Vodou
What to know
Vodou is an African diaspora religion that originated between the 16th and 19th centuries in groups of enslaved people from various West African ethnic communities on the island that is known today as Haiti. Vodouisants is a term for practitioners of Vodou. Vodou derives from the word for “spirit” in the Fon and Ewe languages of West Africa and blends West and Central African religious traditions with some aspects of Catholicism. Vodou is rooted in ancestral remembrance, nature, healing, and justice and is often named by Vodouisants as the starting point of the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) against French colonizers and abolition on the island. While Vodou has been outlawed at various times in Haitian history, many Haitians still practice Vodou or some syncretic form of Vodou and Christianity.
The related term vodún refers to the religious practices of communities in West Africa today. Related traditions like Louisiana Voodoo and Hoodoo also derive from vodún and are related but distinct practices.
Note that “voodoo” is not an alternative spelling and pronunciation of Vodou (except in the case of Louisiana Voodoo), but derives from a history of harmful stereotypes about Haitians and African traditional religions more broadly. The stereotype of “voodoo” was created by French enslavers and white colonists invested in chattel slavery and was later perpetuated by American popular culture in the 20th century as the United States expanded its political reach into the Caribbean. “Voodoo” stereotypes, which are often racist, include associations with sorcery, “black magic”, demon and devil worship, and cannibalism.
Associations between “voodoo” and devil worship are perpetuated in popular culture and media. Examples include the racist comments made by a prominent religious leader linking the 2010 Haiti earthquake with a “pact to the devil” and the history of “voodoo” portrayals in film and TV.
Some major media publications as well as the Library of Congress have officially switched their style guidelines from “voodoo” to Vodou. Some Vodouisants might reclaim and use the term “voodoo” for themselves, in which case, deferring to these individuals’ preferences ensures coverage reflects their accounts accurately. Note that terms like “voodoo economics,” while not explicitly about Vodouisants, still make racist associations between Vodou and fraudulence. Understanding, challenging, and avoiding stereotypes about Vodou and about communities within the African diaspora more generally helps avoid racist portrayals and increase the accuracy of reporting on these communities.
Additional resources
- Vodou in Photos: How Followers of an Ancient Faith Are Battling Stereotypes (Washington Post)
- Vodou’s role in Haitian mental health (National Library of Medicine)
Summary
Vodou is an African diaspora religion that originated between the 16th and 19th centuries in groups of enslaved people from various West African ethnic communities on the island that is known today as Haiti. The term vodún refers to the religious practices of communities in West Africa today. Related traditions like Louisiana Voodoo and Hoodoo also derive from vodún and are related but distinct practices. Racist stereotypes and misunderstandings of the traditions are common in US media; understanding, challenging, and avoiding stereotypes about Vodou and about communities within the African diaspora more generally helps avoid racist portrayals and increase the accuracy of reporting on these communities.