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Talk:Vodou

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American English spelling[edit]

Isn't the correct American English spelling Voodoo? "Vodun" sounds like some kind of political correctness thing. Liberal deceit at its worst!! Do you also pronounce a certain Central American country "Nick-a-hah-gwah" instead of the correct English pronunciation of Nicaragua? I bet you even say "Mt. Denali" instead of Mt. McKinley and "BCE" instead of B.C., and you probably use the metric system too! Secret Squirrel 17:19, 14 December 2007 (EST)

Technically, in some works, there's a distinction made between Vodun and Voodoo. Vodun is the religion founded in Haiti and practiced in parts of the Carribbean and New Orleans. Voodoo is the crap that Hollywood and shucksters peddle. Researcher 17:21, 14 December 2007 (EST)
*wink* just being a silly squirrel today Secret Squirrel 17:22, 14 December 2007 (EST)
S'alright. It just happens to be one of my favorite topics. Researcher 17:24, 14 December 2007 (EST)

Looking through my blues collection, I can find no songs which mention voodoo - it's always hoodoo. E.g.

  • Hoodoo lady - Memphis Minnie
  • Hoodoo hoodoo - Sonny Boy Williamson
  • Somebody done hoodooed the hoodoo man - Louis Jordan
  • Hoodoo women - Johnnie Temple
  • Louisiana hoo doo blues - Ma Rainey
  • Hoodoo lady blues - Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup

I conclude that (1) the North American version is 'hoodoo' and that (2) 'voodoo' is an invention of Hollywood and horror story writers. If you're an American with a mojo and a black cat bone, you're practicing hoodoo. ProblemChimp (talk) 15:37, 19 November 2014 (UTC)

Name and focus of this article[edit]

I think we should use the term Vodou, which is the most commonly accepted term in academics and in the Hatian community for their traditional religion. Vodun is largely associated with West Africa, and or "trying to be oh so cool". "voodoo" is NOT associated with hollywood, but with Louisanna. My second questions is what scope should this article take? are we focusing on Hatian vodou, or on all forms of "voodoo"? --Green mowse.pngGodottout sont finissent- dormir encore 00:19, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

I'm worried about the vast amount of unsourced material that gets onto RationalWiki on one person's authority. I don't know enough to research it so I just remain uneasy. I assume most of the unsourced material is correct, I also assume most of what Austin Cline writes is correct. if we don't accept about,com as a reference here we shouldn't accept so much unsourced material either. Proxima Centauri (talk) 09:48, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

Bad description[edit]

I don't really like this line : "Vodou (also Vodun, voodoo, and hoodoo) is a term for several syncretic religions developed by enslaved Africans as they were forced to suppress their own African religions in favor of Christianity, specifically Roman Catholicism."

Haitian Vodou is the most know Vodun, but this isn't where the religion has been developed, Vodun comes from Africa. Vodun existed before the triangular trade.

I mean, this is like saying: "Christianity is born in the Vatican".

Plus Vodun isn't syncretic, Haitian Vodou is syncretic, not Vodun.

So "Vodou(also Vodun) is a West African religion, Africans who were enslaved created syncretic religions inspired by Vodun as they were forced to suppress their own African religions" would be better? — Unsigned, by: NathVVV / talk / contribs