Linda Deck, age 13, of Camden, N.J., for her question:

WHAT IS VOODOO?

Voodoo is the religion of Haiti that is also practiced in Cuba, Trinidad, Brazil and in parts of the Southern United States, especially Louisiana. Voodoo combines elements of Roman Catholicism and tribal religions of western Africa, particularly Benin.

Voodoo cults worship a high god, Bon Dieu; ancestors or, more generally, the dead; twins; and spirits called loa. The loa, which may vary from cult to cult, are African tribal gods that are usually identified with Roman Catholic saints. The snake, for example, is identified with St. Patrick.

Other elements of Roman Catholicism in voodoo include the use of candles, bells, crosses and prayers and the practices of baptism and making the sign of the cross.

Among the African elements are dancing, playing of drums and the worship of ancestors and twins.

The rituals of voodoo are often led by a priest, called a hungan, or priestess, called a mambo. During the ritual the worshipers invoke the loa by drumming, dancing, singing and feasting, and the loa take possession of the dancers.