Spawn's Voodoo Sanctuary!

Spawn's Voodoo Page!

An Introduction to Vodun a.k.a. VooDoo

Vodun, also commonly called voodoo or, more derisively, hoodoo, originated and is primarily
practiced in the Caribbean country of Haiti. The foundations for vodun are the West African
Yoruba religions, carried to Haiti by African slaves brought from West Africa. The word "vodun"
derives from vodu, meaning "spirit" or "deity" in the Fon language of Dahomey.

In Haiti, the African Yoruban beliefs mingled with the Catholic beliefs of the French settlers to
form the syncretic religion, vodun. In reality, vodun is a product of the slave trade. Whites
forbade slaves to practice their native religions on pains of torture and death, and they baptized
slaves as Catholics. Catholicism became superimposed on native rites and beliefs, which were still
practiced in secret. Tribal deities, or loa, took on the forms of Catholic saints. Worshipers saw
the addition of the saints as an enhancement of their faith, and incorporated Catholic statues,
candles and holy relics into their rituals.

Cousin religions of vodun are practiced throughout the Caribbean region, including in Jamaica and
Trinidad. In Cuba, a syncretic religion called Santería evolved from Yoruba foundations mixed
with Spanish Catholic beliefs. All of these Caribbean religions are related in belief structure and
similar pantheons, but vodun has many characteristics that make it unique among the Caribbean
belief structures. A highly malleable religion, vodun beliefs and practices can vary hugely from
community to community in Haiti itself. Still widely practiced in Haiti, vodun has migrated with
Haitians to many other parts of the world, with particularly strong communities in New Orleans,
Miami and New York City. Each of these communities has spawned new evolutions of vodun.
Worldwide, vodun has fifty-million followers.

Vodun is marked primarily by a belief in the loa, the gods that form the vodun pantheon.
Devotees of vodun believe that all things serve the loa and so by definition are expressions and
extensions of deity. The loa are very active in the world and often literally "possess" devotees
during ritual. Rituals are practiced primarily to make offerings to, or "feed," the loa and to entreat
the loa for aid or fortune.

Practitioners of vodun come together in a community, called a société. The société centers around
a hounfort, where rituals are performed, and a primary priest or priestess, called the houngan and
mambo, respectively. Vodun sociétés are very close-knit and provide a central organizing
structure to small communities in Haiti.

Unlike many other Caribbean, Yoruba-based religions, vodun has a large, highly developed
system of belief relating to the "dark" side of the loa and of human beings. Black magic is
practiced by priests called bokors and by secret societies that splinter off from the main vodun
communities. The existing beliefs in black magic--though not practiced regularly, by any
means--are the sources of many misconceptions about vodun. Popular works of fiction and false notions about cannibalism and zombification. It is my intention that these information pages
will put some of these misconceptions popularly held about vodun to rest and will educate about
the highly developed, complicated structure of beliefs that make up the religion of vodun.

Voodoo Links

The New Orleans Voodoo Spriritual Temple now has a page at http://www.access.digex.net/~rogue/voodoo.html and a text version at http://www.gnofn.org/~voodoo

The New Orleans Historical Voodoo Museum has a page at http://www.voodoomuseum.com

Island of Salvation Botanica has a page at http://www.mindspring.com/~cfeldman/botanica.html

Priestess Ava Kay Jones and Voodoo Macumba Dance Ensemble has a page at http://www.nawlins.com/others/vop0000.html

Lucky Mojo Curio Company has a catalog with lots of useful information, cool stuff, and good graphics. To quote "The Lucky Mojo Curio Co. specializes in traditional and folkloric spiritual supplies based in the African-American, Asian, and Latin American traditions."

