Gris-gris, Resquardo & Gurunfinda
Containers with Magickal Items Used to Protect or Attract
Vooduon and Santería are syncretic religions, blends of West African Pagan religions and Catholicism. Gris-gris are Vooduon; resquardos and gurunfindas, Santería.
When slaves were brought from Africa to the New World, it was illegal for them to openly practice their Pagan religions as such. They transformed their deities into Catholic saints to escape persecution. Some became devout Catholics, but continued working with Pagan magick. They brought many of the old practices with them and performed these in secret. One of the traditions they brought was making charms to be used for specific purposes. With the exception of the gurunfindas that used a hollowed fruit for the container, the gris-gris and resquardos used cloth to hold the items.
Gris-gris
Originally gris-gris were most likely dolls. Early European visitors to West Africa mistook them for poppets, a term used for dolls and toddlers, not for magickal tools, although the use of dolls was known to be employed in witchcraft. Currently, most gris-gris are small cloth bags containing herbs, oils, crystals, small bones, nails, hair, and/or other personal items.
The origin of the word is shrouded in mystery. Some believe it is derived from “juju,” the West African name for fetish, a sacred object, believed to be possessed by a holy spirit. Others define juju as a charm: amulet or talisman. Another West African name for fetish is “grigri.”
The gris-gris is traditional in New Orleans, the American Vooduon center. Gris-gris are used for many different reasons, such as attracting money and love, stopping gossip, protection and good health. At one time, police officers carried gris-gris for protection.
A gris-gris bag is ritually made at an altar containing the four elements: fire (candle flame), earth (salt), air (incense) and water. The number of items placed in the pouch is one, three, five, seven, nine or, at most, thirteen. Even numbers aren’t used. Stones and colored objects are chosen for their symbolic and astrological meanings for the gris-gris’ purpose.
According to legend, the supreme Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau’s, gris-gris contained bits of bone, stones, graveyard earth, salt, and red pepper. Other more elaborate gris-gris were made of bird nests and horse hair Shamanic art.
Gris-gris bags were also used to cause others ill luck and misfortune. These would often contain red pepper and gun powder. Sometimes, these were merely used as a warning. They would be thrown at their target or left by their door. Many white masters who mistreated their slaves found gris-gris filled with black pepper containing saffron, salt and gunpowder in their homes or on their doorstep.
Resquardos and Gurunfindas
In Santería, gris-gris bags are called resquardos, “protectors” and gurunfindas. The former usually contains stones, fetishes, herbs, spices and brown sugar and are made of red velvet. A gold sword is attached to it. The sword is Saint Barbara’s symbol, the god, Chango’s, image of the Catholic saint. These are intended for positive ends.
Gurunfindas are made by the Santería's dark practitioners, mayomberos, to turn away evil from them and to direct it toward others. Instead of a cloth, the container is made of an inedible fruit, a guiro, filled with animal parts, teeth and hair, buried under a ceiba tree for 21 days and then hung from a tree by the mayombero’s home.
Related articles:
A Witch Doctor's Curse: Juju Snakes
Sources:
The Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft, Rosemary Ellen Guiley, (Facts on File, Inc., 1999)
Voodoo & Hoodoo, James Haskins, (Scarborough House, 1990)
Voodoo on New Orleans, Robert Tallant, (Pelican Publishing Company, 1994)
