A voodoo doll is a type of folk magic tool that originated from the Afro-Caribbean religion known as Vodou, or Voodoo. It is a small doll-like figure that represents a person and is believed to have a spiritual connection to that individual. In Vodou and related African diaspora religions, the practice of using voodoo dolls is known as sympathetic magic. It involves the belief that actions performed on or to the doll will have a corresponding effect on the person it represents. This can include both positive and negative intentions. The creation of a voodoo doll typically involves using materials such as cloth or clay to form the shape of a human figure.

Whats a voodoo doll

The slave trade displaced millions of Africans from their native lands. Uprooted from their societies, the Africans brought with them their family values, beliefs, traditions, and religious practices. Vodou is the only traditional African religion to survive in the New World.

Vodou originated in the ancient kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Nigeria, Benin, and Togo) and derives from the Fon word for "God" or "Spirit." Other accurate spellings include Vodun , Vodoun , but never voodoo, the sensationalist and derogatory Western creation. Vodou is a comprehensive system of knowledge that has nothing to do with simplistic and erroneous images such as sticking pins into dolls, putting a hex on an adversary, or turning innocents into zombies. It is an organized form of communal support that provides meaning to the human experience in relation to the natural and supernatural forces of the universe.

Vodou is essentially a monotheistic religion, which recognizes a single and supreme spiritual entity or God, known as Mawu-Lisa among the Fon, Olorun among the Yoruba, and Bondye or Gran Met in Haiti.

Possession, an important dimension of Vodou worship, is among the least understood aspects of the religion. Through possession, both the lwa (the great communal spirits) and the community are affirmed. The participants transcend their materiality by becoming spirits, and the spirits renew their vigor by dancing and feasting with the chwal , or horses, for it is said that during possession the lwa rides a person like a cavalier rides a horse. Equally as important, possession is a time when the lwa communicate in a tangible way with the people, who during such times receive answers to pressing questions.

Source: Microsoft Encarta Africana. ©1999 Microsoft Corporation. Used with permission.

Whats a voodoo doll

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Minkisi (the plural of nkisi, which literally means "things which do things") are 19th century wooden figurines, in the shape of humans, created more than a century ago in Kongo (present-day DRC and Angola.) Conceptually, Minkisi are containers that capture the spirit of the dead and make it available for use by the living, through a complex relationship of people-thing-spirit. They have been distributed across the world by God, and attributed special powers. For the BaKongo people, malevolent spirits are everywhere, and no illness or death is accidental. Therefore, chiefs and minkisi must be used to counteract and appease these powers. The living can use the Minkisi to inflict harm upon a person, ranging from a headache to falling off a cliff. However, the living cannot simply control the spirit of the Nkisi- there are two steps to the process. Firstly, a person seeking help-- to catch a thief or have a healthy pregnancy-- must visit the local chief, nganga and ask him for help. For pay, he will contact the Nkisi and ask it to find the culprit or solve the problem. The crucial role of the chief, nganga is filling a medicine pouch and attaching it to the nkisi, or even incorporating in the nkisi's body. The pouch can then be filled with various substances, depending on the nkisi's purpose. This medicine gives the Nkisi power and officially identifies it as a spirit. The Minkisi have they have their own will and are considered very similar to people. The Minkisi imposes rules, and if you violate them, it can punish you.There are many different categories, both physical and metaphorical, in the Minkisi. The most important minkisi are vital agents of justice for whole communities in terms of wealth, justice and healing. During the Belgian colonization of the Kongo, Minkisi were severely repressed, firstly because they were considered pagan and secondly because they were considered dangerously powerful witchcraft. They were burnt or confiscated, and members of the military deemed them members of an opposing political force.

Kingdom of Kongo:

The Voodoo doll:

Although its origins are not completely clear, the Voodoo doll originated in the Fon people of present-day Benin. The Voodoo religion was created in slave quarters in Haiti and Louisiana, when the faiths of various peoples began to intermingle. I will be focusing on the use of voodoo dolls in Louisiana, which grew enormously during the life of Marie Lavaux, the 'queen of Voodoo'.The word Voodoo itself means spirits and Voodoo is a religious or magico-religious practice which aims at connecting spirits and mortals. This interaction is only possible through a magical process using a gris-gris. A gris-gris' definition is nuanced-- it can either be the magical act or the object used for magic, or even both. Voodoo steers away from its more religious base into the superstition it is commonly associated with when a gris-gris is treated as containing the magic in itself. Spirits are no longer the strongest force; the magic can come from the gris-gris itself. The voodoo doll is a gris-gris, but can be used as a religious object or a superstitious one depending on how the user treats it. The voodoo doll is usually a small, soft doll representing a person, though the extent of physical detail may vary. This doll, lying alone on a table, is no different from any other type of doll. However, the sharp pins which accompany the doll make it a voodoo doll. The person handling the doll has complete control over the doll, and can push the pins into the entirety of its soft body, attaching strands of hair or the name of the subject to the doll. The concept rests on this body being the material incarnation of a person, although religious usage of the voodoo doll uses outside spirits.

