Many people believe that voodoo is a practice that involves chanted spells, animal sacrifices, and magical dolls. However, it is actually a religion based on patron saints and ancestral spirits. There’s a lot more to it than meets the eye, and it’s definitely worth the research and interest. Additionally, some scholars have shown that it can provide religious healing, making it a form of health care practice in some parts of the world. Because of its mysterious side, many people are fascinated by this religion or practice. So, what are the best places to visit to learn more about voodoo?
New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum – New Orleans
New Orleans is among the few cities that come to mind when thinking about voodoo. In fact, there are several places you can visit in this city if you want to know more about this mysterious religion. One, in particular, is the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum.
In 1972, Charles Massicot Gandolfo founded the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. This small museum has numerous exhibits featuring American Southern, Creole, and African cultures that created voodoo in New Orleans since the 1970s. Aside from that, this museum also offers psychic readings or fortune telling.
Jubilee Voodoo Monument – Haiti
One of the best places to visit to know more about voodoo is the Jubilee Voodoo Monument in Haiti. As you know, voodoo originated in Haiti, and the monument is a voodoo pilgrimage site. As the story goes, this mysterious monument has a Catholic cross that was placed by missionaries during the 19th century to make it the “hill of God.” After some time, the cross was struck by lightning. Since then, the locals believed that it was the way of the gods to reclaim the hill. Afterward, the monument became a site for praying and sacrificing.
Soul of Africa Museum – Germany
The last on this list of the best places to visit to know more about voodoo is the Soul of Africa Museum in Germany. It is a small apartment owned by Henning Christoph, a collector, ethnographer, and photographer. Over the years, he has studied and worked with different tribes to learn about it and documented everything he learned from the tribes.
In the small apartment, you will see rooms filled with figurines from the different tribes. Aside from that, you will also see an altar for the Mami Whata, a water goddess or spirit. Lastly, there are also exotic costumes displayed in the apartment. These costumes were used in the ancestral voodoo rituals of the different tribes in Africa.