The dolls, which were hung in a vertical line on the tree's bark, had rusty pins stuck in their faceless heads, arms and legs, the St. Petersburg Times reported Thursday.

"They were kind of like ugly creatures that would eat you alive," said 10-year-old Kevin McDonough, a Webelos Cub Scout.

The Greenwood Cemetery, where the dolls were found, has buried on its grounds dozens of Civil War veterans, Union and Confederate, buried on opposite sides of the grounds.

University of South Florida religion Professor Mozella Mitchell, who studies Caribbean faiths, said the dolls are associated with many African-derived religions. They're common among people of Haitian, Cuban and Caribbean descent, she said.

Believers often use the dolls as sacred objects to connect with the supernatural, not typically for evil purposes, Mitchell was quoted as saying.

"I'd say certain sects might work a trick on somebody," she added. "But that's a very minor aspect of the religion."