Voodoo

Voodoo in New Orleans has transformed and embodied a variety of perspectives throughout time. With its origins developing from enslaved African Americans, New Orleans white supremacists first viewed it as a sinful satanic cult. As time progressed and experiences broadened, Voodoo has received more recognition as a culture or broad religion rather than a cult. The culture is defined as, “that of concepts, habits, skills, arts, instruments, institutions, etc., of a given people in a given time period” (1). Voodoo consists of four major rituals that set the stage for their basic beliefs and principles: ceremonial possession, gris bags, voodoo dolls, and potions.

The culture and religious aspects of voodoo are primarily centered around the ceremonial possession. This consists of a god of voodoo entering into an individual’s body and embodying them for a period of time, ranging from a few minutes to a variety of days. This ceremonial act is viewed as the highest ranking that a person can have; you have to train through dance and rituals to encompass the superiority for the god to have any desire to select you for possession. This ceremonial ritual is often portrayed as a satanic act; however, the voodoo ritual is viewed as a party that uses dancing, grace, and family celebrations, to enhance the true desires and purpose of the culture. 

Gris bags, voodoo dolls, and potions display another element of the voodoo practice. These consist of herbs and items that, when combined together, are believed to cause goodness or harm to an individual. Gris bags and voodoo dolls are often labeled with a specific theme that holds certain items, and when placed under someone’s doorstep, they can cause wealth or harm to the person living there. They can be purchased in New Orleans today from a variety of shops and can be very pricey depending on their purpose. The voodoo culture believes that these dolls and bags can enhance your life to the greatest extent or, on the opposite spectrum, possibly end your life. Potions are another aspect of voodoo, which were created from witch doctors for the purpose of curing illnesses or causing them. Several examples of mixtures are: Ambergris, used for nervous and circulatory systems, Cloves, which aid in digestion, and Devil’s-bit, which is tonic to reproductive organs. Gris bags, voodoo dolls, and potions, all display the belief that voodoo magic and witchcraft can alter one’s future.

New Orleans voodoo has contributed to the vast culture and overall essence of the city. Voodoo was an aspect of the enslaved African Americans that did not weary from their roots, due to their intense isolation from the white strata of society. As Haitian revolts migrated to the city later on they “brought their magical and religious beliefs with them, reinforcing the existing New Orleans Voodoo community” (2). This has enhanced the overall diversity of New Orleans and allowed it to become the cultural melting pot of a variety of beliefs and cultures that it is today. 

Video of a Haitian Voodoo Ceremony:

*All images in the text were derived from The Edmiston Family Collection in the UNC Wilson Library

Written by: Kayla Pittman

Citations:

1. Box #2, Barbara Reid Edmiston and Voodoo in the Edmiston Family Collection on New Orleans #5750, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
2. Long, Carolyn M. “Perceptions of New Orleans Voodoo: Sin, Fraud, Entertainment, and Religion.” Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, vol. 6, no. 1, 2002, pp. 86-101.
3. Kemble, E. W. “Illustration of a New Orleans Voodoo Ceremony.” Louisiana Digital Library, 1887, https://louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/ull-lsa%3A422.
4. “I Went to a Voodoo Ceremony and This Is What I Saw.” The National Desk , 13 Aug. 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNgJX3Baolw.