Who Do Voodoo?????

By:Sam Little

Mardi Gras, vampires, and celebrations of the dead have been talked about in a traditional sense when discussing new Orleans. (aside from hurricane Katrina) The city has a reputation for jazz, blues and folk music. It's tourist attractions such as lavish casinos and historical houses keep it pretty well occupied year long. But the animal known as New Orleans has a dark underbelly. There was a period were the city was under the rule of not a king, but a queen. This was no ordinary queen, as she did not sit on a throne or command armies. She set in simple chairs and commanded magic!

Estimated to have been born in 1794, Marie Leveau was the illigitimit daughter of Charles Leveau and Marguerite Carcantrel. She was mixed with white, black and Indian blood. Born a free woman Marie was very beautiful. She had curly black hair and bright black eyes. She was very tall and her reddish skin made her all the more appealing to the eyes. To this day researchers remark on the stunning appearance she had.

Marie entered the working world as a hair stylist to the rich white and Creole women of the city. It was here she would gather information about people that she would later use to aide her in her ultimate conquest. As a hairdresser Marie learned many things from her clients who put the entire stock of their trust into her. They would tell her of their affairs, the affairs their husbands were having and many would mention the fear that someone would find a trace of African blood in them. She would listen and take in everything she heard, knowing that at any time this information could help her advance herself.

In 1819 she fell in love with and married Jacques Paris. Not very long after their marriage Paris would dissappear. This upset Marie very much and she began to address herself as the widow Paris. She would continue to work as a hairdresser until becoming the lover of Louis Christophe Dominy de Glapion. While the two would never marry they did bring 15 children into the world. The relationship and the duties of motherhood pushed Marie to engulf herself into the world of voodoo. Her voodoo involved the worship of a giant snake called Zombi. It also used orgiastic dancing, consumption of alcohol, and sex to complete it's rituals. Sex was power and with the stunning looks of Marie Leveau she would have more power then she would ever know.

By 1830 New Orleans was riddled with voodoo queens, but Marie was the best of the best. Her power was unmatched. She did not follow to the traditional voodoo teaching, but added elements of her own religious upbringing. She was raised catholic and therefore she felt at home with the ceremonies and rituals of that religion. She implemented holy water, religious saint statues, and even prayer into her voodoo rituals.Both the followers of voodoo, santarea and catholicism felt at home in the presence of Marie. Her charisma seemed to over power all she met and she had no problem recruiting followers, and friends.

For a small admition fee press, police and general individuals were permitted to view the ceremonies. A black coffin would serve as her alter, and a rooster would serve as the perfect sacrifice. Marie would captivate both the curious and knowledable alike with her exotic parties. Many of her get togethers were often referred to as circuses or freak shows. Marie preferred to address it as truth, and of all things she valued truth the most.

She could often be seen performing with her 20 foot pet snake. Her services were often sought out by many of the city's residents and while blacks very seldom had to pay whites often had to shell out big bucks for her services. While Marie had dirt on many people she would not use it for fear of losing that person as a follower or worse a friend. Stories of her deeds are often exaggerated but some have held solid over the years. She was said to influence juries to release men who she felt had truly repented of their crimes. She would help lovers find each other and help them to kindle the flames of an ongoing relationship. She would local priest in tending to sufferers of yellow fever and other ailments. It was not unusual to see her sitting with men in prison talking with them. She would bring them food, company and often pray with them. She believed a man who was truly sorry for what he had done should be given a second chance and would help this person at all cost to herself. A great story of one of her deeds that involved a situation where she felt two men had not come to deserve the punishment they were given comes to mind.

She had set a great deal with Jean Adam and Anthony Deslisle and discovered that they were not deserving of the punishment prescribed which was to be hanged. In those days executions were public affairs and this one would be no different. Marie had promised the men that their death would not come at the end of the rope that day. As the men were set to be hanged many caught a glance at Marie in the crowd and saw that she seemed to be focusing with all her might on the men. As the ropes fell the men did also only not to their deaths. The ropes broke and the men landed on the ground. They were wounded from the frayed rope but alive. Marie looked exhausted, but despite her attempt the two men were repositioned and the second time they were hung. Marie would never recover from the scene.

Marie's daughter, who happened to share her name would step up and fill the void her mother left. Marie II bore a striking resemblance to her mother. In fact other than her lighter skin tone the two were almost identicle. While she shared the good looks her mother had, Marie II did not share much else. She did not have the compassion her mother had, in fact instead of love and trust she preferred to rule with fear and terror. It was not known if Marie appointed her daughter to the position or if Marie II decided to take it on for herself but it was evident that a new queen was at work.

Another aspect shared by the two was that Marie II also went to work as a hairdresser and gathered information the same way her mother did. She would move on from that job to running a bar and from there a brothel. The brothel seemed right up her alley as she was never a real law abiding person. Regardless of the lack of law in her lifestyle Marie II had little to fear from authorities who was scared to death that she would curse them with powerful magic and spells. She would use that control to enforce her rule and avoid the law at all turns.

One onlooker would give an account of one of her ceremonies he had the unwanted privilege to see. It was John's Eve 1872 and Marie II was heading the ceremony. It began with songs being sung to the voodoo queen and than a large fire was erected. Above the fire she ordered a cauldron to be placed. Water from a beer barrel was then poured in and followed by salt, black pepper, a cat, a black rooster, various powders and lastly a snake cut into three pieces to represent the trinity. The cauldron bubbled and Marie II demanded the crowd to strip off their clothes. This was very strange but the crowd went with it anyways. The crowd continued to dance about and sing and then at midnight they were ordered to enter the lake and cool down for 30 minutes. They would than return to the land were more songs were sung and dances carried out and than Marie gave the order for 30 minutes of recreational time. This was basically an order for a sexual orgy to begin. Throughout the night sermons would be preached by Marie II and than at day break the flames were extinguished by 4 naked ladies. Clothes were returned and the congregation left for their homes. These sex filled self praising ceremonies would become a trademark of Marie II. Remember sex is power and Marie II did not have the sexual charisma of her mother so she felt this was the only way to accomplish the height of power her mother had.

On June 16th of 1881 Marie I passed away. Her obituary aided in part testimony of her daughter Madame Legendre, reffered to her as a charitable devout catholic who had no involvement in voodoo and despised such cults. This would fool the masses but her followers knew the truth and that was fine by them. They would mourn the loss of such a sacred and charming woman. It was a great loss for the city and one that would signal the decline of Marie the second.

Having developed the greater part of her identity from her mother, Marie II began to lose followers shortly after her mother had died. She eventually ended up drowning. Marie I's grave has been the site of many visitors and ceremonies. People come to her tomb and ask for help and offer money, flowers, and food as well as personal belongings to the once great voodoo queen of New Orleans. They spin three times and mark the stones of the tomb with a red cross. The exact grave were Marie II is buried remains a mystery but several of the supposed graves serve as wishing tombs were women come to pray for lovers and children.

Both mother and daughter are said to haunt various locations throughout the city. They appear as humans, animals, or shadows and Marie II is said to haunt the river she drowned in and can be seen floating down the water clinging to an old log. The city has since moved away from those voodoo days but the next time you think of New Orleans, keep the memory of the Leveaus strong. Happy hunting!!!