All throughout history, the religion of Voodoo, or Vodou, has been hushed, covered up, and considered evil. This background essay will go through the history, the opinions and fears, and a few aspects of rituals. The exact history of the religion is unknown, which only adds to the ignorance and the confusion of Voodoo. Some say it came from the Italian exiles from the Italian Revolution (Hall, 1995) while others say that the origins are elusive (National Geographic). As many as four million individuals practice this official religion. From the early eighteenth century to the late nineteenth century, Voodoo progressed into a feared religion by many in New Orleans and beyond. With zombies, queens, rituals and more, Voodoo has become more popular …show more content…
Slave owners banned these dolls, afraid that the slaves would use the voodoo dolls to hurt them. Even before that, during the Haitian Revolution during the seventeen hundreds the general fear of Voodoo can be traced (Long, 2002). Slaves eventually began to make Voodoo dolls out of fabrics and soft materials instead of the usual wood. These dolls could be well hidden and disguised as regular dolls made for their children. During the Hoodoo Phase, in the 1930s, the truth about Voodoo began to go underground when New Orleans became a tourist destination and when Hollywood produced their interpretations of Voodoo. During the time, “zombies” were thought to be a creation of Hollywood; however, this was not the …show more content…
For those who believed in Voodoo, when a certain ceremony was preformed, the spirit of death took over one’s body, causing them to become lifeless. For three days, the body is put in a room with no food or water and those who witnessed the ceremony pray to the Earth God that the body be released and they would be “reborn.” Usually, this is common with generations who are chosen to become medians. In 1980, a man from Haiti was pronounced dead and was buried. After years went by, the same man came back to the village to tell his sister that he had been alive. Later, when interviewed, the man recalls hearing and feeling the experience. During the interview, the man points out a scar on his chin where a nail had torn his skin. Scientists had discovered a toxin called Tetrododoxin that has been linked to this zombie phenomenon. Tetrododoxin comes from the pufferfish and is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world. Due to the risk of being intoxicated, the countries that serve pufferfish leave any bodies that have come in contact with the fish beside their grave for three days, which is usually how long it takes for the toxin to make its way out of the system. Over a long period of time, scientists have wondered how the dosage of Tetrododoxin was perfected as the lethality of this toxin was
Although the thought of being involved in such rituals is scary, I developed a deeper understanding and appreciation for the practices that Haitian voodoo participants, if it is appropriate to refer to such people as, engage in. The most impressive bit of information that I will keep with me is to be less judgmental of others; “people who practice voodoo believe in the same God as Christianity, but they also believe in communicating with other spirits, who serve various roles in healing, casting spells, and more” (Boudreaux, 2015a, p. 110). As a golden rule, I know that I should not be judgmental of others anyway, but I am human and am prone to quickly create stereotypes in my mind. I don’t always share those thoughts, but thinking makes me just as guilty as doing or saying. I am thankful for the reminder that all people are children of God, and I should research and learn about different beliefs before I make a judgmental decision, if I make that judgment at
It is amazing how two religions, such as Voodoo and Christianity, can be filled with so many awesome differences with respect to time eras, status, publicity, and language, and yet still have an almost identical core ideal. This also demonstrates that this core ideal of the use of humans as a mouthpiece of the divine has been a long lived concept which people, such as Mama Lola and her family, still believe in and practice today. Perhaps this proves there is some truth in the idea, and most likely, we will never know for sure, whether this concept, in it’s many different forms continues to live on, or if it dies out.
Gervel, David. "Island Magazine Discover the Creole Culture around the World : Louisiana Creole Culture & Voodoo Tradition." Island Magazine Discover the Creole Culture around the World : Louisiana Creole Culture & Voodoo Tradition. N.p., 26 Aug. 2012. 30 Apr. 2014. Web.
Voodoo Music & Arts Experience: This festival began in 1999 and since then it has become very popular. In this festival, you can enjoy the food, music, crafts and cultural activity of the city. Two main stages and several smaller ones are placed in the City Park while food and beverage stands, books, jewelery, arts and crafts and clothes vendors are scattered around the green area as well.
The Cross-Cultural Articulations of War Magic and Warrior Religion by D. S. Farrer, main purpose of this article is to provide a re-evaluated perspective of religion and magic, through the perspective of the practitioners and victims. Farrer uses examples that range from the following: “Chinese exorcists, Javanese spirit siblings, Sumatran black magic, Tamil Tiger suicide bombers, Chamorro spiritual re-enchantment, tantric Buddhist war magic, and Yanomami dark shamans” (1). Throughout the article, he uses these examples to address a few central themes. The central themes for war magic, range from “violence and healing, accomplished through ritual and performance, to unleash and/or control the power of gods, demons, ghosts and the dead” (Farrer 1).
