Vodou

The term Vodou (Vodun or Vudun in Benin; and Togo; also Vodon, Vodoun, Voudou, or other phonetically equivalent spellings. In Haiti; Vudu (an Ewe word, also used in the Dominican Republic) is by some individuals applied to the branches of a West African ancestral religious tradition. It is important to note that the word "Voodoo" is the most common and known usage in American and popular culture, and is often viewed as offensive by the Afro-Diaspora practicing communities. However, the different spellings of this term can be explained as follows: Vodou is used to describe the Haitian Vodou religious tradition, while vudon and vodun and vodoun are used to describe the deities honoured in the Brazilian Jeje (Ewe) sect of Candomble as well as West African Vodoun. When the word "Vodou/Vodoun" is capitalized, it denotes the Religion proper. When the word is used in small caps, it denotes the actual deities honored in each respective tradition. The word "Voodoo" is properly used to describe the Creole rituals and herbal remedies of New Orleans, usually in absence of communal religious practices or polytheism. Similar traditions are practiced throughout the African-American community, sometimes combined with Native American traditions and called Hoodoo.
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Fusion of Roman Catholicism and ancient African polytheism and ancestor worship, practiced chiefly in Caribbean countries. The words "Voodoo" and "Voudoun" stem from the West African word vodun (or vodu), which means "spirit" or "deity."