For more information about Voodoo, check out the Vodoun Information Pages at this excellent site:

http://www.vmedia.com/shannon/voodoo/voodoo.html

UCLA's Fowler Museum Website has and exhibit called the Sacred Art of Haitian Vodou with some beautiful Voodoo art and some information. at http://www.fmch.ucla.edu/exhibit/vodou.htm

Voodoo, Yoruba, and Santeria Recordings from the Smithsonian. Three titles--Yoruba Drums from Benin, West Africa, Rhythms of Rapture Sacred Music of Haitian Vodou, and Sacred Rythms of Cuban Santería/Ritmos Sagrados de la Santería Cubana. Each title includes a sample sound clip.

La Guerra Negra—Voodoo
http://www.tiac.net/users/bpantry/voodoo/ A web business with many voodoo items and a paper newsletter, Oshun, about Voodoo and Santeria. There are articles about Voodoo in New Orleans and Yemaya. You can subscribe by sending $9 for 1 year or $16 for 2 years to :
Oshun
1543 Progress Street.
Lincoln, RI 02865

Ancient Ways in Oakland, California caries many mystical supplies, including gris-gris oils and herbs. Their Red Fast Luck oil recipe is based on the New Orleans version in Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men.

Haitian Mythology section of the Encylopedia Mythica—and encyclopedia on mythology and folklore.

African & Voodoo Links section of the Earth Wisdom Home Page A Site devoted to the Old Religion of the Earth with links to other new/old traditions.

Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo has a t-shirt available online.

A commercial shop called Voodoo Cat. (The world's only practitioner of the cat voodoo religion) http://neworleans.com/voodoo

Another voodoo page is: http://cajunnet2.cajunnet.com/~epguidry/voodoo.htm

Voodoo Links
	The New Orleans Voodoo Spriritual Temple now has a page at `http://www.access.digex.net/~rogue/voodoo.html` and a text version at `http://www.gnofn.org/~voodoo`
	The New Orleans Historical Voodoo Museum has a page at `http://www.voodoomuseum.com`
	Island of Salvation Botanica has a page at `http://www.mindspring.com/~cfeldman/botanica.html`
	Priestess Ava Kay Jones and Voodoo Macumba Dance Ensemble has a page at `http://www.nawlins.com/others/vop0000.html`
	Lucky Mojo Curio Company has a catalog with lots of useful information, cool stuff, and good graphics. To quote "The Lucky Mojo Curio Co. specializes in traditional and folkloric spiritual supplies based in the African-American, Asian, and Latin American traditions."
	For more information about Voodoo, check out the Vodoun Information Pages at this excellent site: `http://www.vmedia.com/shannon/voodoo/voodoo.html`
	UCLA's Fowler Museum Website has and exhibit called the Sacred Art of Haitian Vodou with some beautiful Voodoo art and some information. at `http://www.fmch.ucla.edu/exhibit/vodou.htm`
	Voodoo, Yoruba, and Santeria Recordings from the Smithsonian. Three titles--Yoruba Drums from Benin, West Africa, Rhythms of Rapture Sacred Music of Haitian Vodou, and Sacred Rythms of Cuban Santería/Ritmos Sagrados de la Santería Cubana. Each title includes a sample sound clip.
	La Guerra Negra—Voodoo `http://www.tiac.net/users/bpantry/voodoo/` A web business with many voodoo items and a paper newsletter, *Oshun,* about Voodoo and Santeria. There are articles about Voodoo in New Orleans and Yemaya. You can subscribe by sending $9 for 1 year or $16 for 2 years to : Oshun 1543 Progress Street. Lincoln, RI 02865
	Ancient Ways in Oakland, California caries many mystical supplies, including gris-gris oils and herbs. Their Red Fast Luck oil recipe is based on the New Orleans version in Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men.
	Haitian Mythology section of the Encylopedia Mythica—and encyclopedia on mythology and folklore.
	African & Voodoo Links section of the Earth Wisdom Home Page A Site devoted to the Old Religion of the Earth with links to other new/old traditions.
	Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo has a t-shirt available online.
	A commercial shop called Voodoo Cat. (The world's only practitioner of the cat voodoo religion) `http://neworleans.com/voodoo`
	Another voodoo page is: `http://cajunnet2.cajunnet.com/~epguidry/voodoo.htm`