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User:GooferMan/Hoodoo

< User:GooferMan

Social Context edit

Historically, most practitioners of hoodoo have been African Americans, but there have been some notable white hoodoo doctors. [1] Latinos[citation needed], and Native Americans[2] have also been practitioners. The origins of hoodoo are thought to begin with the African slaves, particularly in the American southeast, and historically, its existence has been documented in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.[3] However, today hoodoo practitioners can be found in many other parts of the country, including the westcoast [4] and the northeast.[5]

Unlike formal religions, hoodoo does not have a structured hierarchy. It also does not have an established theology, clergy, laity, or order of liturgical services of its own. Instead, practitioners are often lay people within a Christian community who possess specific knowledge of magic and hoodoo tradition. A traditional hoodoo doctor was often a nomadic sort who traveled from town to town peddling his services, but many also set up shop in their communities. However, hoodoo is not reserved solely for the specialist. Many of the spells and practices are within the realm of "folk remedies" and are well known in some African American and/or Southern socio-cultural contexts.

The traditional manner for passing on this folk knowledge was from person to person. For example, noted African American anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston worked extensively as an apprentice for various hoodoo doctors and wrote about her experiences. [6] Since many hoodoo practices are passed on as folk remedies that can loosely be described as "common knowledge," hoodoo is also passed on through families and social contacts. However, with the growth of technological communication, learning the ways of hoodoo can now be accomplished through online sources and various books that preserve the tradition.[7]

Hoodoo Conceptual System edit

The dominant worldview in hoodoo is usually strongly Christian and historically there has been, what is commonly referred to as, an Old Testament strain in hoodoo thought. This is particularly evident in relation to God's providence and his role in retributive justice. For example, though there are strong ideas of good versus evil, cursing someone to cause their death might not be considered a malign act. For example, one practitioner explained it as follows:

"[In] Hoodooism, anythin' da' chew do is de plan of God undastan', God have somepin to do wit evah' thin' you do if it's good or bad, He's got somepin to do wit it . . . jis what's fo' you, you'll git it." [8]

Not only is God's providence a factor in hoodoo practice, but hoodoo thought understands God, himself, as the archetypal hoodoo doctor. On this matter Hurston stated, "The way we tell it, hoodoo started way back there before everything. Six days of magic spells and mighty words and the world with its elements above and below was made." [9] From this perspective, biblical figures are often recast as hoodoo doctors and the Bible becomes a source of conjurational spells and is, itself, used as a protective talisman. [10]

Hoodoo Conceptual System edit

The dominant worldview in hoodoo is usually strongly Christian and historically there has been, what is commonly referred to as, an Old Testament strain in hoodoo thought. This is particularly evident in relation to God's providence and his role in retributive justice. For example, though there are strong ideas of good versus evil, cursing someone to cause their death might not be considered a malign act. One hoodoo informant is recorded explaining this as follows: " "

Not only is God's providence a factor in hoodoo practice, but hoodoo thought understands God, himself, as the archetypal hoodoo doctor. On this matter Hurston stated, "The way we tell it, hoodoo started way back there before everything. Six days of magic spells and mighty words and the world with its elements above and below was made." [11] From this perspective, biblical figures are often recast as hoodoo doctors and the Bible becomes a source of conjurational spells and is, itself, used as a protective talisman. [12]

Moses-as-Conjuror edit

Paralleling God-as-conjuror, hoodoo practitioners often understand the biblical figure, Moses, in similar terms. Hurston developed this idea in her novel, Moses: Man of the Mountain, in which she calls Moses, "the finest hoodoo man in the world." [13] This emphasis on Moses-as-conjuror lead to the introduction of the pseodonymous work, the 6th and 7th Books of Moses, into the corpus of hoodoo magical reference literature.

Bible-as-Talisman edit

In hoodoo, "All hold that the Bible is the great conjure book in the world."[14] It has many functions for the practitioner, not the least of which is a source of spells. This is particularly evident given the importance of the book, Secrets of the Psalms,[15] in hoodoo culture. This book provides instruction for using psalms for things such as safe travel, headache, and marital relations. The bible, however, is not just a source of spells but is itself a conjuring talisman. It can be taken "to the crossroads", carried for protection, or even left open at specific pages while facing specific directions. This informant provides an example of both uses:

"Whenevah ah'm afraid of someone doin' me harm ah read the 37 Psalms an' co'se ah leaves the Bible open with the head of itturned to the east as many as three days." [16]

Practices edit

The goal of hoodoo is to allow people access to supernatural forces to improve their daily lives by gaining power in many areas of life, including gambling, love, divination, cursing one's enemies, treatment of disease, employment, and necromancy. As in many other folk religious, magical, and medical practices, extensive use is made of herbs, minerals, parts of animals' bodies, an individual's possessions, and bodily fluids, especially menstrual blood, urine and semen. Contact with ancestors or other spirits of the dead is an important practice within the conjure tradition, and the recitation of Psalms from the Bible is also considered magically effective in hoodoo. Due to hoodoo's great emphasis on an individual's magical power, its basic principles of working are easily adapted for use based on one's desires, inclination and habits.

Home-made potions and charms form the basis of much old-time rural hoodoo, but there are also many successful commercial companies selling various hoodoo components to urban and rural practitioners. These are generally called spiritual supplies, and they include herbs, roots, minerals, candles, incense, oils, floor washes, sachet powders, bath crystals, and colognes. Many patent medicines, cosmetics, and household cleaning supplies have been also aimed at hoodoo practitioners and have found dual usage as conventional and spiritual remedies.

