Haitian Vodou Myth - Mare Lapli (Stopping the Rain from Falling)

Fact of Fiction? Haitians have to power to stop the rain from falling? Some people in Haiti believe it.. They call it "Mare Lapli."

I have to be very honest with you, in some parts of Haiti, there is a very thin line between beliefs and ignorance...

Growing up in Haiti, this belief was burned into my system at a very early age. Man...Le tme tell you... Some people in Haiti will make you believe that they can stop the sun from shining... LOL... Se vre wi!

People in Cazale Haiti... Strong believers

According to a Haitian radio reportage on Minustah FM, people in Cazale Haiti, near Cabaret, believe so strongly that some local residents have the power to stop the rainfall that they actually hunt people down, cut them open to remove somethnig they call "Pierre Lapli"

Here is another problem... There is no Haitian police presence in Cazale, the people police themselves, The radio annoucer said even the authorities there, the CASEC, believe it too.

What the experts have to say...

They interviews two expert in the field of meteology and vodou to ask them this same question: Can Haitians use mistical powers to stop the rain from falling?

Ronald Semelfort, head of Haiti's Centre National de Météorologie laughed it off... Noone can stop the rain from falling, Semelfort says. Then he went on to explain somthing about the ocean and the wind in that part of Haiti and how they affect rainfall.

Ati Max Beauvoir, chef Supreme of the National Confederation of Haitian Vodou, says that noone has any power over the laws of nature. "Se yon retard mental, " he says. According to Max Beauvoir, this practive came from Europe during colonial times linking it to all the witch-hunt and similar phenomena that ravaged the european continent.

So... in short, stopping the rain from falling in Haiti is a myth... Althought I have a feeling to that some of you may go to your grave with that belief

What do you believe?

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All Comments (7)

Maggie says...

@ Caleb Elie pat mare lapli.

Li Priye Bondye pou pa gin la pli epi Bon Dye reponn priye li, la pli pa tombe pou six mois. Se de bagay different, priye Elie te

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Caleb Sou Facebook says...

Maré lapli a sòti lwen, dépi nan la bib, Élie se métyé li sa, maré lapli.

Kounye a nou lagé problèm la sou Vodou, paské christianisme nan se netoyé tout betiz yo te konn fè, se voyé yo sou do lòt kilti men jodi a la science evolyé, yo ka konnen kilè lapli ka tonbé, konbyen dlo lap bay, yo ka menm fèl pa tonbé.

Nan yon Jeux Olympic koré te fè sa

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David Sou Facebook says...

Mon chè afè maré lapli a mpa kwè nan sa, paské map sonjé yon lè, mwen té akonpanié Simbie des Gonayiv nan vil oboy, se te yon boujwa ki tap fété ak fanmiy li, pa kont tout moun nan katié te lib patisipan

dépi sou rout lapli komansé tonbé.

lè nou rivé lapli tonbé pi rèd, finn enstalé tout enstriman, épi m gadé mwen wè yon gran moun kap vini. yo di se misié ki pral maré lapli a pa gen manti nan sa

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Dav Id Grant says...

Even though voudou is very much prevalent in Haiti, there is also a very great numbers of many religious denomination in this country.

It is a fact that religious belief is founded in superstition; therefore, it is not surprising that Haitians believe in such phantasmagoria.

Whether it is the little oungan in the the street or the great Jesus, they will all believe they are capable of such feat against natural

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Santia says...

@Patrick LOL....

Haiti is full of myths.

I have heard of that when I was young but never really believed it. But for whatever reasons those people believe that they can stop the rain from falling, that's pure ignorance, and as Max Beauvoir said "se yon retard

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Raynald Delerme says...

Woody, lè yon promoter Haitien ap fè yon gwo festival en plen è oubyen yon gow bal kote li mete deyo anpil kob, al di li pou l pa peye gangan li pou mare lapli an, wa konn

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Patrick Princivil says...

Why she didn't stop the earthquake in Haiti

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