The word gris-gris is a French rendition of the Central African word gree gree, which means fetish or charm. In New Orleans, gris-gris is often carried in the form of a doll or a bag and is essentially a means of carrying a charm or a spell. These gris gris bags combine the magickal powers of colors, herbs, stones, essential oils, and other magickal items and come complete with instructions for use.