Many believe that the history of voodoo started in 500 AD in Haiti, but the Haitian word Voodoo originates from the African Fon and Ewe Language, spoken today in Benin. The religion started about 5,000 B.C. in the Egyptian pyramids by black Egyptian slaves called Yoruba. The Yoruba people were later freed; however, they did not forget what they saw. The [two things slaveholders could not take away from slaves were culture and religion]. These were the only things that supported them [
and made it easier to deal with the hardships of the world]. By falling into a possession trance, [the slaves felt] secure and free. (La Menfo Vye Zo Komande) Around that time the Yoruba people traveled out of Egypt using the Nile and Niger routes, which crossed over into Benin. Under the leadership of the Yoruba king Oduduwa, voodoo began to spread through all of his lands. In 492 AD Columbus founded the island of Hispaniola (Haiti is on the western side of the island), and King Charles V ordered the deportation of 5,000 blacks from Africa to the island. Some were the slaves of Yoruba and soon they began to merge cultures and religions and laid the foundation for todays voodoo.
When people type the word Voodoo in their search bar the common definition that pops up is A black religious cult practiced in the Caribbean and the southern
U.S, combining elements of Roman Catholic ritual with traditional African magical and religious rites, and characterized by sorcery and spirit possession. (Oxford Dictionary) Although the common definition sounds harsh, in the past the word voodoo had multiple meanings and wasnt always defined as something bad. In the language of the people of African Fon people, the word voodoo means spirit or deity. (La Menfo Vye Zo Komande) There are many members of this religion, and In Haiti, it is called Voodoo, while in Brazil is called Santeria, which means holy faith and delight. During the Haitian Revolution, voodoo helped slaves win a war against their colonial masters to gain freedom. When the remaining colonists fled to New Orleans, voodoo began to grow. It was not as powerful as the one in Haiti, because it was suppressed. In the 9th century, voodoo began to evolve in New Orleans. Dances in Congo Square [ ] or at the private residences of Voodoo Queens, such as Marie Laveau, attracted [prurient attention] in the press and left a [strong] legacy of Voodoo tales of often [skeptical] authenticity. (Alasdair Pettinger) The voodoo religion has become so popular that 70% of the [Haitis] national population [ practices voodoo] and is today the religion of choice for a smaller majority of the nations urban population. (Terry Rey)