Juju (religiöse Praktik)
Juju or Ju-Ju is a word of either West African or French origin[1] used previously by Europeans to describe traditional West African religions.[2] Today it refers specifically to objects, such as amulets, and spells used superstitiously as part of witchcraft in West Africa.[3]
History
The term juju, and the practices associated with it, travelled to the Americas from West Africa with the influx of slaves and still survives in some areas, particularly among the various groups of Maroons, who have tended to preserve their African traditions.
Contrary to common belief, voodoo (known as Vodun in West Africa) is not related to juju, despite the linguistic and spiritual similarities. Juju has acquired some karmic attributes in more recent times. Good juju can stem from almost any good deed: saving a kitten, or returning a lost book. Bad juju can be spread just as easily. These ideas revolve around the luck and fortune portions of juju. The use of juju to describe an object usually involves small items worn or carried; these generally contain medicines produced by witch doctors. thanks
See also
References
- ↑ Juju | Define Juju at Dictionary.com. Dictionary.reference.com, abgerufen am 5. Juli 2013.
- ↑ Augustus Ferryman Mockler-Ferryman, Imperial Africa: the rise, progress and future of the British possessions in Africa, Volume 1, 1898
- ↑ Oxford English Dictionary. (1971). Oxford University Press.