# What is Hoodoo? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 30, 2000, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771 "2000-12-30T05:10:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omega007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9adbd/32.png) [@Omega007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega007)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771/1 "2000-12-30T05:10:08Z")
I was recently in New Orleans and I was surrounded by shops and items of Voodoo Nature. But when i was looking at all the Voodoo stuff there I noticed that some things were labeled of “Hoodoo” variety. What is Hoodoo? I mean I heard the expression “All that Voodoo and Hoodoo jazz…bla bla bla”, but I didn’t think it was really something. I thought Hoodoo was just a way to make fun of Voodoo in that saying. So if anyone out there knows what Hoodoo is I would really appreciate knowing anything you have to tell me 🙂 Thanks, Omega007 ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771/2 "2000-12-30T05:27:20Z")
Hoodoo: A person or thing that brings bad luck, or even the bad luck itself. Voodoo: Voodoo (or vodou) is a religious system with followers predominantly in Haiti in the West Indies, and in other countries to which Haitians have immigrated. Developed by African slaves brought to Haiti by the French between the 17th and 19th centuries, it combines features of African religion with the Roman Catholicism of the European settlers. Voodoo is similar in many ways to other Afro-American cults, such as Santeria in Cuba and Macumba in Brazil. More can be found at: [http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/dict/glossary/voodoo.htm](http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~nonsuch/dict/glossary/voodoo.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771/3 "2000-12-30T06:19:42Z")
## But why not elaborate? From gurunet hoo·doo n., pl. hoo·doos. See voodoo (n., sense 3). ## Bad luck. One that brings bad luck. Geology. A column of eccentrically shaped rock, produced by differential weathering. v.tr., hoo·dooed, hoo·doo·ing, hoo·doos. To bring bad luck to. hoo’doo·ism n. ## The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition Copyright © 1992, 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. hoodoo noun Something or someone believed to bring bad luck : curse, hex. Informal: jinx. verb To bring bad luck or evil to : curse, hex. Informal: jinx. * * * ## Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Translations for: hoodoo Deutsch (German): Fluch, Unglück, Unglück bringen Français (French): poisse, avoir la poisse Español (Spanish): vudú, aojo, echar el mal de ojo, traer mala suerte Italiano (Italian): sfortuna, iettatore, gettare il malocchio a Português (Portuguese): n. pessoa (f) ou coisa (f) maléfica, má sorte (f), formação (f) rochosa (EUA) v. trazer má sorte Nederlands (Dutch): onheil, ongeluksbode, voodoo, vreemde rotsvorming, onheil brengen, beheksen Svensk (Swedish): n. olycksbringare, otur v. bringa olycka över Ελληνική (Greek): n. (καθομ.) γρουσούζης v. (α)βασκαίνω, γρουσουζεύω Русский (Russian): колдовство, колдовской, приносить несчастья, заколдовать ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771/4 "2000-12-30T06:22:02Z")
Hmm. It loses something in Greek or Russian. ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771/5 "2000-12-30T07:25:24Z")
“You remind of the babe.” “What babe?” “The babe with the power.” “What power?” “The power of voodoo!” “Hoodoo!” What, isn’t that how David Bowie sang it?? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771/6 "2000-12-30T10:17:48Z")
Forgot the “You do!” at the end ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771/7 "2000-12-30T12:34:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bear\_Nenno \* > \*\*Forgot the > “You do!” > at the end \*\* “do what?” “remind me of the babe.” I thought of this song as well, when I saw the title. Osip ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771/8 "2000-12-30T13:42:21Z")
Charles Nelson Reilly (I think) played “Hoodoo” in the Sid&Marty Kroffts classic series “Lidsville.” ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771/9 "2000-12-30T17:00:35Z")
A hoodoo is also a natural formation of rock/sandstone that is made from water/air erosion. There are some for sure in the Drumheller area of Alberta and the Fairmont are of BC. A link with a picture: [http://www.foundlocally.com/Calgary/Travel/Near-Drumheller.htm](http://www.foundlocally.com/Calgary/Travel/Near-Drumheller.htm) ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-hoodoo/47771/10 "2000-12-30T17:06:10Z")
better picture- [http://www.taiga.ca/~gallery/subpages/banerjee/hoodoos.html](http://www.taiga.ca/~gallery/subpages/banerjee/hoodoos.html)