Voodoo String Doll
From Mod Mania
~By Shi Yi Chong
Contents |
Essay
When someone talks about ‘voodoo’, people seems to think that it is a magical doll, which is made by an ancient witch designed to magically kill someone. However, Voodoo is not some kind of dark spiritual force, it is nothing more than a religious belief that originated from Africa. It started as a religious belief in Haiti and still in practice. Later, it was practiced all around the world including some countries in the west and a lot of countries from Asia. Some of these countries include; Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and among some Native American people. It is also an official religion in the nation of Benin in West Africa. Voodoo became more and more popular around the world in the late twentieth century amongst young people. One of the many reasons that voodoo became popular amongst the youth is because of the myths behind the voodoo dolls, as many people believe that voodoo contains magical powers. This made the youth interested in them. However, the youth were much more smarter to actually believe in that. They also wanted something more productive and interesting. After that, people started talking more and more about these dolls and people start to explore the possibilities. That was when it became a business item rather than a spiritual religious item. A Frenchman created a doll that is similar to what they used to use in voodoo. This doll was created for the people who dislike the French president Nicolas Sarkozy who, according to his people, never fulfill his promises to the people of France. This doll was created as a stress release doll for the people of France. When you buy this doll, it comes with a needle and a doll. The doll comes with the picture of Nicolas Sarkozy’s face on it and the promises that he never fulfilled to the people on its body. It quickly became the best selling item in shops all around France. Some people bought it because of the hatred for the president of France and the others bought it just as a collectible. When people use it as a stress release doll, they often use the pin to stab the doll’s body on the promises that the president made to the French. Another popular franchise related to voodoo dolls started out in Thailand and now is popular around the world. The company that started this franchise changed the original voodoo doll into something cute. This made it extremely popular amongst the youth.
The name of the company is Saan_Ha Ltd. Co. Above are just some of the many dolls that this company created. They started making these dolls in a temple in Thailand. Later on they found out that there was a market value for the dolls, so they a Thai designer to make it look more unique, cute and more acceptable for the young public. After designer redesigned each of the dolls, they put it in markets around Thailand and told the shopkeepers that the dolls have a different meaning behind them. This way it can be a gift depending on the situation. Some people bought it for a collection and others just bought it as gifts for loved ones and friends on special occasions. They made these dolls as string dolls that you can hang from places if people like to use it as good luck charms or just as an ornament on the youth’s bags, mobile phones and other things. Another company that does something similar to the string dolls from Saan_Ha is Kamibashi.
File:Voodoodoll2.jpgThis company was founded by a western couple and creates something similar to the dolls that Saan_Ha produces. The unique thing about these dolls is that they portray no kind of religious beliefs; instead all of the dolls are all about luck. The image above is a great example. These were also meant as ornaments and comes with a key chain. It also has a little story line that relates to the character. I also looked for communities around social networks and art networks like Facebook and DeviantArt. I found out that people communicate with each other and they discuss how to make these dolls. They talked about their attempts to make these dolls and talked about the difficulties and what materials they used and are more suitable for the dolls. They also give a unique meaning and story just as the original string dolls. After they give the dolls their meanings and stories, they exchange the dolls with their friends. Some of them do the job so good, some of the visitors give people in the community special orders and they end up selling the dolls they created for even a higher price than the original dolls.
