voodoo

1 a charm superstitiously believed to embody magical powers [syn: juju, hoodoo, fetish, fetich]

2 a religious cult practiced chiefly in Caribbean countries (especially Haiti); involves witchcraft and animistic deities [syn: vodoun, voodooism, hoodooism] v : bewitch by or as if by a voodoo

English

Etymology

From etyl fon vodu, vodun.

Pronunciation

/ˈvuːduː/

Noun

1. The national religion of the Republic of Benin (formerly Dahomey). Voodoo is an African Religion of the Ewe/Fon of West Africa that derives from the ancient African Religions of Nubia and Ancient Egypt. It is now practised in many places in Africa, the Caribbean, Brazil and the Southern USA due to influence and/or slavery. It has similarities with some elements of Roman Catholic ritual because Roman Catholic ritual is derived from Hebrew rituals which were inturn also derived from Nubia and ancient Egpyt. A small but popular part of voodoo is characterised by sorcery and spirit possession.

Derived terms

• voodooism (noun)
• voodooist (noun)

Translations

• Chinese: 巫毒教 (wū dú jiào)
• French: vaudou

See also: Haitian Vodou, Louisiana Voodoo, West African Vodun

Voodoo is a religious tradition originating in West Africa, which became prominent in the New World due to the importation of African slaves. West African Vodun is the original form of the religion; Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo are its descendants in the New World.

Voodoo may also refer to:

Aircraft

• F-101 Voodoo, an American supersonic military fighter
• CF-101 Voodoo, the F-101 in Canadian service
• XF-88 Voodoo, a prototype jet fighter aircraft, the F-101's predecessor

Music

• Voodoo (album), a 2000 soul album by D'Angelo
• Voodoo (King Diamond album), a 1998 progressive heavy metal album
• Voodoo (Max on the Rox album), a 2000 blues/rock album
• Voodoo-U, an album by Lords of Acid
• "Voodoo", a song by Godsmack
• "Voodoo Chile" and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", songs by Jimi Hendrix
• "Voodoo Child", a song by Rogue Traders
• "Voodoo" a song by Spice Girls
• Voodoo Music Experience, a three day concert in New Orleans around Halloween
• Voodoo Glow Skulls, a skacore-punk band
• Voodoo People, a song by The Prodigy
• Voodoo Ray, an early Acid House single by Gerald Simpson, recording under the name A Guy Called Gerald
• Voodoo Village, song by Koopsta Knicca - Rapper from Memphis Tennessee
• Voodoo Six, a British rock band
• "Voodoo (Black Sabbath song)" a song by Black Sabbath
• "Voodoo Lady" a song by Ween
• "Southwest Voodoo" a song by Insane Clown Posse

People

• Alexandre Boisvert, an American pornographic actor who uses as stage name a.o. "Voodoo", "Voo Doo" and "VooDoo Child".

Comics

• Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm), a Marvel Comics character
• Voodoo (Wildstorm) (Priscilla Kitaen), a Wildstorm comics character

Magical thinking

Voodoo may be applied to forms of "magical thinking" in various disciplines:

• Voodoo economics, a derogatory term for supply-side economics
• Voodoo programming, a tongue-in-cheek term for using a programming system or language which one does not fully understand
• Voodoo science, a derogatory term for research that may fall short of the scientific method

Other

• VoodooPC, a brand of high-end personal computers
• New Orleans VooDoo, an arena football team
• Voodoo, a line of 3d graphics hardware by 3Dfx for computers
• Voodoo (roller coaster) a roller coaster under construction at Dorney Park
• Voodoo Kin Mafia, a professional wrestling Tag team on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
• VooDoo - MIT's Journal of Humour

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