When one first hears the word Vodou, immediately images of curses and little model dolls come to mind. We tend to synonymize it with words like sinister, evil and revenge. However, Vodou is nothing like what mainstream North American media has brainwashed people into believing. As best put by Patrick Bellegarde-Smith, “Vodou is far more than [a religion] it's a spiritual system” (Tippet and Bellegarde-Smith 145). Haitian Vodou is a spiritual system that syncretizes the practices of Roman Catholicism with West African spirituality. This paper will contextualize Vodou and give a brief history on what it is, explain how I came to gain an interest in Vodou and close off with an introduction to Chouk Bwa Libète a traditional Haitian Mizik Rasin—roots
New Orleans, Louisiana is soaked in the made picture of the spooky, strange enchantment that Voodoo speaks to all that is forbidden and taboo in our society. The pattern that Voodoo follows through its inception in New Orleans has an extraordinary pattern that leads from to a strange darken veritable practice, mutating into a multi million dollar tourist trade industry. Personality and utilization are emphatically hitched as to Voodoo in New Orleans, and even gives authenticity to the practice, deal, and perceivability of this Afro-Caribbean religion in the twentieth and twenty-first century. According to Saumya Arya Haas, Harvard University, Voodoo embraces and encompasses
The Song of Solomon ignites a readers imagination by supplying a commonly known man vs man and man vs himself plot with many interesting twists and turns throughout the novel that make it, uniquely its own. Some of these twists and turns include the curious use of voodoo. Voodoo is a black religious cult practiced in the Caribbean and the southern US, combining elements of Roman Catholic ritual with traditional African magical and religious rites, and characterized by sorcery and spirit possession. This element, or magical taste, flavors the novel by adding a creepy yet mystical feeling. This element provides the reader with a heavy sign that The Song of Solomon is no ordinary book. The use of voodoo in The Song of Solomon plays a huge role in marking an ominous happening or characteristic, and it plays an even bigger role in giving hints on a characters personality.
...white people were the change-makers and shapers of Vodun, when actually black people adapted their religion to suite oppressive conditions. As time went on “Voodoo had become less of a religion than a political association [which was] and inherent characteristic of black religion from the slave period” (46). This happened not only in America, but in Haiti as well. This not only highlights the evolution of Vodun from religion, to a political force, but also the adaptability of Vodun as well.
One might find many religions, denominations, and supernatural belief systems in Haiti, while nearly 10% of the population follows no religion at all. Approximately 2% of the population reports Voodoo to be their primary religion, however, close to 50% of the population practices Voodoo along with Christianity (Religion in Haiti). Haiti is the oldest black republic in the world; it’s the only country ever established by a nationwide rebellion of slaves. The Voodoo practice and religion gave the slaves hope that they will survive the New World. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Voodoo was introduced to the natives of Haiti where it flourished and became the most favored religion of Haitians to date. Voodoo was brought to Haiti by slaves from areas of West Africa now known as Benin and Congo, where the religion is practiced by nearly 60% of the population (Voodoo). The religion quickly blossomed in areas of oppression on the island of Hispaniola. The natives were able to outstand wars, revolutions, and natural disasters for over five centuries because of their faith in the spirits. The voodoo belief system has also helped the Haitians through slavery issues and the progression towards becoming free men and women. Another form of magic was introduced in African American communities in the United States named “hoodoo” (Pettinger, Alasdair). It had different types of magic and witchcraft than the original Voodoo, but still the same principles. Souvenance is a small town located in a valley about 100 miles north of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, and is where they hold an annual Easter festival attracting thousands to the culture, spirit, and spiritual rituals of Vodou (commonly called Voodoo outside of Haiti). Souvenance, Haiti is where the most important Vodou sanctuary is located. The
African-Inspired religions have also prevailed when they were forced to come to the Americas. Voodoo and Santería are some of the main religions practiced in Latin America.Voodoo is commonly practiced in Haiti and Santería is practiced throughout Cuba and Puerto Rico. Santería times their rituals to those of the Catholic church, such as Easter and Christmas.
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III. Smithson, Jayne. “Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion.” Class lectures. Anthropology 120. Diablo Valley College, San Ramon 2004.
I. INTRODUCTION The Enlightenment and the emerging of modern rationalism have paved the way to a worldview where the suspicion of witchcraft is not needed to explain the mysterious phenomena of this world. This is not the case in Africa. The belief in the existence of witches, evil persons who are able to harm others by using mystical powers, is part of the common cultural knowledge. Samuel Waje Kunhiyop states, “Almost all African societies believe in witchcraft in one form or another.