Religion is an important aspect of a community’s culture. It is the foundation of many practices in the culture and their understanding of their origins, and their norms regarding what is right and wrong. Religion can, however, be misunderstood and misrepresented especially when it secretive or practiced by only a few people. For instance, in 64 A.D, Nero inflicted a lot of torture on the Christian populace on the basis that they had committed an abomination. The Christian practice of Eucharist was misunderstood during these early time, and as result of this misunderstanding, they were accused of cannibalism and incest (Davie). This historical episode of the early Christian paints a vivid picture of the results of misrepresenting and misunderstanding religious cultures. Similarly, Voodoo has been misrepresented by popular culture. According to the popular understanding of Voodoo, “it is associated with pin-filled dolls that are used to inflict pain on a cursed individual”. However, this is not the accurate representation of the practices as understood by its practitioners. This paper explores Voodoo religion in the African culture, tracing its origins and practices.
Voudon is more than just a belief; it is a way of life. According to practitioners, it entails an assortment of cultural elements. Culture needs to have certain practices and way of being passed on from one generation to the next. Similarly, Voudon has a system of folk medical practices and a system of ethics, both of which are transmitted across generation through stories songs, folklore, proverbs and other cultural channels. Therefore, Voodoo is not only a religion but also a culture. The religion traces its roots in ancient Africa and has made its way across different nation and continents and currently has millions of followers all over the globe. Voodoo originated during the French Colonial Period in the country of Haiti in the West Indies. The people of the nati...