Many patent medicines, cosmetics, and household cleaning supplies for mainstream consumers have been aimed also at Hoodoo practitioners. Those traits included naturopathic medicine, ancestor reverence, counter clockwise sacred circle dancing, blood sacrifice, divination, supernatural source of malady, water immersion and spirit possession. As in many other spiritual and medical folk practices, extensive use is made of herbs, minerals, parts of animals' bodies, an individual's possessions. Hoodoo is an amalgamation of spiritual practices, traditions, and beliefs created by African slaves in North America that were held in secret from slaveholders. A hoodoo (also called a tent rock, fairy chimney, or earth pyramid) is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland. [11] Examples of the adoption of occultism and mysticism may be seen in the colored wax candles in glass jars that are often labeled for specific purposes such as "Fast Luck" and "Love Drawing". It's wonderfully fun and interesting to learn about them, as many have so often seen them in movie backgrounds. Hoodoos, which may range from 1.5 to 45 metres (4.9 to 147.6 ft), typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. Lesser spirits were invoked to gain aid for humanity's problems.[19]. b. Mojo Workin: The Old African American Hoodoo System by Katrina Hazzard-Donald discusses what the author calls. These features are called “hoodoos,” and they were eons in the making. This type of erosion can create pillars we call hoodoos! The use of blue bottles is linked to the "haint blue" spirit specifically. The river carved into the soft layers of the earth. This process is known as “ice wedging”, because the ice is literally wedging apart the rocks. In Hoodoo, "All hold that the Bible is the great conjure book in the world. One that brings bad luck. Cracks occurring on the top la… Geologists say they were shaped by … Also known as "Lowcountry Voodoo" in the Gullah South Carolina Lowcountry, Following the Great Migration, Hoodoo spread throughout the USA. From a plateau, eventually the rocks break down into walls, windows, and then as individual hoodoos. 3 : something that brings bad luck. The story of how hoodoos like these came into being is interesting. The word "hoodoo" means to bewitch, which is what Bryce Canyon's rock formations surely do. [4][5] Hoodoo began not long after Indigenous Americans, enslaved Africans, and Europeans came into daily contact with one another during the colonial era. In New Zealand, in a valley of the Aorangi Mountain Range, are a group of hoodoos called the Putangirua Pinnacles. Modern Hoodoo evolved from traditional African practices, which came to the United States with enslaved people. Hoodoo spread throughout the United States as African-Americans left the delta during the Great Migration. This is called frost wedging. Much of the amphitheater is decorated with hoodoos and other odd-looking spires, ridges, and ribs, all of which were almost certainly sculpted by water and wind erosion. [6][7] Hoodoo was first documented in American English in 1875 and was used as a noun (the practice of hoodoo) or as a transitive verb, as in "I hoodoo you," an action carried out by varying means. [21] This can be understood as a syncretic adaptation for the religion. That is why they are willing to try the power of the spirits which we call Lucky Hoodoo. Brian Roanhorse/NPS. In France, they’re known as demoiselles coiffées ("ladies with hairdos") and a number of them are found in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Even so, there are a few common beliefs that most practitioners of Hoodoo hold. "[23] Obvious parallels between Moses and intentional paranormal influence (such as magic) occur in the biblical accounts of his confrontation with Pharaoh. The Indiana workers were called “Hoosier’s men,” later shortened to “Hoosiers.” No record of a Hoosier or a similar name can be found in canal records, however. One practitioner explained it as follows: [In h]oodooism, anythin' da' chew do is de plan of God undastan', God have somepin to do wit evah' thin' you do if it's good or bad, He's got somepin to do wit it ... jis what's fo' you, you'll git it. This work also discusses the misunderstood "High John the Conqueror root" and myth as well as the incorrectly-discussed "nature sack". Bryce Canyon National Park in the Utah desert is famous for reddish-limestone rock in bizarre shapes, towering formations called hoodoos. Thirteen-hundred Haitians (of African descent along with their White ex-masters) were driven out and the nearest French refuge was the province of Louisiana. Long, Carolyn Morrow. A ceremony will commence with much singing, and the practice of a ring shout.[1]. Bryce has the unique rock formations called hoodoos, that are beautifully crafted by erosion and the best specimens can be seen here, rather than anywhere else in the states. Another famous hoodoo of Bryce Canyon is Thor’s Hammer, a very large hoodoo with a hammer on top, about 150 feet high. The extent to which Hoodoo could be practiced varied by region and the temperament of the slave owners. A hoodoo is a pillar with a hard rock or fossil on top. A spirit that torments the living is known as a Boo Hag.