ABSTRACT
The specific elements of each tradition vary with the geographic and historic framework of each country or region their fundamental core however, remains the same. Vodou has historically been defined as a dance to the sacred spirit. Vodou is a system of beliefs many West and Central Africans developed to create a place of orientation through ritual, song, dance, entering states of grace or trance, and knowledge of the natural world that bridges communities of the living with the community or inhabitants of Ginen. In reality, the term “zombie” means the “breath of God”; a zombie is a spirit that purportedly revives a dead person. Another example of abuse and misunderstanding of Vodou relates to what are commonly called “voodoo dolls.” Vodou is a community-based culture in which matters that benefit the collective entity hold more weight than individual needs and concerns; all efforts are made to support every member of the community as much as possible.
