Voodoo

I started my research looking into Voodoo culture in Africa.

I wanted to gain a greater knowledge of their traditions, ceremonies, visual trends and their general way of living. This is to help me gain visual ideas for creating my character as my knowledge of voodoo and black magic is very limited.

There are many different adaptations of what a voodoo/ witchcraft character look like within film. I would like to create my own adaptation of this so started looking at first hand contemporary voodoo artists living in Africa.

Through this research I have gained knowledge and insight to traditions and beliefs of this cult. Animal sacrifice plays a important role as they believe in creating and destroying lives "to keep the supernatural and earthly worlds in active communication".

"Superstition"

"Black Magic"

"The Ineffable"

"The Effective Power"

All seem to be words associated with Voodoo magic.

My research has helped me understand the history, beliefs and traditions used within the African Voodoo cult. My knowledge of ceremonies to help pass the spirits through the body and beliefs into gods who possess individuals has widened.

I looked at how members of this Voodoo cult visually appeared and their common trends and styles with their hair and how they decorate their bodies.

I noticed there were dark markings on a few of the women which looked like tattoos/ scars. I Intend to research further into their meaning as this book didn't mention what the meaning of them are and the technique used to create these markings.

Ceremonies:

I looked at this ceremony tradition where talcum is used on the face and body. From a makeup artist perspective this could create a really interesting makeup looking at the different patterns and textures talcum can create on the face and body.

This is a slightly less pleasant ceremony where in the images they are covered in blood. During this ceremony they stab themselves while possessed by a god which makes them appear insensitive to the plain.

C, Henning (1996). Voodoo. Germany: Taschen. 6-192.

Lucie Minty

Specialist Practice

Voodoo