Voodoo & Hoodoo are often confused and used interchangeably, however these two words that l@@k and sound very similar are both distinctly different, so what is the difference between Voodoo and Hoodoo ?
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The Origins Of Voodoo
Voodoo is a religion that originates from a small country in West Africa called Benin and spread to it's neighboring countries. In fact the actual word Voodoo means "spirit" - it is also known as Voudou which stems from Haiti and Voudon which stems from New Orleans. If you go far enough back in time - from centuries before the slave-o-caust - Voodoo originated from the worship of ancestors and animals.
Voodoo & The Slave Trade
Voodoo as we now know it today emanated as a result of the brutal slave trade during the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The indigenous men, women and children from Benin, Kongo and Nigeria were held captive and made to endure the harsh journey from West Africa to the West Indies and the Americas as well as Britain and her colonies, France and other European countries.
The Voodoo Underground
Although the American, British and French powers of yestercenturies tried to suppress and ban African slaves from practicing their own religions, Voodoo nevertheless survived by going underground, as the African peoples bound by slavery had no other choice but to worship their Gods, Deities and Lowa (Spirits) in secret. It is perhaps because Voodoo had to be practiced in this covert way, that this religion today is often misunderstood and misrepresented as a negative belief system.
Saints & Slaves
Due to the African slave peoples exposure to Christianity through their European, American, British and French slave masters and the fact that Christianity and Catholicism was imposed on the slave peoples, gradually Voodoo also began to incorporate Catholic saints in to their practice of Voodoo. Though this may have originally been a clever way for the African slave peoples to have continued to covertly worship the Lwas - also known as spirits - so when they would have referred to St Patrick, they would have truly been talking about Dumballah - a snake spirit.
The Voodoo Trance Dance
During the worship of Lwas, the African slave peoples would incorporate dance with their religious rituals and would often move in a way that to onlookers would appear to be convulsions, or a trance, however the Voodoo dancers believed they were overtaken by a spirit or entities during such an occurrence. In Haiti Voodoo trance dances are still a prominent part of the Voodoo religion even today!
African Slave Rebels With A Cause
Between the late 18th to early 19th centuries, the African slaves bravely rose up and rebelled against their French slave masters and as a consequence drove them far from Haiti, in fact many of the French fled and took the African slaves with them to New Orleans and in turn the African slave people brought with them, their religion of Voodoo to America ...
The Root Of All Hoodoo
So from a historical perspective, it can be surmised that Hoodoo is an offshoot from the Voodoo religion, however there is a quantifiable difference between Voodoo and Hoodoo ...
From the 19th century the African American population began to grow and the knowledge of Voodoo and other African traditions and religions were passed down from one African American generation to the next. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, African Americans oftentimes couldn't afford to see a doctor if they were ill and so they became their own and each others physicians. "Heal thyself" they did and "heal thy neighbour" they did too, hence healing potions were concocted, from roots also known as herbs and other botanics and this is where the word "root-work" and "root-worker" are derived from. However the belief in the power of healing also had a religious element hence these early African American medicines were called "Hoodoo", the "h" being the first letter from the word healing and the "oodoo" was taken from the word Hoodoo.
Spells To Quell Trouble Or Make Your Good Luck Double
Spell work to bring good fortune is also a very important element in the practice of Hoodoo, so among other things, practitioners commonly use botanical roots, candles, charms, poppet dolls and divination as part of their tradition. Mojo bags, which are small cloth bags often made from silk that have wrapped inside them herbs and prayers etc - and that are believed to have magickal properties, are also used.
The Bible and particularly contained therein, the Book of Psalms is also used in Hoodoo-craft as a method of protection or to ward off bad spirits. In Hoodoo the Bible is also used to divine from, the Hoodoo-ist (to coin a phrase) will open the Bible @ random and throw a charm or skeleton key on the page and the verse upon which it lands has an important message for the inquirer.
Same Sound, Different Meanings
So in a raw (Benin yummy cashew) nutshell, the difference between Voodoo and Hoodoo is that the former is a recoginised religion that reveres and worships ancestors and spirits - and originated from West Africa way before the slave trade - and is still practiced there today, while the later is a magickal belief system which originates in America, particularly New Orleans and is used in a practical way to affect and assist a particular outcome.
Voodoo, Hoodoo, You Do
So do you feel more drawn to Voodoo or Hoodoo? Perhaps Voodoo is the religion you follow and practice, or maybe you do Hoodoo and make poppet dolls, mojo bags and perform candle magick and other rituals! Of course you don't have to choose @ all, you can subscribe to the Voodoo religion while also practicing Hoodoo too, after all it's up to you what you do and whether or not you do Voodoo, Hoodoo or both, just be you !
Quote By
Marie Laveau, Queen Of Voodoo Those who know don't talk and those that talk don't know
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