When most people hear the word voodoo, there are some images that pop into their heads. First they think of New Orleans, then voodoo dolls, human sacrifice, curses, and the evil eye. These are some of the misconceptions surrounding voodoo. Here the myths surrounding voodoo will be dispelled.
The first myth is that voodoo originated in New Orleans. The truth is that it started in Haiti, and there are significant differences between Haitian voodoo and American or New Orleans voodoo. One main difference between Haitian voodoo and New Orleans voodoo is that in New Orleans voodoo there is black and white magic. The purpose here is to cover New Orleans voodoo.
The second myth is that voodoo uses human sacrifice. This myth began in the late 19th century, when many people believed that a part of the common practice of voodoo practitioners was to sacrifice humans in their rituals, many believing that children were the most common “offerings”. These misconceptions were further exaggerated by the writings of Sir Spenser St. John, a consul in Haiti. This myth is completely false. Interestingly, human sacrifice is completely against the voodoo moral code, the moral code includes the statement “do no harm to others”.
The use of voodoo dolls is another myth. A doll is made in the likeness of a person one would like to “voodoo work” on. They are often depicted with pins and needles being driven through them to cause harm to the victim.
First of all, the origin of the voodoo doll actually comes from the “puppet”, which was used in witchcraft in Europe. The actual term voodoo doll was invented by an American writer who wrote a fictional story about voodoo after being told it was witchcraft.
Second, a voodoo doll being used to cause someone pain is also against the moral code. The truth is that the only dolls used in Voodoo are the dolls used on Voodoo alters that are meant to represent loas.
So what is the truth about voodoo, if not the glamorous Hollywood version many believe it to be? The main elements of voodoo are very similar to those of other religions, including Christianity. Voodoos believe in a central god who is responsible for the creation of the universe. Voodoos also believe in a series of lesser gods and spirits that they call orishas or loa and each is the master of its own sphere of influence, similar to the saints in Christianity. The central god is called Oloddumare.
Voodoo requires an initiation ritual, which is handled by a voodoo priest. Most of the time it is due to some problems that a person has in his life. If the priest determines that these problems are caused by the loa, the initiation will appease the loa and the problems will cease. The voodoo initiation will also make the victim’s dead relatives happy who may be persecuting him because they feel that he is wasting his potential. The initiation is actually a simulated death of the victim (which could be the basis of the myth of human sacrifice).
Finally, there is black and white magic involved in voodoo. Each type of magic is used for both malicious and beneficial reasons. A voodoo priest will usually have a working knowledge of both.
So there you have some of the biggest voodoo myths totally debunked. It’s a good reason not to always believe the legends you read or hear.
