The Devil in Hoodoo?

[David19]

I've been reading this article on the Luckymojo site called 'The Devil' (http://www.luckymojo.com/devil.html), and, while it's interesting, I'm a little confused by it.

It says:


The old Devil is a Teutonic woods-spirit, an ogre-like trickster who may desire to eat human flesh, but is often friendly to wood-cutters and footloose soldiers. In Germanic folk-tales like those collected by the Grimm brothers, he is usually described as living out in the woods with his aged grandmother who combs his hair to put him to sleep at night. Among Americans of Anglo-Saxon heritage, he is sometimes said to have a wife who quarrels with him.

In the area of Central and Eastern Europe comprising Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, the Devil was never fully absorbed into the Christian mythos as Satan but remained as he had always been, a slender, horned, bearded, fur-covered half-man of the woods

So, does this mean some of the references to "the Devil" aren't about Satan, but a Germanic woodlands spirit?. Does this "Devil" have a role at all in Hoodoo, or does it depend upon the practicioner, like, if someone feels drawn to him, they'll work with him, if they feel drawn to the Christian Satan, they'll work with him, etc?.

I'd appreciate any help in understanding this area of Hoodoo.

Thanks :).

[Teresa]

I've been reading this article on the Luckymojo site called 'The Devil' (http://www.luckymojo.com/devil.html), and, while it's interesting, I'm a little confused by it.

It says:



So, does this mean some of the references to "the Devil" aren't about Satan, but a Germanic woodlands spirit?. Does this "Devil" have a role at all in Hoodoo, or does it depend upon the practicioner, like, if someone feels drawn to him, they'll work with him, if they feel drawn to the Christian Satan, they'll work with him, etc?.

I'd appreciate any help in understanding this area of Hoodoo.

Thanks :).

If you read down she is talking about various cultures and how they perceive the devil. As far as hoodoo some would consider Legba to be similar to the devil and making pacts at the crossroads. I have done the Red Devil Lye protection for property that is mentioned there as well in the past. In that instance the Devil is used as a guardian to protect the property.


Read down to the very bottom where she tells you how the different colored devil candles can be used and the purposes. :thumbsup:

[Elemental]

Eshu (legba) aka the two faced Orisha with a 3 pointed pitch fork. Never had the pleasure of meeting this particular Orisha but i can say that he is not the devil. Though has many characteristis of the devil.

The real evil that is the devil in voodoo/hoodoo is symbolised by the hyena and can be risen by using very dark magic, if you ever meet "the dog" your never to be seen again.

Eshu is used in the process of calling the Obatala, or their version of the god almighty, you must first pass eshus test before meeting Obatala at the crossroads.

[David19]

If you read down she is talking about various cultures and how they perceive the devil. As far as hoodoo some would consider Legba to be similar to the devil and making pacts at the crossroads. I have done the Red Devil Lye protection for property that is mentioned there as well in the past. In that instance the Devil is used as a guardian to protect the property.


Read down to the very bottom where she tells you how the different colored devil candles can be used and the purposes. :thumbsup:


Eshu (legba) aka the two faced Orisha with a 3 pointed pitch fork. Never had the pleasure of meeting this particular Orisha but i can say that he is not the devil. Though has many characteristis of the devil.

The real evil that is the devil in voodoo/hoodoo is symbolised by the hyena and can be risen by using very dark magic, if you ever meet "the dog" your never to be seen again.

Eshu is used in the process of calling the Obatala, or their version of the god almighty, you must first pass eshus test before meeting Obatala at the crossroads.

Thanks for the info, and I will reread the article again, so, basically, the Devil in Hoodoo can be many things (e.g. to some people, when they meet him/it at the Crossroads, they may be meeting with a Germanic woods spirit, other people may meet Eshu, others may meet some other entity, etc), or, am I totally not getting it?.

BTW, that sounds interesting about the hyena, I didn't know it was a symbol of evil in Voudou and Hooodoo, are there any evil powers (similar, or kind of like the equivalent, of Satan)?.

Thanks again :) :thumbsup:.

[Godgifu]

A lot of hoodoo references to "The Devil" are also just really about general malicious people and forces. For example, Devil's Shoestring root is more commonly used to keep away obnoxious or troublesome people than it is to stave of the literal beasts of Hell, and same for Run Devil Run products.