In 1884 an author named S. St. John wrote an inaccurate book called, “Haiti or the Black Republic” after exploring the West Indies region. In it, St. John described Voodoo as an evil religion, including descriptions of human sacrifice, cannibalism, and a host of other wicked acts. Naturally, this book caught the imagination of people outside the area that had never visited the place. As a result, the misunderstanding and fear of Voodoo began to spread, much of which is still present today. Hollywood also helped perpetuate the misconceptions with many movies that cast Voodoo in an unfavorable light.