When I was little, I used to love visiting my "Jamaican Grandma" TC, or when she visited us, she used to teach me how to cook Jamaican food and told me stories of Vodun Rituals she attended, how they were preformed, taught me the dances and drumming, hexes, about honouring The Ancestors and told me some of the things she saw conjured...
I was fascinated by the stories of the Loa and how they could help those who asked, for a price. My favourite was always Baron Samedi.
She said he stands at the crossroads and watches over the dead but is also a kind of gatekeeper and can connect you to the spirits of loved ones past.
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| James Bond 007 |
The way she described him he sounded really jovial, although he could be grumpy and was often drunk. I think my image of him was further influenced when I watched Live and Let Die in which he appears quite tricksy, the parts with him in are the best bits of the film for me.
When I first saw the Macumba Living Dead Doll my mind instantly went back to those images and stories of Baron Samedi.
It was around 2007 when I first came across the doll for sale as a Mini version from series 5 on Ebay.
I placed my bid and was really happy to discover that I won him and couldn't wait for him to arrive.
When he hadn't arrived after almost 2 weeks I contacted the seller and discovered he had gotten himself lost in the post.
I got my money back but I was left with a Mini Macumba shaped hole until a few years later when I saw an auction listing for a full sized one from series 4 for sale on Ebay.
I tried my luck at auction and yay, I won him for the same price I had originally paid for the Mini version!!
The reason he was listed so cheap was because he had somehow managed to loose his trousers, this was also more than likely the reason why I was the only bidder.
I really didn't see this as a problem, I knew it world be easy enough to make a pattern and I had recently scrapped a pair of thin trousers in a similar colour and placed the pieces in my fabric stash.
When he arrived he came with all his accessories - A top hat with skull motif, bone necklace, tatty coat, shirt, death certificate and his little Voodoo doll.
The poem on his inner box reads:
He casts his spell.
No one is safe
From this zombie hell."
His death certificate reads:
"Date of death: 6/15/1881
Cause of death: Voodoo Curse
Cause of death: Voodoo Curse
Placed under a voodoo curse,
It was an evil spell he could not reverse.
A soul trapped behind lifeless eyes,
All things alive are now despised."
It was an evil spell he could not reverse.
A soul trapped behind lifeless eyes,
All things alive are now despised."
I really loved this little touch, Living Dead Doll Minis I have don't come with Death Certificates instead they have a little string noose on a key chain so you can hang them by their necks and carry them around with you.
I found out that the dolls Series 4 dolls were released in 2002, and have long since been retired so they are no longer in production and getting harder to find for sale.
When I started writing this post in 2018, I checked on the availability and prices he's going for online and found 4 for sale on Amazon.uk, of course because my little guy is wearing replacement trousers he won't be worth quite as much, but it's still interesting to see how much he's going for these days.
I was surprised to find out his dreadlocks are made of wool, until I purchased him I had only ever bought mini Living Dead Dolls and all those came with nylon hair, in fact I'm sure he's the only Living Dead Doll I've seen with hair made of this material.
I had to made him a new pair of trousers and tied then to his waist using a little piece of twine.
I have no plans to part with him any time soon, he's one of my favourite dolls... I just love this little guy!
