[Guy Hepp]

Hello, fellow kindleboards authors and avid readers. I'm interested in starting a new thread about the uses of voodoo in modern fiction. This could become an interesting discussion of the ways in which popular conceptions of belief systems have been shaped by, among other things, Hollywood. Few belief systems are a better example of the amalgamation of culture and beliefs due to historical circumstances than is voodoo. By definition, voodoo has become a mixture of traditions from different continents. Though composed of diverse ingredients, certain influences from African roots, mixed with Christian overtones, and blended in the cauldron of the slave trade, cannot be ignored. Bandied about in the middle twentieth century by Hollywood as a romanticized and forbidden example of "otherness," voodoo became associated with savagery, zombies, perceived racial hierarchies, etc. How much of a disservice has this historical context produced for modern adherents to various faiths, and to those interested in history and anthropology, etc? Please post if you have thoughts.

 

[Guy Hepp]

That's a good way to put it. Voodoo has become a great mixture of things. I recently read a pretty good synopsis of modern voodoo in a travel guide to New Orleans. The author seemed a bit ambivalent about whether or not modern tourists are doing a disservice by trivializing voodoo, or whether any notoriety is good notoriety. When I've visited New Orleans, it was clear that certain parts of town have the touristy, kitsch stuff. When I traveled off the beaten path a bit, though, it seemed much more genuine. Of course, I'm sure voodoo in Haiti and other areas has a totally different feel. I have more experience with Santeria in Mexico, which also has some really interesting connections with modern cartels, etc.