When I was first assigned this research paper on Voodoo, the first thing I thought
of was Voodoo dolls, zombies, and evil magic. I think Voodoo is an evil religion which
sacrifices humans as well as animals to demonic gods. I think it has been around for
thousands of years, but is little left today. I believe that Voodoo is nothing but evil and the
Voodoo originated in Western Africa by the Yoruba tribe. The Yoruba religion has
about four hundred lesser gods called Orisa. This is not the actual Voodoo religion as we
know it today, but plays an important role in it. Voodoo believes that the Grand Master or
God rules over all things, but pays no attention to human affairs. This is why they believe
in lower spirits or Loa to whom they worship and make sacrifices to(Belgum 14-28).
When the slave trade started, people of the Yoruba tribe were captured and
brought over as slaves. when the slaves arrived, they were baptized into the Catholic
religion. The slaves continued to practice their native religion in secret which over time
was mixed with Catholicism to create the Voodoo that we know today (Introduction 1).
Over sixty-million people still continue to practice Voodoo worldwide (Vodun 1). The
main center of Voodoo in the United States is New Orleans (3). About fifteen percent of
The Voodoo religion contacts the spiritual worked Quite frequently. They believe
that spirits help people in all that they do (Belgum 30-1). The Voodoo religion believes
that true communion comes only through possession of the body by a Loa or spirit.
Possession is very common during rituals for it is how the Loa give instructions to or help
the people. They believe they get possessed for certain reasons. Such things as protection,
cures from illness, or even to give warning to an individual or to the whole community of
When a person gets possessed, they show struggle moving and jumping around
...