When most Americans think of Voodoo, images of witch doctors, shrunken heads, voodoo dolls, and even necromancy likely come to mind first. Yet the African religion, stereotyped in films and television for a century as a mystic and demonic practice, is spreading throughout the United States – and practitioners hope to shed pop culture stereotypes that they say don’t accurately represent their beliefs.
Is voodoo coming to a town near you… and is it something to fear?
What is Voodoo?
Voodoo (alternatively spelled Vodou) originated in Haiti but gained significant prominence in the American South among enslaved people. Followers of Voodoo worship a god named Bondye, whose name comes from the French phrase "Bon Dieu," meaning "Good God."
According to Voodoo beliefs, Bondye is the creator of the universe and everything within it. However, Bondye doesn't directly intervene in human affairs. Instead, Voodoo priests and priestesses conduct rituals to summon spirits known as loa, who serve as intermediaries for Bondye.
The loa act as mediators between humans and Bondye, each overseeing different aspects of life, and rituals to connect with the loa are often performed in Creole, a Haitian-French dialect.
RELATED: What is the Difference Between Voodoo and Hoodoo?
Voodoo in Pop Culture
Despite Voodoo’s focus on community and connection with one’s ancestral history, Voodoo’s legacy in pop culture is a sinister mysticism largely unrepresentative of the faith as a whole.
Voodoo’s Rada loa, for example, is widely viewed as the inspiration for our shambling, flesh-eating modern zombies. The Haiti-set 1932 film White Zombie (itself based on The Magic Island by William Seabrook) popularized the idea of Voodoo priests resurrecting the shambling undead for United States audiences, yet in Voodoo, zombies aren't violent, brain-eating creatures.
Instead, they are viewed as victims, enslaved to a living master, and compelled to follow commands. They are non-violent and have no interest in harming others, and are often seen as symbolic of the pain – the inner “deadness” – of being enslaved.
And what about Voodoo dolls? These magical effigies are typically used as a representation for one’s enemies, with a pin prick inflicting pain on their human avatar. But is there any connection to Voodoo?
While their name may indicate otherwise, Voodoo dolls have no relation to the Voodoo faith. “Hollywood really did us a number,” explains VoodooHigh Priest Robi Gilmore. “We do not stab pins in dolls to hurt people; we don't take your hair and make a doll, and worship the devil with it, and ask the devil to give us black magic to get our revenge on you. It is not done, it won't be done, and it never will exist for us."
Fact Check: Animal Rituals
Earlier this year, a disturbing rumor began circulating online – later repeated by some prominent politicians and media figures – that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating household pets like cats and dogs. Some even speculated that there were religious reasons for this, insisting that animal sacrifice was part of Vodou tradition.
The claims were determined to be false, but not before the rumor spread far and wide.
Among the experts who've worked to set the record straight is Dr. Ingrid Kummels, a Latin American ethnologist at Freie Universität Berlin. "Afro-Caribbean religions, including Haitian Vodou, only involve the sacrifice of animals considered edible, such as chickens and goats. Cats and dogs are not part of these practices," Kummels explained. Such sacrifices are also rare.
Dr. Grete Viddal, another expert in Caribbean Vodou culture, added: "There's an expression in Haiti about extreme poverty, saying someone is so poor they might have to eat cats. But the idea that Haitians eat cats in Vodou rituals is pure fiction. It's simply not true."
A Waning Stigma?
Such disinformation has only contributed to the stigma around Voodoo in the U.S. Coupled with the faith’s demonization in pop culture, Voodoo practitioners in the United States have often been afraid to practice freely, fearing personal or professional reprisal.
However, there are signs that the stigma around Voodoo is wearing off – though some cultural stereotypes of the faith remain.
"A lot of people think voodoo is devilish. They think it's a doll with spirits but it's not that," explains Voodoo priest Erol Josue. "Voodoo is a way of life. Voodoo is dignity, it's a celebration."
Other practitioners agree.
“I encourage people to set aside their preconceived notions of Voodoo,” says Julie Valdivia, owner of KC Conjure in Kansas City, Missouri. “For years, white people have feared and demonized Black culture, leading to a misunderstanding of Voodoo. Hollywood has contributed to this stigma, but at its core, Voodoo is about healing and community.”
Is Voodoo coming to a town near you? It’s probably already there. Is it something to fear? Not at all.
8 comments
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Rev. Dr. Father JJ
So what's the point then? Obviously there'll be a few here who will call it satanic and evil but then, to them everything not them is satanic and evil.
Voodoo, as the blog points out, has a perceived history of evil and satan and dark magic. But of course as it grew out of haitian and slave (with a sprinkling of kkkrs chn) beliefs the white overseers had no choice but to ban it, call it evil and demonize its followers, like they did initially with jazz, rock and roll and marijuana.
kkkirs chns believe a raped adolescent girl-child gave immaculate birth to bebe jebus, who lived, died and came back to life zombie-like, or the morons and joey smith, gold plates, magic rocks and a talking hat, or scientology with their space aliens, and islam which is a distillate of judyism and kkkrstinsanity with a blend of bedouin camel jockery and goat herdery.
as it stands, voodoo seems peaceful and communal so of course, many won't like it.
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Russel A. Kester
It's difficult to know much about it from the above article. Christianity has a longer history with a great diversity of thought about spiritually, enough to meet the needs of the vast majority of Americans. My efforts are better spent focusing on it and related spiritual practices. But fear voodoo? I don't see any reason to fear it.
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Nicholas J Page
Well it hasn't come to England And I have never believed in Voodoo dolls or shrunken head's or sticking pins into dolls .
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Reverend Paula Copp
Mr. Page, I can almost guarantee that the are Voodoo practitioners in England. You may not know them, but I’ll bet my non-existent money that there are some.
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I see no problem with anyone’s religion, as long as they’re not hurting anyone else or animals or breaking any laws. Who are we, as ministers, to tell others who, what or how to worship? We are all children of the same universe!
I agree that no religion should be considered a problem unless it inflicts harm in some way, though I don't believe a Voodoo doll with pins in it could harm anyone. Some folks like to think they can be cursed or psychically harmed. The truth is--the only way it can harm you is if you believe it can. It's psychological. There are so many that fall prey to their own imagination.
Look at how the threat of Hell makes so many people fear it and tow the line, worshiping their pastor/priest/iman/rabbi,
I’m a retired English professor, and though I don’t normally correct someone as intelligent as you, I thought you’d want to know that the phrase is “toe the line”. It’s in reference to the prison rule for prisoners who had to keep their toes on an actual line outside their cells. There’s a similar reason for the phrase “talking out of the side of your mouth”. Prisoners weren’t allowed to talk while they were in line, so they learned to keep one side of their mouths still while they whispered out of the side of their mouths. I just thought you might like to know.