow.
Strike! Parry!
Strike! Parry!
Iron Ogoun, eh!
Iron Ogoun, if you know how to strike with the machete,
You must know how to parry the blow.

When I sing this, his hounsis have to sing too — it would be a total breakdown of ritual discipline for them to refuse to sing! So then the Houngan is going to be scratching his head, wondering which song to "send" after this one, to answer my challenge.

If I am in my own house, it's just a general warning that in our house we can do both defensive and aggressive magic, and that I know how to "parry" the aggressive magic of other Houngans and Mambos. Usually in this case, the two biggest, most muscular men in the house will get up and stage a mock machete fight — or they may become possessed, and two Ogouns will go at it! It's really breathtaking in either case, since those machetes are absolutely lethal weapons, they are razor sharp, and the least little mistake can easily lop off an arm at minimum.

When you do the Non-Initiates' Service for Ogoun, you can take a machete or a piece of iron and slam it on a big rock you bring inside for that purpose. Drench the rock with rum and set it on fire (maybe you want to leave the rock outside, come to think of it!). And if you have a problem or a person who is bothering you, you can ask Ogoun to clear that problem or that person out of your way. You don't have to ask Ogoun to hurt them — just ask him to get them out of the way.

Or if you are being victimized by malevolent magic, then whack that rock and say: "Ogoun, send that stuff back where it came from! Multiply it four times, and drop it on my persecutor's head just like this rock!" WHAM!

Try it, you'll like it.

Colophon

Written by Mambo Racine Sans Bout Sa Te La Daginen (Kathy Grey), a mambo asogwe of Haitian Vodou, founder of the Roots Without End Society, posted to alt.religion.voodoo in May 2005. Mambo Racine ran a peristyle in Jacmel, Haiti and trained initiates from multiple countries for over two decades.

Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Original Message-ID: [email protected]

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