Skip to main content

Voodoo in Savannah?

Many people who are familiar with the wonderful city of New Orleans wonder if decadent little Savannah is as steeped in Voodoo practices as well.

Not exactly. New Orleans has Voodoo, whereas Savannah and the surrounding low country has Hoodoo, also called Conjure or Root Magic.

The difference is significant despite occasional similarities. Voodoo is a religion which originated in Africa, and passed through Haiti where it absorbed Catholic overtones. Hoodoo however is primarily a system of folk magic, involving herbs, incantations and spells. There are no religious rites with Hoodoo. There are no Catholic influences.

Some practioners of Voodoo also incorporate folk magic and this is where the overlap between the two becomes obvious.

Folk magic in Savannah is still practiced by all races. You can look to the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil for a glimpse of the prevalence of these beliefs, across race and economic barriers. Jim Williams, a wealthy white man seeking assistance from Madame Minerva, a black practitioner of Hoodoo.

Hoodoo practices are still ongoing today in Savannah but are not as commonly blatant, or as exploited, as Voodoo in New Orleans.

Hoodoo is also rich with unique and compelling folklore that includes ghosts or haints, as they are called, and boo hags. Boo hags are skin changers who can suck the vitality or life force of their victim.

If you'd like to learn more about the rich folk lore of our charming city join Mad Cat Tours for an entertaining Ghosts of Savannah Tour.




Labels:
Location: Savannah, Savannah

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Haunted Savannah- The Bradley Lock and Key Company

This curious and fascinating shop is located on a side street off of  one of Savannah's gorgeous squares. The building is older than Bradley's but the company itself dates from 1883.The shop is crammed with an ecletic array of artifacts from days gone by. And of course, keys. Hundreds and hundreds of them. The business has been owned and operated by the same family for all these years. The present owner's father, Aaron Bradley was enthralled by spiritualism and held many seances in the building. He had a friend that  also shared his interests in the "other side", Harry Houdini! Houdini visited the Bradley family on several occasions. People walking by Bradley Lock and Key have often been startled by misty apparitions drifting past the windows late at night. A paranormal group investigating the building was treated to some interesting electronic voice phenomena. Hear more tales of this historic haunt on Mad Cat Tour's Ghosts of Savannah Tour. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Savannah, the most charming city in America

What makes Savannah Georgia so very fascinating? Most of our visitors return again and again. It might be the food. We have an array of wonderful restaraunts , offering almost anything you desire. It might be the nightlife. There are bars and clubs to suit anyone's taste. Some are quiet and sedate. Others offer a rolicking good time. And of course there's that open container policy, that allows you to stroll through this beautiful city's streets with an adult beverage in hand. . Downtown only! All that is wonderful but we think it is the history that makes this city so very special. Georgia and its first city, Savannah,was founded in 1733, making it the13th colony; and it was just a little different than the others in more ways than one. Religious freedom was paramount, unless you were Catholic. There were three unusual prohibitions- rum (or any strong spirits), slavery and lawyers. The colony was ran by a board of trustees in England. There was no governor. In fac...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why are there so many ghosts in Savannah?

In a previous post I talked about the theory of attachment being a  reason our sultry little city is so haunted. But here is a second cause for the ghosts that seem to linger in our buildings, streets and squares. There are age old superstitions regarding crossroads. Some of these date back to the 1300s. Crossroads have been a location considered neither here nor there. A place between worlds. In voodoo and hoodoo tradition it was a place to summon a dark spirit who would confer special powers upon you, if you performed the ritual properly. Blues musicians often referenced crossroads as the place they met with the devil, and won their musical talent. Numerous Celtic and European cultures believed that crossroads were a magical place to perform spells or to placate spirits. Crossroads are considered to be a veritable hot spot for paranormal activity. In Savannah's lovely historic district there is a precise and neatly laid out grid-work of streets. Each of the beautifu...
Post a Comment
Read more