 Horror/Scary: August 12, 2009 Issue [#3207] |
  Horror/Scary
This week: Edited by: StaiNe  
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OH! Boo!!!!! I StaiNe take you all in wdc's dark places with me, with all I love so. Cuddle, cuddle, with all the bumps you. I am delighted to be an guest editor this week with my third Horror/Scary newsletter. Goosebumps, feel them! Isn't it a wonderful feeling? Peek into the shadows that smile back as you look into the dark. Grab a candle........Poof!  Opps OH my! who blew that out! Love the dark everyone! Come follow me, as my sister darkskye  often says, " Step into the shadows"
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Voodoo.... The word alone gives us goosebumps, (shudder,shudder). Voodoo doll(s) spells, lamentations, curses, the undead, all things that should be innocenent become things of nightmarish intent. Look at dolls,the cards, newly dead, well voodoo touches all. Oh! how spooky!  and of course love my muse! Though she has been missing....
b}Vudun (a.k.a. Vodoun, Voudou, Sevi Lwa) is commonly called Voodoo by the public. The name is traceable to an African word for "spirit". Vodun's can be directly traced to the West African Yoruba people who lived in 18th and 19th century Dahomey. Its roots may go back 6,000 years in Africa. That country occupied parts of today's Togo, Benin and Nigeria. Slaves brought their religion with them when they were forcibly shipped to Haiti and other islands in the West Indies
Today over 60 million people practice Vodun worldwide. Religions similar to Vodun can be found in South America where they are called Umbanda, Quimbanda or Candomble.
Today, there are two virtually unrelated forms of the religion:
-An actual religion, Vodun practiced in Benin, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Haiti, Togo and various centers in the US - largely where Haitian refuges have settled.
-An evil, imaginary religion, which we will call Voodoo. It has been created for Hollywood movies, complete with violence, bizarre rituals, etc. It does not exist in reality.
An inaccurate and sensational book (S. St. John, "Haiti or the Black Republic") was written in 1884. It described Vodun as a profoundly evil religion, and included lurid descriptions of human sacrifice, cannibalism, etc. Some of which had been extracted from Vodun priests by torture. This book caught the imagination of people outside the West Indies, and was responsible for much of the misunderstanding and fear that is present today. Hollywood found this a rich source for Voodoo screen plays. Horror movies began in the 1930's and continue today to misrepresent Vodun. It is only since the late 1950's that accurate studies by anthropologists have been published. Other religions (Macumba, Candomble, Umbanda and Santeria) bear many similarities to Vodun.
Vodun, like Christianity, is a religion of many traditions. Each group follows a different spiritual path and worships a slightly different pantheon of spirits, called Loa. The word means "mystery" in the Yoruba language.
Yoruba traditional belief included a chief God Olorun, who is remote and unknowable. He authorized a lesser God Obatala to create the earth and all life forms. A battle between the two Gods led to Obatala's temporary banishment.
There are hundreds of minor spirits. Those which originated from Dahomey are called Rada; those who were added later are often deceased leaders in the new world and are called Petro. Some of these are
-Agwe: spirit of the sea
-Mawu Lisa: spirit of creation
-Ogun (or Ogu Bodagris): spirit of war
-Ayza: protector
-Yemanja: female spirit of waters
Some points of similarity between Roman Catholicism and Vodun.
-Both believe in a supreme being
-Both believe in an afterlife.
-Both believe in the existence of invisible evil spirits or demons.
Followers of Vodun believe that each person has a soul which is composed of two parts: a gros bon ange or "big guardian angel", and a ti bon ange or "little guardian angel". The latter leaves the body during sleep and when the person is possessed by a Loa during a ritual. There is a concern that the ti bon ange can be damaged or captured by evil sorcery while it is free of the body.
One belief unique to Vodun is that a dead person can be revived after having been buried. After resurrection, the zombie has no will of their own, but remains under the control of others. In reality, a zombie is a living person who has never died, but is under the influence of powerful drugs administered by an evil sorcerer. Although most Haitians believe in zombies, few have ever seen one. There are a few recorded instances of persons who have claimed to be zombies.
Sticking pins in dolls was once used as a method of cursing an individual by some followers of Vodun in New Orleans; this practice continues occasionally in South America. The practice became closely associated with Voodoo in the public mind through the vehicle of horror movies.
Often we fear what we do not understand, and I will admit I did not know voodoo was a religion. I had fun learning about voodoo doing my third newsletter, and voodoo is a perfect horror tool just like the feared boogeyman!
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Peek at these beauties, I have chosen. They all use voodoo in some weird, scary, and in some cases funny ways. Never forget to review, everyone loves receiving them.
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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As I leave you all with a little voodoo, keep an eye out for my muse. Love the dark, wonderful things lurk there and of course happen. I love getting comments and here is what some members shared with me from my second newsletter, The "Bell Witch" another remake movie is coming out soon too. Ya! 
Comment from: Adriana Noir
Your horror newsletters rock! The Bell Witch is one of the most fascinating haunting cases from history and the inspiration for many horror stories today. Funny how some grudges never die! Awesome job.
Thanks! I do try my best.
Comment from:Starr* Rathburn
Hi staine, I enjoyed your 7/16/09 newsletter on hauntings--one of my favorite story subjects! I loved your line, "If even it was only a slight experience, do ya think you would see the restless dead in the same way again?"
I'm also glad you plugged my favorite dark place to hide,"Horror Luvrs "R" We the forum" . We can always use new victims...er, I mean, new blood. Hmm, that doesn't sound quite right either... heh.
Great newsletter, my dark friend! Keep up the good work.
One can never forget our Horror lovers group Star. Enjoying the darkside is too much fun! Thanks alot!
off I StaiNe creep...
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Amazon's Price: $ 13.94
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