The little-known story of Marie Laveau, the “voodoo queen” who still haunts New Orleans

For a while, social networks claimed that Beyoncé is a descendant of a high voodoo priestess of 19th century New Orleans.^e century. Queen B would inherit her powers and use them to ensure her success.There’s nothing to prove this conspiracy theory, but it’s enough to modernize one of Louisiana’s legendary characters, Marie Laveau.

Mag was born on the banks of the Mississippi to a freed black mother and a white father of French descent.New Orleans is then at the crossroads of French, Spanish, Catholic, and African cultures, the latter highlighted by the arrival of Haitian immigration after the Revolution.

The Haitians took their voodoo practices with them and spread them throughout the freed black community. However, Haitian Voodoo transitions from punitive, rather black magic. The popular gris-gris has the sole purpose of promoting good luck and success. Since then, the town’s most revered magician has taken the title of voodoo queen . Marie Laveau introduced her two predecessors, Sanit Dede and Marie Salope, to magic. But before assuming their title at about age 40, she worked as a hairdresser for the wealthy ladies of the city. Their precious trusts would not have been useless for her gift of divination.

Saint or demon?

The young woman then moves out of limbo by forming a relationship with a wealthy white man, Jean-Louis de Glapion, who knows their children, but Marie makes herself just as rich by practicing voodoo. She promises the return of a lost love, the loyalty of a fickle husband, or the charm of the city’s judges to prevent the conviction of a delinquent son. The magician is also known to take care of yellow fever patients better than any doctor, so for some he becomes a saint, for some a demon.

Newspapers of the time, however, tell us better about his life than gossip. In July 1850, Marie Laveau went on trial for stealing a large voodoo statue from her rival, Rosalie, who dreamed of stealing the title of voodoo queen from her. Monsieur de Glapion’s partner is acquitted because she swears she defended herself from Rosalie, who was the first to stole equipment from his house.

spiritualism

Over time, this simple dispute became a myth, designed to prove the power of a magician who is able to overthrow even another priestess in court. Moreover, the title holder of the voodoo queen after her is her own daughter, Marie Laveau II, who is even more impressive. makes the mother’s “cult business” when spiritualism and esotericism attract the maid.

Even today, Marie Laveau’s grave (died in 1881, very old for the time!) remains a tourist hotspot in New Orleans. economy, there’s only one step left… the rabbit’s foot.

Discover other historical figures on the podcast with Virginia Giraud At the heart of the story