What is exactly Voodoo?

Question

Religion? Witchcraft?

Is it evil? Is it real?

Is it evil? Is it real?

Answer 1

Voodoo as you spelled it is a religion that is practiced and originated in New Orleans. It incorporates Orisha, Loa, and other cultural spirits in it practice along with the practice of Hoodoo (african american folk magic). It still is a very secretive religion. What most people see is the tourist version of the religion.

Vodou as it is spelled is a monotheistic religion that is practiced in various countries. The most well known is Haiti. Bondye is God. He is distant from us so he appointed certain spirits to help us. These spirits are called lwa. The lwa are similar to saints or angels in Christianity. Practitioners sing and dance specific songs for each lwa. If the lwa wishes they may come into the peristyle (ritual room) and ride or possess someone. It is completely voluntary. If the person does not what to be ridden they are not. The lwa give advice, heal, or do magic for those present. Practitioners also focus on honoring the ancestors. Your ancestors are blood and have your best interest in mind. Whenever someone starts with Vodou they are told to honor the ancestors first. When you establish a good relationship with your family then you can move on to the lwa that are working with you.

There is much much more to the religion. Here is a website for the house I belong to. Read through the articles that are posted and they will give you a basic idea of what Vodou is. http://www.sosyetedumarche.com/Vodou_Info/vodou_info.html
Enjoy the reading.

edit: The lwa are not gods. They are only elevated spirits.

Answer 2

Voodoo is an African religious tradition, NOT a religion. It is practiced by those in the West African Vodun religion, and, unlike what many ignorant people (such as the first answerer) assume, it has almost nothing to do with dolls representing humans. It is a monotheistic religion, much like Judeo-Christianity, and it asserts that a single God called Mawu created the Earth, humans, and lesser deities and spirits which are represented by nature (e.g. in streams, trees and other nature stuff)

Answer 3

Voodoo is a religion I think that was created in Haiti.basis is witchcraft.

Answer 4

Voodoo is a cult. It is a belief and experience at the same time. It involves allowing spirits to possess you, dancing and rituals, and forms of magic. Last time I checked Witchcraft or the study of wicca would be technically concidered as a religion as it is a belief and has followers. So I guess Voodoo is a religion also.

Answer 5

Voodoo (also Voodou, Hoodoo) is a monotheistic belief system with roots in African shamanism. It entails the use of magick and lesser spirits to evoke change in the material world by manipulating elements in the spiritual realm.

Answer 6

Vodoun is originally the west-african religion of the Yoruba tribe, the kind that americans are most familiar with is a blend of traditional Vodoun and Catholicism, in which the Traditonal God and Goddess of the Yoruba tribe (Damballa-Wado and Aida-Wado, respectively)are substituted by Jesus and the Virgin Mary, the lesser gods and goddesses are substituted with various saints etc.There are many branches of magick similar to Vodoun including Candomble,Santeria, and Brujeria.

Answer 7

Voodoo is a slang term for the religion of Vodun and the practice of it.

It is a religion.

It does contain a form of witchcraft.

Learn more here: http://www.religioustolerance.org/voodoo.htm

Answer 8

It's a religion (so are certain forms of witchcraft). Check out: http://www.religioustolerance.org/voodoo.htm
http://www.africanvodun.com/pages/essence.html

You may also want to look up Santeria, if you're interested in Vodun; it's fascinating as well.http://www.religioustolerance.org/santeri.htm

Answer 9

Religion.

Answer 10

voodoo is a religion....it's practice is reminiscent of witchcraft. Witch doctor comes from voodoo shamen. That is what the early whites thought of them.