François Mackandal

François Mackandal (c. 1730-c. 1758) was a Haitian Maroon leader in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). He is sometimes described as a Haitian vodou priest, or houngan. For joining Maroons to kill slave owners in Saint-Domingue, he was captured and burned alive by French colonial authorities. His actions were seen as a precursor to the Haitian Revolution.

Haitian historian Thomas Madiou states that Mackandal "had instruction and possessed the Arabic language very well." Early sources identify him as coming from the Atlas Mountains which span the Maghreb, but contemporary scholars such as Sylviane Diouf have speculated that he may have been from the modern day nations of Senegal, Mali, or Guinea. According to contemporary accounts of the time, during his interrogation he repeated the Arabic-language Shahada (Muslim testimony of faith) several times and even translated its meaning to his French captors during his interrogation before being condemned to death.

His significance as a leader in the fight for Haitian independence has been immortalized through Haitian currency.

The association of Mackandal with "black magic" seems to be a result of his use of poison, derived from natural plants:

The enslaved Mackandal, a houngan knowledgeable of poisons, organized a widespread plot to poison the masters, their water supplies and animals. The movement spread great terror among the slave owners and killed hundreds before the secret of Mackandal was tortured from a slave.