Magic and Medicines #19: Voodoo

This month's Magic and Medicines Bonus Episode definitely has Haunting Season associations, as we're talking all about Voodoo!

Although, being up front, "Voodoo" is but a tiny subset of a vast number of syncretic religious and cultural practices dating back to Africa 6,000 years ago - 'syncretic' meaning something which merges different beliefs into a unified whole.

Sharing lots of ideas with forms of ancient pagan animism found all over the world, 'Vodun' is a religious faith with over 60 million followers today. But how has it changed due to societal factors, including slavery, which directly birthed Haitian 'Vodou' and its curious relationship to Catholicism?

So yes, we will be talking about Louisiana Voodoo, the 20th century Voodoo Revival, "Voodoo Dolls" and all sorts of other cool stuff, from temples marinaded in sacrificial blood to Mami Wata, Legba the 'Spirit of Crossroads' to Marie Laveau, and so much more.

But we also need to acknowledge both where our Western concepts of Voodoo come from and how those ideas came to dominate much of the cultural consciousness.

It's dark matter, as they say, and we've done our best to do the topic justice!

Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.

Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...

Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.

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