Cultural Influences edit

Magical systems are notorious for appropriating practices from different regions and cultures. In this regard, hoodoo is no different. Thus, it is difficult to establish the regional/cultural origins of many practices. For example, the use of an effigy, often called a "voodoo doll" in popular culture, to perform a spell on someone is documented in African, Native American, and European cultures. [17] However, there are some practices and influences in the tradition that can be loosely trace to particular regions.

Africa edit

Europe edit

Europes greatest identifiable influence on hoodoo is, arguably, the presence and use of European, or European American, grimoires. One of the first examples of this is John George Hohman's, Pow-wow's: or, Long Lost Friend, a collection of magical spells originally published in 1820 for the Pennsylvania-Dutch hex-meisters. [18] It was introduced to hoodoo through through catalogs on magic geared toward the African American community in the early 1900's. [citation needed] The spells throughout this book are woven with Christian symbolism which made it a natural addition to the similar symbolism of hoodoo. Mirroring the hoodoo concept of the Bible-as-talisman, the book itself proposes to be a protective amulet:

Whoever carries this book with him is safe from all his enemies, visible or invisible; and whoever has this book with him cannot die without the holy corpse of Jesus Christ, nor drown in any water, nor burn up in any fire, nor can any unjust sentence be passed upon him. So help me. [19]

The 6th and 7th Books of Moses is a European grimoire that is purportedly based on Jewish Kaballah. It contains numerous signs, seals, and passages in Hebrew that are supposed to be related to Moses' ability to work wonders. Its importance in hoodoo practice is summarized as follows:

"I read de "Seven Books of Moses" seven or eight yeah a'ready . . . de foundation of hoodooism came from way back yondah de time dat Moses written de book "De Seven Book of Moses." [20]


Another, less obvious, influence comes from The True Black Dragon, also known as The Black Pullet.


Hoodoo and Popular Culture edit

Influence in Blues Music edit

Many blues musicians have referred to hoodoo in their songs. Popular examples include "Louisiana Hoodoo Blues" by Ma Rainey, "Hoodoo Lady Blues" by Arthur Crudup, and "Hoodoo Man Blues" by Junior Wells. In addition to the expected terms hoodoo and mojo, other conjure words in blues songs include jinx, goofer dust, nation sack, black cat bone, graveyard dirt, and black spider dumplings.

The Bo Diddley song "Who Do You Love" contains an extensive series of puns about a man hoodooing his lover. Bo Diddley also recorded an album titled Got My Own Bag of Tricks (1972), a reference to a mojo hand or trick bag.


Books edit

Zora Neale Hurston recorded many hoodoo practices and tales. Other authors on the subject include Harry M. Hyatt, Newbell Niles Puckett, Jim Haskins, Mama Zogbe, Emma Bull, and catherine yronwode. Also Ishmael Reed, in his book Mumbo Jumbo, makes reference to Hoodoo.

Radio edit

Since 2004, catherine yronwode and various co-hosts, most recently ConjureMan Ali, have produced a weekly hour-long radio show and podcast on the subject of hoodoo called "The Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Hour."

Film edit

The Skeleton Key, a film released in 2005, centers on the practice of hoodoo.


See also edit

Foot Notes edit

  1. ^ For example, Doctor Harris of Florence, SC, and Doctor Buzzard of Beaufort, SC, were notable hoodoo doctors from the late 1800's. For a full discussion, see Hyatt. Hoodoo. vol. I. p. III.
  2. ^ See, Hyatt. Hoodoo. vol. I. p. 19.
  3. ^ see Hyatt. Hoodoo. All volumes.
  4. ^ The Lucky Mojo Curio Company, for example, is an established hoodoo shop based outside of San Francisco, CA with a strong web presence.
  5. ^ See, Hyatt. Hoodoo. vol. I. Map in Front piece.
  6. ^ see Hurston, Zora Neale. 1935. Mules and Men. New York: Harper and Row. 1990
  7. ^ Amateur folklorist Harry M. Hyatt has arguably contributed the most to the preservation of hoodoo beliefs and practices. He interviewed scores of informants and documented well over a thousand (look up specific number) types of spells and practices. His five-volume work serves as a valuable primary source for practitioners and scholars who study this tradition.
  8. ^ Hyatt. Hoodoo. vol. II. p. 1761.
  9. ^ Hurston. 1935. Mules and Men. pp. 183.
  10. ^ Smith. 1994. Conjuring Culture. p. 6. See also, Hurston's, Mules and Men. In the appendix she lists the "paraphernalia of conjure," the last on the list being the Bible.
  11. ^ Hurston. 1935. Mules and Men. pp. 183.
  12. ^ Smith. 1994. Conjuring Culture. p. 6. See also, Hurston's, Mules and Men. In the appendix she lists the "paraphernalia of conjure," the last on the list being the Bible.
  13. ^ Hurston. Moses: Man of the Mountain. p. ??.
  14. ^ Hurston. Mules and Men. p. 280
  15. ^ Selig, Godfrey. Secrets of the Psalms. ??more info
  16. ^ Hyatt. Hoodoo. vol. 1. p. 417. Quoted in Smith. Conjuring Culture. p. 14. n. 8.
  17. ^ See, ???
  18. ^ Hohman, John George. 1820. Pow-wow's: or, Long Lost Friend.1971 reprint edition. Pomeroy: Health Research Books.
  19. ^ Hohman. 1820. Pow-Wow. pp. 63 and 84.
  20. ^ Hyatt. Hoodoo. vol. I. pp. 1758-1759.

External links edit


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