A few years ago, some friends and I visited New Orleans. A highlight was visiting St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, along with a Voodoo museum. With the help of a couple of books and pictures, I would like to tell a little of Marie Laveau-the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans.
My first book is “New Orleans” by Stuart M. Lynn, published 1949.
Marie Laveau was born in 1801 in New Orleans-a free black woman. She married in 1819. After the death of Marie’s first husband, she began teaching and practicing Voodoo. She was also popular as a hairdresser to the rich white clientele of New Orleans. Marie had 14 children. Many of her children also worked for her. It is said she may have used gossip heard there, to help with her Voodoo rituals. Marie was known to be a Voodoo leader in New Orleans.
We were able to see Marie Laveau’s grave.
For those wanting help from Marie Laveau from beyond the grave, they would mark three X’s on her tomb, and spin around three times, then ask for help. When their wish was answered, they were to come back and leave a donation…or bad things would happen. Seven dimes or cigars were common donations, along with rum. While it is now illegal to mark graves, or leave things, it still happens. One does have to be with a tour guide to get into the cemetery.
I also have the book “New Orleans Ghosts” by Victor C. Klein, published in 1996, and signed by the author.
This book went into more details of the Voodoo rituals that Marie would lead. Her eldest daughter, also named Marie carried on her legacy. Talismans were blessed for good luck, and for bad luck or to give misfortune to others, charms called gris-gris were made. We saw both types of charms in the New Orleans Voodoo Museum we walked through.
It seems that some other rituals she gave were rather entrepreneurial. Marie also had a reputation as a madame and procurer. “Many an octoroon or quadroon beauty found a Creole dandy as her paramour through Marie’s generous efforts.”
Marie Laveau died on June 15th, 1881. She was quite a powerful lady in New Orleans back then. Hers was very interesting story. Also, her birth date was September 10, 1801. One of my friends who visited New Orleans with me, has a birthday on that same day of September. I would like to wish him Happy Birthday, with this short, relived memory of Marie Laveau.
Thanks for reading.
Librarytomes 