[1]. What is a Hoodoo? These rock spires and fins are commonly known as Hoodoos. Divination by means of interpreting cards. All of the above will work when referring to the centerpiece of Chiricahua National Monument. Voodoo. Mounting up from the floor of the canyon, row upon row of pink-limestone spires catch the afternoon sunlight. In a desert setting, layers of soft rock including mudstone and tuff made of consolidated volcanic ash are overlain by a layer of durable rock such as limestone or basalt. Where: Drive 4.8 miles south of Mammoth on the Mammoth-Norris road. A practitioner of hoodoo. Spells are dependent on the intention of the practitioner and "reading" of the client. [28] The folkway of Vodun is a more standardized and widely dispersed spiritual practice than Hoodoo. To ge there, drive up Tunnel Mountain road from the town. Before visiting the hoodoos of Drumheller, we only know of them from Sam and Dean of the TV series Supernatural. It contains numerous signs, seals, and passages in Hebrew that are supposed to be related to Moses' ability to work wonders. This top part is called the caprock. In the Americas, the worship of the Vodoun loa is syncretized with Roman Catholic saints. You can view these geological wonders on our Utah: Bryce and Zion Canyons trek. geological oddities Community Contributors. By blending the ideas laid out by the Christian Bible, the faith is made more acceptable. Other popular hoodoos of Bryce Canyon include Toadstool Hoodoo, the Camel’s Head and Three Kings. Hoodoos typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. An exclusive, curated adventure with likeminded travelers. They generally form within sedimentary rock and volcanic rock formations. ... An interdimensional communicator she’s called who is able to understand these beings and to commune with them. The Vodou of Haiti, Voodoo of Louisiana, Vodú of Cuba, and the Vudú of the Dominican Republic are related more to Vodun than to Hoodoo. Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Hoodoo: A New World Name of an Ancient African Magical Tradition", https://www.jstor.org/stable/535394?seq=1, https://archive.org/details/folkbeliefsofsou00puck/page/n9/mode/2up, https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Hoodoo-Tarot/Tayannah-Lee-McQuillar/9781620558737, https://www.scribd.com/book/394271695/365-Days-of-Hoodoo-Daily-Rootwork-Mojo-Conjuration, http://www.mamiwata.com/hoodoointerview/hoodoointerview.html, http://www.mamiwata.com/hoodoo/hoodoo.html, http://www.mamiwata.com/hoodoo/page2.html, http://www.mamiwata.com/hoodoo/page3.html, A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion, Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, Witchcraft and divination in the Old Testament, A Dialogue Concerning Witches and Witchcrafts, Treatise on the Apparitions of Spirits and on Vampires or Revenants, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hoodoo_(spirituality)&oldid=1000959743, Wikipedia articles with style issues from September 2020, Articles needing additional references from September 2020, All articles needing additional references, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 January 2021, at 15:37. Hoodoo is an amalgamation of spiritual practices, traditions, and beliefs created by African slaves in North America that were held in secret from slaveholders. The smaller pieces are washed away by the monsoons and snow melt. [22], Hoodoo practitioners often understand the biblical figure Moses in similar terms. Geology A column of eccentrically shaped rock, produced by differential weathering. The Cappadocia region of Turkey is known for this rock formation. Park on the right (east) side of the road in the Bunsen Peak parking area. Hoodoos are composed sedimentary rock covered by harder rock that is harder to erode. Photograph by Nathan. Hoodoos, which range from five to 150 feet tall, all  start their geological life in the same womb—one giant plateau. The view is other-worldly. These unique structures are formed over centuries as grain after grain of sediment is whisked away by water and wind. Known hoodoo spells date back to the 1800s. Enslaved Africans of the Southeast, known as the Gullah, experienced an isolation and relative freedom that allowed for retention of the practices of their West African ancestors. b. ...In traditional West African thought, the goal of all human endeavor was to achieve balance." Water will follow the easiest path. Erosion occurs at a rate of about two to four feet per hundred years. Unlike the North American slaves, island slaves were encouraged to make themselves as much at home as possible in their bondage, and thus retained more of their West African background, customs, and language than the continental slaves.[10]. These hoodoos won't be here forever. "Spiritual Merchants: Religion, Magic and Commerce." Also known as "Lowcountry Voodoo" in the Gullah South Carolina Lowcountry, Following the Great Migration, Hoodoo spread throughout the United States. 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