Vodou and Catholic ritual Saut d'Eau

 

Haiti Pilgrim by Jan Sochor

 

Every year in summer thousands of pilgrims from all over Haiti make the religious journey to the small village of Ville Bonheur and the nearby Saut d’Eau waterfall (100km north of Port-au-Prince). It is believed that 150 years ago the spirit of Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) has appeared on a palm tree close to the waterfall. This place became a main pilgrimage site in Haiti since then. Haitians wearing only underwear perform a bathing and cleaning ritual under the 100-foot-high waterfall. Vodou followers (many Haitians practise both vodou and catholicism) hope that Erzulie Dantor, the Vodou spirit of water, manifest itself and they get possessed for a short moment, touched by her presence.

51 thoughts on “jan sochor – haiti”

  1. panos skoulidas

    damn…!!!!
    Now that’s excellent!!!!!!!!!!
    “when it rains it pours”
    Greaaat pic…
    Right on!!

  5. Richard Ashe

    I’ve been a fan of Jan for a little while now. His work is beautiful, his site is wonderfully designed, and he seems to have an endless supply of good topics.

  11. kristen fields

    so bella/beau…fantastique! I miss photography – creating my portfolio for a prospect project in chapel hill…david, keep me in mind if someone is looking for an asst/apprentice anywhere – considering moving to hawaii or san francisco. Miss y’all!

  13. Mike R

    Good photograph Jan – looks good in B&W. I see from your website that you photographed Tomatina: very brave!

    Best wishes,

    Mike.

  14. herve

    Sorry everyone, I have no idea how to send my posts, there is no “send” button with the reply window, yet I see something went this morning. I will try to send this and see if I can get around the missing window item… The shot is telling of the trance like atmosphere, maybe it suffers a bit from being shot at a distance, eye wise (his eyes, of course).

  15. Ana Yturralde

    Oh yes, fabulous picture, Jan. I see power and soul in it and that’s what I like most in photography.

    Will search for Jan’s website. Why isn’t there a link to it from above the picture?

  20. bobblack

    a beautiful photograph, capturing the ecstatic….a pilgrim, though often silent and determined to transgress the silence of god, is often depicted or thought of as a serious, humble, quiet person in search of redemption, most often through the grace of silence or emotional severity. And yet, how beautiful, how true is the physical and emotional ecstasy of the journey and often the arrival….what i love about Jan’s photograph is just that: not a moment of pious genuflection of distance, but a hunger-filled, crazy, ecstatic moment….as with the remarkable work of Cristina Garcia Rodero, Jan’s picture allows us to feel the great and delirious moment that this pilgrim feels, the dance and the cleansing, the joy and the exhaustion…

    and i love his cupped left hand….

    terrific image from a terrific photographer…

    cheers
    bob

  22. Cliff

    The background info helps this image….this is one time where words assist the message; however, I do like the downturned head and facial expression along with the cupped hand….that sells it for me.

  25. anne henning

    jan
    your website is sharp and honest and intimate. clean. powerful. informative.
    without an explanation, although quite beautiful, this particular image is better with the story.

    your work encircles me and i don’t want to get out.

    anne

  26. Patricia Lay-Dorsey

    It’s always interesting when a photograph gives us a strong sense of deja vu. That’s what happened when I first looked at this powerful image by Jan. After reading his description of when and where and what this image means in the context of Haitian spirituality, my appreciation quickly divorced itself from any feelings of deja vu. In my mind, Jan’s photo now stands on its own as an iconic expression of a human’s need to tangibly immerse him or herself in their unique definition of divinity. It is a remarkably expressive photograph.

    For those who are curious, here is a link to the source of my feelings of deja vu:

    http://www.pbase.com/windchimewalker/image/89992810

    Similar but very very different indeed…

    Patricia

  27. Cliff

    Patricia…to be honest your photo has a more prayerful stance that would lead me to that conclusion. For the photo above, I need background.

  28. Charles Peterson

    Really nice.

    If you’ve never read the Serpent and the Rainbow by Wade Davis you should. This shot brought it to mind for some reason (I think he goes to the falls if I recall). I would love to go to Haiti. Almost had the chance last year but then the riots cancelled that part of the trip.

    Charles

  31. Ana Yturralde

    Yes, Marcin. It is the same place. And you should also see Cristina Garcia Rodero’s work in Venezuela called “María Liona, la diosa de los ojos de agua”. Amazing!

  36. marcin luczkowski

    Ana, I’ve seen all images from this place at magnum website.
    Damn, I want go somewhere! I am in home too long. ehhhh….
    Pictures like this make me think about trip to haiti and maybe someday I will travel like I want do, for long time with camera in hand only.
    Haiti would be nice.
    And cuba. I have to return to my cuba.
    :)

  38. Ana Yturralde

    I saw the Venezuela photos in a huge and amazing exhibition in Madrid last summer and had the same feeling as you. Venezuela, Haiti or wherever you can go into the depths of soul. That’s what I wish I could do too, and that’s what I want to be able to capture with my camera, the essence of feelings, free souls and emotions in their pure and raw state.

    And yes, I’ve been at home for too long as well :-)

  41. marcin luczkowski

    Dear Lassal

    My door are always open for you!
    After two weeks I should move in to my new apartment. There will be no guest room (there is only one room), but I always find a bed for you, so it will be pleasure for me.
    Wroclaw is not haiti or cuba, but I will find some attracions for you.

    :)

  44. erica mcdonald

    bravo on this shot..but was just looking at hunger and rage..please please tell me you got the kids to kill that bird that they were plucking while it was alive? that, strangely, is one of the most disturbing images I have ever seen..

  47. jan sochor

    erica – the only thing i did was that i took some pictures of those kids plucking a bird. i did not force them to do it, i never get anyone to make a show in front of my camera, and i did not stop those kids either. they were hungry, they caught this bird to eat it not for having fun.

  49. erica mcdonald

    Hi Jan, that isn’t what I meant..not at all.. I understood that this was already happening because of the desperate situation..I was wondering if you were able to influence them kill the bird before plucking it, instead of torturing it while it was alive. If you didn’t, you didn’t, many people don’t intervene, but I would have hoped the situation was one where you could have encouraged the kids to understand not to make it suffer, and to do the kind thing, by killing it. I just can’t stand the thought of them not understanding the difference, and causing unnecessary suffering.

  51. Wojtek Jakubiec

    Hey guys,

    just passing thru, I find this image stunning, specially the tones and details. It works in black and white for me.

    very powerfull

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