Both the voodoo and the nkisi doll are inanimate objects to whom great powers are attributed, but in different ways. When these objects are given agency, the supposed segregation between thing and human is further blurred. Externally, the two figurines may seem similar in their function, but their purpose, materiality and use in social context differentiates them greatly. The Nkisi is very much used to maintain and regulate social order, whereas the voodoo doll is extensively used for personal needs. This is crucial to understanding the nuances of the doll.

Definitions:

• Minkisi: A thing that does things.
• Nkisi: a spirit personality controlling a particular activity or function. Also, a material composite through which such a spirit can be approached.
• Nkondi: a loosely defined class of nkisi whose functions included “hunting” witches and other unknown wrongdoers. Many are wooden figures stuck full of nails and other hardware. From konda, to hunt at night.
• Nganga: expert owner-operator of an nkisi.

• Voodoo: A religion that is derived from African polytheism and ancestor worship (Merriam- Webster)
• Gris-gris: An amulet, charm, or spell of African origin (Webster dictionary)
• Loa: Spirits in Voodoo religion.
• Legba: He is the most important spirit, who gives or denies permission to speak to the other spirits. He is the first and last invoked in Voodoo ceremonies.

Are Voodoo Dolls Real?

Catherine Beyer is a practicing Wiccan who has taught religion in at Lakeland College in Wisconsin as well as humanities and Western culture at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay.

The idea of Voodoo dolls sparks fear and conjures up images of violent and bloodthirsty revenge in popular films, books, and oral histories in North America. These stories report that Voodoo dolls are made by Caribbean cult members who bear a grudge against an enemy. The maker thrusts pins into the doll, and the target is cursed with misfortune, pain, and even death. Is there really anything to them? Are Voodoo dolls real?

Voodoo, more properly spelled Vodou, is a real religion—not a cult—practiced in Haiti and other places in the Caribbean. Vodou practitioners do make dolls, but they use them for completely different purposes than revenge. Vodou dolls are used to help people with healing and as a way to communicate with deceased loved ones. The idea of effigy dolls as a channel for evil forces unleashed in a ritual is a myth that comes not from the Caribbean, but from the very heart of western civilization: the ancient Middle East.

The creation of a voodoo doll typically involves using materials such as cloth or clay to form the shape of a human figure. The doll is then personalized to resemble the specific individual it is meant to represent. This can include attaching personal items or using the individual's name in the creation process.

What Are Voodoo Dolls?

The Voodoo dolls that are sold in shops in New Orleans and elsewhere are small human effigies, made from two sticks tied in a cross shape to make a body with two arms sticking out. The shape is often covered in a brightly colored triangle of cloth and sometimes Spanish moss is used to fill out the body form. The head is of black cloth or wood, and it often has rudimentary facial features: eyes, nose, and a mouth. They are often decorated with feathers and sequins, and they come with a pin or a dagger, and instructions on how to use it.

These Voodoo dolls are strictly made for the tourist market in places like New Orleans or the Caribbean, where they are sold as inexpensive mementos in tourist shops, in open-air markets, and thrown during parades. They are not used by actual Vodou practitioners.

Once the voodoo doll is created, it is often used in rituals and ceremonies. This can include sticking pins into specific areas of the doll's body to cause harm or discomfort to the person it represents. It can also involve other actions, such as reciting prayers or casting spells, to influence the person's emotions or circumstances. It is important to note that voodoo dolls are not universally used in Vodou. While they are popular in some areas and traditions, they may not be a central aspect of all voodoo practices. Additionally, the use of voodoo dolls has often been sensationalized and misunderstood in popular culture, leading to a distorted perception of their purpose and effects. In conclusion, a voodoo doll is a symbolic representation of a person used in the practice of Vodou and related African diaspora religions. It is believed to have a spiritual connection to the individual it represents and can be used in rituals and ceremonies to influence their well-being or circumstances..

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Voodoo Dolls and Animal Spirits: Incorporating Animal Guides into Rituals