The Origins of Voodoo Essay examples -- Religion Vodun Vodou

The Origins of Voodoo Voodoo is a religion rich in heritage and founded in faith and community. The religion has been villainized by western culture and has been wrongly portrayed as malignant and dangerous. The religion is not founded in any of the (known) "black magics" or fear popularized by Hollywood films, but rather it is based on balance and tradition. The religion is not something that should be encountered with inhibition or fear induced from childhood horror stories, but embraced for its strength and history. Voodoo originated as an amalgam of African religions during the slave trade. As slaves were shipped from Africa to the Caribbean, groups of slaves sharing a similar heritage were broken apart to prevent any sense of community or bond between them. With no connection beyond the tortures of slavery, the slaves had little chance to establish any relationship to their fellow captives. They came from lifestyles far removed so one of the only opportunities for a common bond came from sharing their deep faiths (Erikson). Despite the fact that the religions were just slightly connected, these native faiths allowed an intellectual (as can be, given the narrow scope) exchange and common bond. With several different religions present in any given group of slaves, the majority of slaves adapted by holding a service which accepted all lineages and respected all ancestral lines of faith, both aspects being of primary concerns in African religions. These services were effective in blending the rite s and practices of many religions into one combination religion. This adaptation effectively created a new religion, voodoo, which translates to ?spirit? in several African languages (Bout). Voodoo allowed the slaves to feel like part of their own group. This new-found unity was viewed as a threat to the French and British plantation owners of the newly settled colonies. As a means to quell the religious unity, the plantation owners forbade the practice of religion and punished slaves who attempted to pursue voodoo. Catholicism was presented as an alternative to voodoo. Instead of accepting the Catholic religion, many slaves only incorporated it into the newly established voodoo religion. Catholicism remains an important aspect of voodoo, and several of its methods and rituals are currently practiced as. The punishments of practicing voodoo forced voodoo to ... ...on PCP (no personal experience here, I assure you). The individual would also be dependent on the priest to supply their now life-sustaining drug. This dependence is effectively being ?bound to a master?s will.? In extreme cases the ?zombie? would go through physical effects of drug addiction which leaves the individual looking like a corpse. Voodoo has been greatly misrepresented in American society. It is an honorable and thoughtful religion that should be commended for it?s tenacity through history and it?s involvement in the lives of so many. Voodoo is not the stuff myths and horror movies; rather it is a peaceful, happy, and loving religion that can benefit many more than only those devout to Obatala. Anyone who pursues knowledge owes it to themselves to give voodoo a trial run. Works Cited Bout, Racine Sans. ?The Vodou Page.? AOL.com. 1999. http://members.aol.com/racine125/ (4 Oct. 2001) Erikson, Jacobs. "Voodoo." Compton?s Encyclopedia. Vers. 3.04. 1995. "Vodun (a.k.a. Voodoo)." Religious Tolerance. 2001. http://www.religioustolerance.org/voodoo.htm (4 Oct. 2001). "Voodoo (Vodou) Encyclopedia." Arcana. 2000. http://www.arcana.com/voodoo/ (5 Oct. 2001)