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Louisiana Voodoo is an African diasporic religion which originated in Louisiana, now in the southern United States. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional religions of West Africa, the Roman Catholic form of Christianity, and Haitian Vodou. Charms, created to either harm or help, are called gris-gris. A common charm for protection or luck would consist of material wrapped up in red flannel and worn around the neck. Despite its name, the idea of the "Voodoo doll" has little to do with either Louisiana Voodoo or Haitian Vodou; it derives from the European tradition of poppets. It is possible that the act of inserting pins into a human-shaped doll to cause harm was erroneously linked to African-derived traditions due to a misunderstanding of the nkisi n'kondi of the Bakongo religion.
Photographer: Travis McHenry |
