There's a nifty piece from Michelle Gonzalez Maldonado over at Religion Dispatches. She relays the tale of a doll which was brought to her by some colleagues over in the Art History Department -- a computer had stopped working, and when it was moved from its cabinet, the doll was found tucked behind it. Naturally, this freaked out the Art History folks just a little bit, so they came to see Gonzales Maldonado.
The doll itself is a simple one -- made of plain black cloth with white stitches for eyes, and dressed in red pants, scarf and hat, with a purple shirt. Despite the unassuming appearance of the doll, the Art History guys were ready to dig a hole and bury him with some rum and gunpowder, in hopes that he'd stop frightening them.
(As an interesting aside, I'm not sure that the mixture of rum and gunpowder would have been the best choice - in fact, it might have had just the opposite effect. During a 1786 uprising in Haiti, there was the case of Jérôme Poteau, a slave who had a number of followers, and who sold maman-bila (small chalky stones), for use in Vodou rites. To intensify the power of the stones, they were placed in a blend of rum and gunpowder, which "made them angry." For more on this case, see David Patrick Geggus' article on Haitian Voodoo in the 18th century.)
But anyway, back to Gonzales Maldonado and the doll -- she provides an interesting and scholarly look at the tradition of Vodou, as well as the distortion that Hollywood movies and popular culture have provided. She points out that while the religion does have its share of sorcery and witchcraft, it consists of far more depth than just poking pins in a doll.
Michelle Gonzales Moldonado is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Miami, and is the author of several articles on Latin American and African-American religiosity, feminist theology, and theological anthropology.
Although dolls are traditionally associated with Vodou and other diasporic religions, they're sometimes found in modern Pagan traditions as well. The use of a poppet is one of the most simplistic forms of sympathetic magic. For some ideas on how to incorporate one into your own rituals and workings, be sure to read Poppet Magic 101.
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The doll itself is a simple one -- made of plain black cloth with white stitches for eyes, and dressed in red pants, scarf and hat, with a purple shirt. Despite the unassuming appearance of the doll, the Art History guys were ready to dig a hole and bury him with some rum and gunpowder, in hopes that he'd stop frightening them.
(As an interesting aside, I'm not sure that the mixture of rum and gunpowder would have been the best choice - in fact, it might have had just the opposite effect. During a 1786 uprising in Haiti, there was the case of Jérôme Poteau, a slave who had a number of followers, and who sold maman-bila (small chalky stones), for use in Vodou rites. To intensify the power of the stones, they were placed in a blend of rum and gunpowder, which "made them angry." For more on this case, see David Patrick Geggus' article on Haitian Voodoo in the 18th century.)
But anyway, back to Gonzales Maldonado and the doll -- she provides an interesting and scholarly look at the tradition of Vodou, as well as the distortion that Hollywood movies and popular culture have provided. She points out that while the religion does have its share of sorcery and witchcraft, it consists of far more depth than just poking pins in a doll.
Michelle Gonzales Moldonado is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Miami, and is the author of several articles on Latin American and African-American religiosity, feminist theology, and theological anthropology.
Although dolls are traditionally associated with Vodou and other diasporic religions, they're sometimes found in modern Pagan traditions as well. The use of a poppet is one of the most simplistic forms of sympathetic magic. For some ideas on how to incorporate one into your own rituals and workings, be sure to read Poppet Magic 101.
Follow Pagan/Wiccan on Twitter or Join Me On Facebook!
Not sure why, but this article kept me giggling through my lunch.
Thank you for this article. I’ve been touched by the spirit world throughout my life it seems. Family members have told me stories about my experiences with the what they preceived as “otherworldly” while I was still very young, and I continue to have visits from from time to time.
I have been toying with the idea of making my own poppet(s), though I’m more into herbs and spells, tea and laughter, chicken soup and prayer. A poppet might be a good thing to introduce…if the teddy bears, Velveteen rabbits or chocolate ice cream don’t do the trick.
I’ve read the article Poppet Magic 101 and it’s very good.