West African Vodún, a religion practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups; African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo . Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodum, one of the major branches (nations) of Candomblé . Tambor de Mina, a syncretic religion that developed in northern Brazil; Dominican Vudú, a syncretic religion that developed in the ...

May 2, 2018 · Understanding Voodoo . Vodou is also known as Vodoun, Voodoo, and by several other variants. It is a syncretic religion that combines Roman Catholicism and native African religion, particularly from the religion of the Dahomey region of West Africa (the modern day nation of Benin).

Apr 11, 2025 · Vodou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion.Vodou represents a syncretism of the West African Vodun religion and Roman Catholicism by the descendants of the Dahomean, Kongo, Yoruba, and other ethnic groups who had been enslaved and transported to colonial Saint-Domingue (as Haiti was known then) and partly Christianized by Roman Catholic missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries.

A sequined drapo flag, depicting the vèvè symbol of the lwa Loko Atison; these symbols play an important role in Vodou ritual. Haitian Vodou [a] (/ ˈ v oʊ d uː /) is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism.

The word voodoo, which has many different names and spellings (like vodun, vodou, voudou, vudu, vodoun, vowdown, vooodooo, vundun) is the name of a West African animist, spiritual folkway. Some class it as a religion.However, voodoo is more a way of life. It is a supernatural ancestral connection, passed from generation to generation by word of mouth (oral tradition), rituals and spiritual ...

Oct 30, 2013 · Voodoo is a sensationalized pop-culture caricature of voudon, an Afro-Caribbean religion that originated in Haiti, though followers can be found in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, the ...

May 17, 2022 · Women dance during a Voodoo ceremony in Aniassue, Ivory Coast, May 9, 2019. Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images. You don't have to look far to find references to Voodoo in popular culture, especially in the Western world. Zombie movies, of course, have distant roots in Haitian Voodoo. Novelty stores sell pin-filled dolls to target anyone from miscreant romantic partners to ...

Jan 9, 2021 · It was only in the 19th century that Voodoo practices in New Orleans were codified by the enigmatic Marie Laveau. Portrait of Marie Laveau, allegedly d. 1888. (public domain) Voodoo has since spread to other African nations, the Caribbean, as well as North and South America. In Benin and Haiti, Voodoo is now officially recognized as a religion.

Oct 4, 2024 · Voodoo remains a significant cultural and religious practice, especially in Haiti and New Orleans. Though films and media often portray it negatively, practitioners focus on healing, spiritual guidance, and connecting with their ancestors. In Haiti, Voodoo is an official religion, and ceremonies play a key role in community life.

An altar used in Louisiana Voodoo, on display in the French Quarter of New Orleans. In New Orleans, Louisiana, various groups practicing African diasporic religions have established since the closing decades of the 20th century. Although usually practicing versions of Haitian Vodou or Cuban Santería, they have largely adopted the term "Voodoo" in …