Voodoo
Map of West Africa In West Africa, in what is today the Republic of Benin, among a people called the Fon, their word for spirits is Vodoun. The 1720’s marked the highpoint of the Trans-Atlanta African slave trade during which time Benin was near the center of what was called the Slave Coast. In 1719 the first slave arrived in Louisiana from Africa. Most of the people on board were Fon. Today, no place in the United States is as closely associated with Voodoo, if at all, as New Orleans. There are as many definitions and versions of Voodoo as there are people to tell them. Voodoo is basically a three tiered spiritual system based on God, spirits and ancestors. One story from West African folklore helps explain the relations between God, the spirits and mortals. Voodoo Ceremony by C.M. When God moved to heaven and left Legba behind he made Legba into a rainbow because the rainbow is the bridge between earth and the heavens. American Phase: From around 1930 to the present.
Hoodoo (folk magic)
Hoodoo, also known as "conjure" and sometimes confused with "voodoo," is a traditional African-American folk spirituality that developed from a number of West African, Native American and European spiritual traditions. Hoodoo has some spiritual principles and practices similar to spiritual folkways in Haitian, Cuban, Jamaican and New Orleans traditions. Hoodoo seems to have evolved in the Mississippi Delta where the concentration of slaves had been dense. Hoodoo then spread throughout the Southeast as well as North along the Mississippi as African Americans left the Delta beginning in the 1930s. There is strong mainstream American prejudice against hoodoo, based on the myths that hoodoo is practiced primarily with selfish, hurtful intentions, or that it is related to worship of the Christian devil, Satan[citation needed]. Spiritual folkways like hoodoo are an ever-evolving process, continuously synthesizing from contact with other cultures, religions and folkways.
Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo
Rhythm and dance are some of many ways used to enter and communicate with spiritual bodies. Voodoo in New Orleans Louisiana Voodoo, also known as New Orleans Voodoo, describes a set of underground religious practices which originated from the traditions of the African diaspora. Beliefs The core beliefs of Louisiana Voodoo include the recognition of one God who does not interfere in people's daily lives and spirits that preside over daily life. The main focus of Louisiana Voodoo today is to serve others and influence the outcome of life events through the connection with nature, spirits, and ancestors.
Clairvius Narcisse - Wikipedia
Accounts in popular media[edit] Overview[edit] Account[edit] After various anthropologic investigations of "zombie" stories in various cultures—including Narcisse and a handful of others—reports appeared that Narcisse received a dose of a chemical mixture containing tetrodotoxin (a pufferfish toxin) and bufotoxin (a toad toxin) to induce a coma that mimicked the appearance of death. He was then allowed to return to his home where he collapsed, "died", and was buried. According to Davis, Narcisse came home to his village after 18 years of being assumed dead.[9] He was able to convince a few villagers and his sister that he was indeed who he said he was. It has been further argued that Narcisse had broken one of the traditional behavioural codes and was made into a "zombie" as a punishment; when questioned, Narcisse told investigators that the sorcerer involved had "taken his soul".[10] The instigator of the poisoning was alleged to be his brother, with whom he had quarreled over land.[11]
New Orleans Voodoo
NEW ORLEANS VOODOO CROSSROADS A BRIEF HISTORY OF VOODOO The practice of Voodoo is probably as old as the African continent itself. Sometimes written Voudou, Vodou or Voudun, the word itself means God Creator or Great Spirit. It has been greatly distorted and misused; human sacrifices, vampires, dripping blood and devil worship all make the stuff of spooky novels and Hollywood movies. Yet none of these originated with or ever belonged to Voodoo!
Bloody Mary's New Orleans - History of New Orleans Voodoo
History of New Orleans’ Voodoo Voodoo—A word that conjures spirits of fear and curiosity; Black Magic, selling your soul to the devil, evil curses, voodoo dolls and orgies! Too long have we been told what is good and what is evil and many now prefer to search for truth. A truth that if not realized quickly may end in apocalyptic proportions predicted in Revelations and the mark of the beast will be upon us. A truth about Voodoo is amiss when preached only though the Hollywood pulpit, movies like: " I walked with a Zombie", "Serpent and the Rainbow", "Angel Heart" OR even James Bond's "Live and Let Die" sell sinister underworld outlooks reinforcing fears of the unknown. Now these are entertaining fiction and have a few historical facts sprinkled on top for credibility but are more misleading than not. The truth is that Voodoo is a religion, a philosophy, and a way of life for many people in the world especially in Louisiana. FAQDo you believe in Voodoo? Hey, By any other name… Bonjour,
What is Voodoo? Haitian Vodou, Louisiana Voodoo, West African Vodun
