Voodoo Dolls The voodoo doll, a small, stick-figure shaped doll used to place curses and spells on one's enemies or to conjure more positive experiences, is a modern offshoot of the ancient traditions of the Voodoo religion from West African slaves who were brought there against there will. This is also how Voodoo came to the southern reaches of the United States, where it was most prominent in the Bayou region, especially New Orleans. The popular voodoo doll is actually not an official part of the Voodoo religion. Rather, it stems from the tradition of black magic known as Hoodoo, which is often mistaken for the widely spread religion. While voodoo dolls are most often used to place a curse on an enemy (by stickin pins into effigy, placing them where we'd like to inflict pain), they are meant to be used for the good of human kind. The dolls are supposed to be made with healing energies in mind.