Voodoo
Vodū gods
What is now known as Voodoo started in Africa as a worship of the gods Vodū and the Loa (minor elemental spirits who serves the Vodū, they possess more limited, specialized gifts that personify forces of nature). At the start of the 16th century the Spanish Empire enslaved countless Africans and brought them to the Caribbean islands and Americas. Among them were many worshippers of the Vodū and Dam-Ayido Wede followed them to the New World. In Africa he was a relatively minor Vodū god, but in the New World he reinvented himself. He named himself Damballah and instilled into worshippers the belief that he was the Vodū Sky Father, creator of the world. As such, he became the one whose name was normally invoked by new worshippers instead of the real Sky Father Buluku and stronger gods Lusa and Mahu. Beliefs of the enslaved Africans continued to change in the following centuries under the heavy influence from Catholicism. In 1642 Haiti was conquered by the French Empire, they confused Vodū worship with the Vaudois a French Catholic heresy, so they dubbed their slaves' religion Vaudou, Voudoun or Voodoo. On Cuba Vodū worship integrated not only elements from Catholicism, but also from the local beliefs of the indigenous people, and became known as Santeria, while in the Brazil it became known as Macumba.[1][2][3]
Voodoo is type of magic;[4][2][3][5] by invoking the name of a particular Vodū or Loa and performing ritualistic propitiation, mortals can tap their patron god's power.[6] While anyone can worship the Vodū and Loa, to get their help and power one first needs to become houngan (Voodoo priest). Houngan can be trained only by another houngan.[4][7] If houngan lose power they become gangan.[4][8] Houngan who pretends to be a god is named zobop, a false god.[4]
Voodoo can be both a good/white magic (pouin) and black magic.[4][2] As it relies on rituals and invocations to get the power of other beings, it can be assumed that Voodoo is the type of the Exocentric Magic.
Known Powers and Spells
Wanga
Voodoo magic relies heavily on the mage belief in themselves and what they are doing. As long as they truly believe that something is possible to do, they would be able to do it.[7] Thus they have different powers, but also have some common:
- Communication with the Vodū and Loa: The main power of houngans is to be heard by the Vodū and Loa and ask for their assistance.[4][2] However, houngans can't command them, the Vodū and Loa can refuse to help.[9][10]
- Mind Control: Houngans can control plants[2][9] and small animals, for example, snakes,[7] lizards[11] and dogs.[12] The can also control humans, but can only give them simple commands and require a direct eye contact.[13][12]
- Fire Immunity: Houngans can't be harmed by fire, they can walk through fire without any harm.[4][7][13][8]
- Wanga: By carving a wooden doll resembling another person, houngan can then cast a fatal spell on it. Wanga connects the doll and the person, damage caused to the doll is reflected on the person and they could be killed if the doll is destroyed.[4]
- Divination: Some houngans can use another person's personal items, for example, their scarf, and small bones to perform divination ritual to see the past of that person and their current whereabouts.[12]
- Reanimation: Some houngans can use black magic to reanimate recently deceased people, reanimated corpses retain their original minds.[3]
- Zombie Creation: In 1642 Boute-Feu asked Voodoo witch doctor Schango to create an undead army for him who would listen to him. To achieve it Schango prayed to the Vodū god of death Sagbata. Sagbata made a deal with the Elder God Chthon and got from him a spell from the Book of the Damned Darkhold. The spell was used on a former slave Alexandre and turned him into the first Zombie. Schango used the spell to transform many other corpses and unleashed the zombie army on Haiti. Other Vodū gods were unhappy with Sagbata's actions, so Legba descended to the Earth and turned Alexandre's twin brother Laurent into first houngan with power to command the Loa. Empowered Laurent managed to eventually defeat Schango, but zombie's spell wasn't lost and continued to plague Haiti for centuries.[3][14] Damballah later created two amulets to control zombies, a person holding one amulet was able to control the zombie wearing the other one.[15][1] In modern days zombie's spell was used on deceased Simon Garth.[15]
Lord of the Loa and Brother Voodoo
At some point Gaea gave her grandson Legba a spell she created. Perhaps due to the Vodū gods all existing as pairs of twins, the spell could be only used by twins as well, moreover, one of them should be dead. Legba considered it to be the ultimate spell, once cast, the spell summoned the spirit of the deceased twin and put it into the body of the living one, binding them together forever. However, the process is dangerous and can fail and destroy the soul of the living twin instead.[7][14][16]
Success of the ritual is symbolized by the symbol being burned on the forehead and a white streak appearing in the hair. Houngan's physical strength is doubled and they can control the spirit with a short chant and send it to possess and control other people and perform other tasks.[4][7][14] Possession can be performed only on beings with souls, so zombies, for example, are immune to it.[11] On beings with souls it was seen to be effective on almost anyone, powerful mages like Doctor Doom and Ghost Rider, who was already possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance,[17] gods like Thor, and many Avengers with powerful willpowers.[18]
Laurent was the first mortal who used this spell with the soul of his deceased twin brother Alexandre and thus became the first Lord of the Loa and Brother Voodoo. Over the next centuries there were many Voodoo practitioners who used the spell and bore these titles. "Brother Voodoo" eventually became a legendary figure on Haiti, believed to be immortal.[4][11] Jericho Drumm became the current Brother Voodoo, after merging with the spirit of his twin brother Daniel Drumm.[7]
Originally, when Laurent used the spell, it was just a short incantation,[14] however, when centuries later Jericho Drumm used it, it became a complicated ritual. Drumm used bones of his twin brothers and performed a long dance accompanied by drum.[7] Perhaps the ritual was created to alleviate the risks of failure.
Voodoo Practitioners
- Marie Laveau, The Voodoo Queen
- Jericho Drumm, Brother Voodoo and later Doctor Voodoo
Links
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; Damballah's profile
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #16
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #17
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 Strange Tales #169
- ↑ Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #1 ; Introducing Brother Voodoo
- ↑ Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; Vodū's profile
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Strange Tales #170
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Zombie #6
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #18
- ↑ Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #1 ; Brother Voodoo's profile
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Strange Tales #171
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Strange Tales #173
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Strange Tales #172
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #20
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Zombie #1
- ↑ Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica #1 ; Sagbata's profile
- ↑ Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #5
- ↑ New Avengers (Vol. 2) #34