Bois Caïman
Bois Caïman (lit. Cayman Woods) is the site of the vodou ceremony presided over by Boukman Dutty on August 14, 1791. It is widely accepted as the starting point for the Haitian Revolution. Bois Caïman, in Saint-Domingue, was the site of the Boukman Rebellion on 22 August 1791. Among it's participants was also Jean François Papillon. Bois Caïman is located in the northern Morne Rouge region of Haiti, southwest of Cap Haïtien. Most of the trees of Bois Caïman have long since been felled -- gone, like so much of the other magnificent timber in Haiti, to meet the immediate fuel, housing and trading needs of the often-desperate Haitians. Protestants have also been alleged to remove trees in their zeal to combat vodou.
Further information:
The caiman is a distant, smaller cousin of the alligator, with an average length of about 6-1/2 to 8-1/2 feet (2-2.5 meters). Caimans are even more distantly related to crocodiles. At least six species of caiman exist. Their habitat ranges from North to South America, including Saint-Domingue and other Caribbean islands.
See Also
References:
- Haïti Progrès: Exorcizing Boukman
- Exchange from Corbett e-mail list: The Boïs Caiman Ceremony: Fact or Myth
- Digimorph: Caiman crocodilus, Spectacled Caiman
