`d) [from the god Vodun], native W African religious beliefs and practices that also has adherents in the New World. Voodoo believers are most numerous in Haiti, where voodoo was granted official religious status in 2003, and in Benin, where the religion has had official recognition since 1996. Similar observances are found in Jamaica, under the name pocomania, and in parts of the United States and in the Guianas. A highly developed voodooistic religion known as candomblé is found in Brazil.
Although the magical aspects of voodoo are related to beliefs and practices found throughout the world, the basic features of voodoo were brought by slaves from W Africa, particularly those from what is now Benin, where the beliefs are still widespread (as many as 60% of the people of Benin practice voodoo). Voodoo contends that all of nature is controlled by spiritual forces which must be acknowledged and honored through offerings and animal sacrifice; ecstatic trances (a means of communicating with the gods and spirits) and magical practices play an important role in its ritual. In the New World, Christian elements were introduced, and the African deities became identified with various saints. At various time attempts have been made to suppress voodoo, but voodoo survived and continues to flourish.
See also magic magic, in religion and superstition, the practice of manipulating and controlling the course of nature by preternatural means. Magic is based upon the belief that the universe is populated by unseen forces or spirits that permeate all things.
..... Click the link for more information. ; Santería Santería , religion originating in W Africa, developed by Yoruba slaves in Cuba, and practiced by an estimated one million people in the United States.
..... Click the link for more information. ; zombi zombi or zombie , in voodoo, a person believed to have been raised from the grave by a houngan [sorcerer] for purposes of enslavement. The zombi is used by its master to perform heavy manual labor and to implement evil schemes.
..... Click the link for more information. .
Bibliography
See A. Métraux, Voodoo in Haiti (tr. 1959); F. Huxley, The Invisibles (1966).
Vodou
or voodooNational folk religion of Haiti. It combines theological and magical elements of African religions and ritual elements of Roman Catholicism. Practitioners profess belief in a supreme God but give more attention to a large number of spirits called the loa, which can be identified as local or African gods, deified ancestors, or Catholic saints. The loa demand ritual service and attach themselves to individuals or families. In turn, they act as helpers, protectors, and guides. In ritual services, a priest or priestess leads devotees in ceremonies involving song, drumming, dance, prayer, food preparation, and animal sacrifice. The loa possess worshipers during services, dispensing advice, performing cures, or displaying special physical feats. A well-known aspect of Vodou is the zombie. See also Macumba; Santería.
voodoo
http://www.religioustolerance.org/voodoo.htm
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