Louisiana Voodoo

Louisiana Voodoo,^[a] also known as New Orleans Voodoo, was an African diasporic religion that existed in Louisiana and the broader Mississippi River valley between the 18th and early 20th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between the traditional religions of West and Central Africa, the Roman Catholic form of Christianity, and Haitian Vodou. No central authority controlled Louisiana Voodoo, which was organized through autonomous groups.

From the early 18th century, enslaved West and Central Africans—the majority of them Bambara and Bakongo—were brought to the French colony of Louisiana. There, their traditional religions syncretized with each other and with the Roman Catholic beliefs of the French. This continued as Louisiana came under Spanish control and was then purchased by the United States in 1803. In the early 19th century, many migrants fleeing the Haitian Revolution arrived in Louisiana, bringing with them Haitian Vodou, which contributed to the formation of Louisiana Voodoo. Practiced primarily by black people, but with some white involvement, Voodoo spread up the Mississippi River to Missouri. Although the religion was never banned, its practice was restricted through laws regulating when and where black people could gather. Growing government opposition in the mid-19th century brought multiple arrests and prosecutions, while increased press attention directed greater attention to prominent Voodoo practitioners like Marie Laveau. Voodoo died out in the early 20th century, although some of its practices survived through hoodoo.

Information about Voodoo's beliefs and practices comes from various historical records, but this material is partial and much about the religion is not known. Historical records reveal the names of various deities who were worshiped in Voodoo. Prominent among them were Blanc Dani, the Grand Zombi, and Papa Lébat, whose identities derived from various African divinities. These were venerated at altars and offered animal sacrifices; several sources refer to the involvement of live snakes in rituals. Spirits of the dead and Catholic saints also played a prominent role. Each Voodoo group was independent and typically led by a priestess or less commonly a priest. Membership of these groups was provided through an initiation ceremony. Major celebrations occurred at Saint John's Eve (23 or 24 June), which in the 19th century was marked by large gatherings on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. Also playing an important part of Voodoo practice was the production of material charms, often known as gris-gris, for purposes such as healing and cursing.

Louisiana Voodoo has long faced opposition from non-practitioners, who have characterized it as witchcraft and devil-worship, negative attitudes that have resulted in many sensationalist portrayals of the religion in popular culture. From the 1960s, the New Orleans tourist industry increasingly used references to Voodoo to attract visitors, while the 1990s saw the start of a Voodoo revival, the practitioners of which drew heavily on other African diasporic religions such as Haitian Vodou and Cuban Santería.
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