My kinda creepy voodoo doll from Jamaica. Found it on a trip 5 years ago. Voodoo dolls are often linked in popular culture to the practice of Voodoo (or Vodou), a spiritual tradition that developed among enslaved Africans in the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti during the 17th–18th centuries. Haitian Vodou blends West African religious beliefs (especially from the Fon and Yoruba peoples) with Catholicism and Indigenous traditions. In authentic Vodou practice, dolls—often called pwen or fetishes—were not primarily for harm. They were used as ritual objects to focus prayers, honor spirits (lwa), or bring healing, protection, and guidance. Offerings, personal items, or symbolic decorations were attached to connect the doll to a person or spirit.