Voodoo in New Orleans

The spiritual belief called voodoo originated in Africa, born of the West African traditional religion known as vodun or vodoun. Followers believe in the existence of one supreme god, who is attended by various spirits (loa), often manifested by the elements and each of whom has its preferred sign (color, fruit, number, etc) and sacred element.

Thanks to Catholic influence, some loa later became synonymous with certain saints. Ancestors are invoked for their wisdom and protection, and Louisiana voodoo seems to have been a matriarchal entity, with voodoo queens and priestesses holding absolute power. The religion has its roots in coastal West Africa from Ghana to Nigeria, but is still especially prevalent in the Republic of Benin. A majority of Beninese belong to the Fon ethnic and linguistic group, and “vodoun” is the Fon word for “spirits” or “gods.” During the transatlantic slave trade, Benin found itself near the epicenter of the Slave Coast, and a huge percentage of newly-arrived slaves that set foot in the French colony of Louisiana were of Fon origin. The roots of voodoo came with them.

Louisiana Voodoo (Vaudou louisianais), also known as New Orleans Voodoo, describes a set of spiritual beliefs and practices developed from the traditions of the African diaspora in Louisiana. It is a cultural form of the Afro-American religions developed by the West and Central African populations of the state of Lousiana. Voodoo is one of many incarnations of African-based spiritual folkways, rooted in West African Dahomeyan Vodun.

The Voodoo Spiritual Temple was established in 1990 by Priestess Miriam and Priest Oswan Chamani, and stands as the city’s only formally established voodoo temple, auspiciously located in the French Quarter across the street from historic Congo Square and directly connected to the square’s voodoo’s legacy. During the Spanish and French colonial era, the colonists' Code Noir dictated that African slaves traditionally had Sundays off. On those days, the captives would go to the square to spend their free time visiting, dancing, and playing music together.

Regional High Priest of Voodoo Daagbo Hounon says, "Voodoo is not evil. It's not the devil. If you believe in Voodoo, and someone thinks badly of you and tries to harm to you, voodoo will protect you. That's all. Voodoo does no harm."

Local artist Charles Massicot Gandolfo created the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum museum in the French Quarter in 1972. He founded the museum along with his younger brother Jerry Gandolfo who still owns it today.

The museum’s collection is displayed in two small rooms connected by a cramped corridor. It includes antique voodoo dolls, talismans, taxidermy and multiple altars, some of which are used by Voodoo practitioners today. The museum also has a kneeling bench that belonged to Marie Laveau.

Voodoo, sometimes spelled Vodou, is a real religion—not a cult—practiced in Haiti and other places in the Caribbean. Voodoo practitioners do make dolls, but they use them for completely different purposes than revenge. Voodoo 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 movies and books.

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.

When most people picture a voodoo doll, they think of Hollywood movies with witch doctors, black magic and painful pins. If we explored voodoo deeper, however, we would find a rich and diverse spiritual practice. We would see that voodoo dolls are not instruments of evil. Rather, they are instruments of intent.

There is not much that is as closely tied to voodoo as the voodoo doll. African shamans started using dolls as a way to communicate with the Loa, or their dead ancestor, for guidance. The voodoo doll proved to be a reliable tool, for after thousands of years it is still used for important rituals.

There are many types of voodoo dolls for all purposes, such as love, healing, empowerment, guidance, fertility or cursing. Some dolls are made into talismans or even teaching aids for children. The color of the doll has very strong inclinations for its intended purpose.

These seven colors are also found on pins and needles. They are stuck into the doll to emphasize the intention.

The voodoo doll is often meant to address the spirit of a particular person. It can be used to summon the spirit through the Loa so that it hears your plea and makes manifest your desires, wishes and wants.