That HooDoo that You Do...

This will probably be one of the first of many postings about the Gullah People of Beaufort County and their Beliefs, especially their Spiritual Ones. The Gullah are the descendants of Slaves found mainly living in the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia. These slaves were relatively isolated, which allowed the continuation of many of their African Tribal Beliefs. The Gullah people are also called Geechee, after the Ogeechee River near Savannah, Georgia. The term Geechee is most commonly used in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Slaves, many of whom were from the West African Region of Angola gave rise to the the Name used for them. Angola was believed to have been corrupted into the term "Gullah". Some scholars have also suggested it comes from Gola, an ethnic group living in the border area between Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa, another region where many of the Gullahs' ancestors originated.
For a Catchy title, I used the Word Hoodoo, which is one of the terms used for the beliefs found among the Gullah. Hoodoo is African spiritualism mixed with the Protestant Beliefs found among their owners and Missionaries to the slaves. Voodoo on the other hand is a term describing the combining of African Spiritualism and Catholicism such as found in Louisiana.
Prominent among the beliefs of the Gullah culture was a belief in herbalism and black magic. The "Root" was the Gullah called a charm used for bad and sometimes good. These charms in other places are called "mojo"or "gris-gris"
Usually made as a small pouch or a small vial of Liquid the roots were used and distributed by Root Doctors, wearing Purple or Blue Sunglasses as a way of Signifying their Profession. they usually took the name of an Animal, such as the Famous (or Infamous) Dr. Buzzard whose Fame made its way into Popular American Culture, with the Publication of John Berendt's book, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" which was also made into a Popular Movie in 1998.