A Brief New Orleans Voodoo History Lesson - Evil or Good?

Contrary to popular belief, Voodoo is not a sinister practice but a profound and ancient religion that traces its roots back to ancient Africa. This deeply rooted and complex belief system, often misunderstood due to misrepresentation in pop culture, has intriguing parallels to Catholicism. These parallels, which I found so captivating that I wrote a book about them, invite you to explore the depths of this ancient faith in my book, The Veil Between Worlds.

In the book, you meet Baron Samedi, the Voodoo Loa of resurrection. Baron Samedi is the spirit who crosses souls over to the afterlife. He decides who goes on living and who dies, and is known as a protector of life, especially children.

Maman Brigitte, a key figure in Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo, plays a significant role. She is the wife of Baron Samedi, and they share many traits. The other Voodoo Loa, who act as intermediaries between mortals and the divine, are of African origin. Maman Brigitte, however, hails from Ireland, taking the form of the Celtic goddess Brigid. Her appearance reflects her Irish heritage, with red hair and fair skin. Her role and influence in the Voodoo religion are profound, and other names for her include Gran Brigitte and Manman Brijit.

The Voodoo religion was brought to America by the enslaved people from Haiti and West Africa. Irish indentured servants, who were transported to America alongside the enslaved people, brought their traditions with them as well. This led to the goddess Brigid, or Manman Brigitte, soon finding herself in the company of the Loa.

When the enslaved people arrived in America, they faced numerous challenges, including a language barrier with their owners. Despite these difficulties, they were determined to practice their religion, which they did through songs and rituals that included dancing, drumming, and chanting. Unfortunately, many enslavers, driven by guilt and ignorance, misinterpreted these ceremonies as malevolent and banned the practice of Vodun on the plantations.

Many enslaved people saw the striking similarities between Vodun and Catholicism. They both believed in one supreme being. In Vodun, Bondye was the equivalent of God. The Loa was the equivalent of the angels, and the spirits of the ancestors and the Catholic saints were the same. They began to see how closely the angels and saints compared to the Loa and spirits of their ancestors, which led them to associate them individually. They discovered they could continue to practice their beliefs under the guise of Catholicism, so they turned to Catholicism as an extension of their beliefs. New Orleans Voodoo Queen Marie Laveaux, a Vodun practitioner and a devout Catholic, later synthesized the two religions, which came to be known as New Orleans Voodoo or Voodoo-Catholicism.

One difference I've observed is that in Catholicism, everything is good or evil, whereas in Vodun, the Loa are more humanized. It does make you wonder: If heaven is all good, how did certain angels fall?
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Syncretic belief systems combine elements from different traditions. Catholic saints are associated individually with similar Voodoo Loa. St. Peter, the gatekeeper who welcomes souls into heaven is associated with Papa Legba, the guardian of the crossroads between the human and spirit worlds. Manman Brigitte is depicted as Mary Magdalene, reflecting the Catholic influence on Voodoo. She is the powerful Loa of death and cemeteries.

Just as Catholics make offerings to specific saints in exchange for favors, Voodoo practitioners make offerings to the appropriate Loa. These offerings can include food, drinks, or other items that the particular Loa is known to favor. Baron Samedi prefers cigars and rum. In The Veil Between Worlds, we see him puffing a cigar while sipping a glass of rum. Offerings to Manman Brigitte include pepper-infused rum.

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Photo by KMM
New Orleans Voodoo Museum