The words Voodoo, Vodou, and Vudu have captivated the American imagination for centuries. Most people are familiar with New Orleans Voodoo—a popular image of black candles, chicken feet, and skulls designed to provoke fear in outsiders. In the United States, "Voodoo" has become a catch-all for any kind of dark or ominous magic, often a mix of witchcraft, necromancy, rootwork, and conjure. However, in the Caribbean, the religion is known as Vodou and is practiced as a respected African Traditional Religion (ATR). Africans brought to the New World managed to preserve their faith by cleverly concealing their practices behind Catholicism. They syncretized—or blended—the worship of their gods and goddesses with Catholic saints and their feast days. They also faithfully kept alive the memory and spirits of the indigenous Arawak Taino Indians who were on the islands first. The Vodou practiced in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are powerful forms of spiritism and magic that have been continuously practiced since the first Africans arrived. Yet, there is another tradition of Vodou that is virtually unknown in the United States. It is called Sanse, and it is the unique and powerful Vodou practiced by Puerto Ricans.