Avoodoo doll is aneffigy that is typically used for the insertion of pins.[1] Such practices are found in various forms in themagical traditions of many cultures around the world.[1] The origins of Voodoo dolls can be traced back to the beginning of spiritual practices in West Africa where they would play a role in rituals and communications with one another. These objects were used for protection and healing but also a guide for spirits.[2]
Despite its name, the voodoo doll is not prominent in theAfrican diaspora religions ofHaitian Vodou norLouisiana Voodoo.[1][3] Members of the High Priesthood of Louisiana Voodoo have denounced the use of voodoo dolls as irrelevant to the religion.[4] Although voodoo dolls are irrelevant to this region, they have evolved with the local traditions throughout time making it seem popular in these areas.[2]
The association of the voodoo doll and the religion of Voodoo was established through the presentation of the latter in Western popular culture during the first half of the 20th century[1] as part of the broader negative depictions of Black and Afro-Caribbean religious practices in the United States.[5] In John Houston Craige's 1933 bookBlack Bagdad: The Arabian Nights Adventures of a Marine Captain in Haiti, a Haitian prisoner is described sticking pins into an effigy to induce illness.[1] In film, representations of Haitian Vodou in works such asVictor Halperin's 1932White Zombie andJacques Tourneur’s 1943I Walked with a Zombie also involves the use of the dolls.[1] Voodoo dolls are also featured in one episode ofThe Woody Woodpecker Show (1961),[6] as well as in the British musicalLisztomania (1975) and the filmsCreepshow (1982),Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984),The Witches of Eastwick (1987),Child's Play (1988) andScooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998).
By the early 21st century, the image of the voodoo doll had become particularly pervasive.[1] It had become a novelty item available for purchase, with examples being provided invending machines in British shopping centres,[1] and an article on "How to Make a Voodoo Doll" being included onWikiHow.[7][1] Voodoo dolls were also featured in the 2009 animatedDisney movieThe Princess and the Frog,[1] as well as the 2011 live-action Disney moviePirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
In 2020,Louisiana Voodoo High Priest Robi Gilmore stated, "It blows my mind that people still believe [Voodoo dolls are relevant to Voodoo religion]. Hollywood really did us a number. We do not stab pins in dolls to hurt people; we don't take your hair and make a doll, and worship the devil with it, and ask the devil to give usblack magic to get our revenge on you. It is not done, it won't be done, and it never will exist for us."[4]
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