The Voodoo Queen
What would Marie Laveau say about Bourbon Street's modern day portrayal of Voodoo?
I cannot help but to think of how commercialized Voodoo has become in New Orleans's French quarter. It is almost hard to imagine the Voodoo religion being practiced as it was historically due to the inaccurate depictions created through the media, television, movies, and even the tourist driven French Quarter.
The French Quarter seems to use the Voodoo religion and culture as a tourist attraction, without making the tourists fully aware of the historical significance, practices, or origin of the religion. According to the article "What is Voodoo? Understanding a Misunderstood Religion" by Saumya Arya Haas, most Voodooists have never even seen a Voodoo doll, which happens to be a well known object depicting Voodoo in the media.
As I studied Voodoo further, I realized that a majority of the beliefs associated with actual (non- media driven) Voodoo were theories that I found fascinating and could relate to. My mother is a Catholic and has been her entire life, however, she has shared her beliefs in a spiritual realm with me for several years. Once I read more about Voodoo, I began to connect my mother's own views with the Voodoo religion's view that there is a visible and invisible world and that these worlds are intertwined. I think several people believe this, yet have no idea that it is a common belief of Voodooists. Voodoo can also be focused on different topics depending on circumstances, and may have regional differences as well. For example, a particular region may feel that part of their Voodoo practice may involve social activism, while another area may have a focus on survival- not every area that practices Voodoo will do it in the exact same way.
I couldn't help but raise the question: what would Marie Laveau, a prominant historical figure of Voodoo also titled "The Voodoo Queen" say about how Voodoo is portrayed in the media and in the tourist driven areas of New Orleans? We can never really be sure of how The Voodoo Queen might feel about the sensationalized Voodoo. This is just one question that will be left unanswered.
No comments:
Post a Comment