All things New Orleans
Voodoo and Marie Laveau
What is Voodoo?
An actual, serious "animist" religion. Animist means that it is based
in nature, like some forms of Wicca and Paganism, and virtually all
Native American and other Native or tribal faiths/beliefs. The roots
of Voodoo, also called Voudon, Voudou, and Vodou, trace back to the
Fon and Yoruba peoples of Africa. European Pagan traditions, the beliefs
and practices of the Arawak Indians, and Roman Catholicism influenced
the religion of practitioners brought to the states during the slave-trade
years. Though the practices and beliefs have been simplified and often
ridiculed in American literature and film, the religion is recognized
and practiced in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Togo, and Benin.
It has a following in the USA as well. More information on the basics
of the true religion (not the movie perversions) can be located at the
link provided below . Fair warning: this is a site friendly to animistic
and/or pagan beliefs, and might offend net nannies, parents, and other
people easily offended by religious beliefs very different from their
own.
http://www.occultresearch.org/voodoo/
Who was Marie Laveau?
I could spend a few books answering that question. I love the simplicity
and humanity of this descriptive quote:
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"The facts of Marie's life are complicated by legend,
but this much is known. She was a free person of color, uneducated,
and thought to be a mixture of black, white, and Indian blood,
and rumored to be descended from the noblest bloodline in France.
Her first husband was Jacques Paris, a free man of color, who
disappeared after three years of marriage. Marie became known
as the "Widow Paris" (as carved on her tomb in the St. Louis Cemetery).
She later formed an alliance with Captain Christophe Duminy Glapion,
also a free man of color. Although they never married, they had
fifteen children together, and she buried him in her family tomb.
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Marie was obsessed by the fate of condemned prisoners
and had permission to visit the captives in jail. She took them food
she had prepared, and she nursed yellow fever victims without fear of
infection. In general, she was a charitable person who lived simply.
Later in life she turned to the church. In 1881, she died at home, in
her sleep, at the age of 87, and she was laid to rest in a dignified
Catholic manner with no mention of her Voodoo past."
Check out this link for a highly awesome impressionistic photo
(of Marie Laveau and 12 other legendary women). Click on the
photo for the full text where I got my quote.
http://thescreamonline.com/photo/photo3-1/davis/MarieLaveau.html
LSU opinion on Marie Laveau's
indentity and history
Great source, maybe the best, short of buying a book:
http://www.artsci.lsu.edu/phil/faculty/payne/Projects/LaRel/EDick/MLaveau01.html
Barbie in the world of shadows
This has nothing to do with any college. You won't believe this one.
What would Barbie's mom say?
http://home.xnet.com/~minxkely/barbie/marie.html
A step above Barbie
Perhaps? More artistic merit?
http://www.southernelegance.net/doll-marielaveau-snk.html
No words can do this justice
Without a doubt the most fascinating modern take on this complex woman.
This is amazing. If she could curse someone for this, would she? Maybe
she'd be flattered.
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/laveau.htm
So, Marie Laveau's tomb, the one you
talk about in Fat Tuesday--is that real?
Ooooh, yeah. It's really in St. Louis Number One. Here are some shots
of the tomb by various brave souls.
http://www.artofronan.com/New%20Orleans/marie.html
http://www.purplehaven.com/neworleans/pics2.html
(This one's my favorite)
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| Rusty and Briggs cast their spell here
in Fat Tuesday. |
The shop where Rusty meets Briggs in Fat
Tuesday. |
Does Marie Laveau's House
of Voodoo exist?
The shop where Rusty met Briggs is an actual place.
http://www.bloodymarystours.com/marielaveaus.html
Famous song about Marie
Laveau
http://www.lyrics007.com/Bobby%20Bare%20Lyrics/Marie%20Laveau%20Lyrics.html
Don't leave home without
it
http://www.luckymojo.com/gooferdust.html
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