New Orleans Voodoo Case

New Orleans Voodoo

Introduction

The city of New Orleans is renowned for many things, but one of the most interesting is its immersion in Voodoo. Voodoo has a history of being misunderstood and misinterpreted as magic or black magic. While the tourist trade has certainly made Voodoo a money making scheme, the truth behind Voodoo is that it can trace its roots back to Haiti and Africa. Often labeled New Orleans Voodoo, the voodoo present in southern Louisiana builds on the traditions of its Haitian and African counterparts but strives to dispel the myths that hamper the true understanding of New Orleans Voodoo.

Voodoo

The practices of Voodoo have its roots in African and Caribbean traditions. On August 14, 1791, a Voodoo ceremony was held at a place called Bois Caiman and was an important step in the unification of the slave population in Saint-Domingue. Less than a week later, the plantations were on fire and the Haitian Revolution had begun. It would last for thirteen years and have numerous negative consequences. It left behind a country that was devastated both geographically and economically. The destruction did allow the people to return to their roots and rediscover their cultural identity (Dominique, 2010). At the end, the realities of the Haitian Revolution had brought changes in slave laws across the Americas. In New Orleans, laws were passed in 1804, 1806, and 1809 that prevented the immigration of free blacks from the Caribbean and Latin America (Obsey, 2011). The result was that between 1790 and 1810, the free black population in New Orleans increased by about 10,000. The ownership of slaves was confined to a handful of settlers and since the slaves outnumbered the whites, they were able to maintain their culture. There was very little fragmentation, which meant there was a kinship built and gave rise to a culture that was strong and thrived in French Creole culture (Obsey, 2011). As slaves were transferred from Africa to the America’s, the cultural diffusion was transferred due to the harshness of plantation life. The conditions were brutal and most captors took extreme measures with the slaves in order to exert their dominance (Voeks, 1993).

The consensus at the time was to suppress black religion that would corral insurrection and bloodshed. Many posited black religion in direct opposition to Christian belief. However, the truth of Voodoo is that it is not at odds with western religion nor is it in tune with Catholicism (Obsey, 2011). The black population in New Orleans is predominately Catholic. This is because the French and Spanish colonists had established the Catholic faith as the official religion of the territory and was enforced by law (Obsey, 2011). Catholicism has many things in common with African religions: ancestor worship, polytheism,