Voodoo dolls usually refer to crudely made dolls of wax or cloth. They are stuck with pins and needles to inflict harm upon a person who has incurred the wrath of a black magician. How did these dolls become popular? Are voodoo dolls really dangerous?
What Exactly is Voodoo?
The religion of voodoo as it is practiced in Haiti and New Orleans, originated in West Africa. Some features of Haitian voodoo are worshiping of ancestors, priests engaging in other worldly communication, drumming and animal sacrifices. New Orleans voodoo has a unique American flavor and involves magic, charms and powerful priests referred to as kings and queens. The tribal religion of West Africa became intertwined with Catholicism in New Orleans.
Origin of Voodoo Dolls
Voodoo dolls were not originally associated with the religion of voodoo. Even though the voodoo religion is laden with spells, charms, black magic and sorcerers, voodoo dolls were first used in Europe. The dolls were called poppets, and were used by practitioners of European witchcraft. Voodoo dolls are merely sold as souvenirs in New Orleans voodoo shops, today.
The only dolls used in the voodoo religion are called messenger dolls. A messenger doll is a simple, featureless doll made of cloth. A piece of paper, with a request or prayer, is attached to the doll in hopes that the prayer is heard by an ancestral spirit and the wish granted.
How are Voodoo Dolls Used?
Voodoo dolls are said to be used by black magic practitioners to inflict harm upon their enemies. Hair or nail clippings are used to stuff the doll to associate it with a specific person. If a pin is stuck on the doll’s leg, the associated person is supposed to feel pain in the leg.
Can Voodoo Dolls Cause Harm?
It is believed that most symptoms of pain felt by voodoo doll victims are largely psychosomatic. People who believe strongly in the effects of black magic may interpret their misfortunes to being tied to a voodoo doll and under the mercy of an evil magician. Most of the time, black magic's impact on a person depends on the individual's belief system and mental strength.
Moreover, historically dolls in voodoo have only been used to make a request to a spirit or Lwa and were not meant to cause harm.
Related Reading
Readers may also be interested in learning about Haitian Voodoo - Origin and Basic Beliefs along with Voodoo in New Orleans - Origin and Basic Beliefs and Find a Voodoo Shop for Potions, Herbs and Candles.
Source:
Voodoo in New Orleans, Stephen Person.
Subha Ekambaram - I'm fascinated by the self healing processes of the human body and the alternative methods that accelerate it. I like to be present where ...
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