Hoodoo heritage

Abstract

This paper will serve as a largely historical examination of the practice and history of American folk religion, in particular that of Hoodoo Conjure. It will be, in many ways, a reflection of the existing study of the practice, while seeking to establish the importance of folk religion in American as well as world culture. Folk religions are perhaps those that exist in every culture, thus this paper will provide a description of the American incarnation of one. The religious and cultural background of Hoodoo Conjure will be described, as well as its practice during the colonial and antebellum periods of the United States to the present day.