If there ever was a true queen of Voodoo, it was Marie Laveau. Her life and the mythos surrounding it had a big influence on the adoption and popularization of Voodoo, at least as depicted in film and TV.
And while some painted Laveau as a raggedy hag preying on the superstitious, it turns out she was quite the opposite. Laveau rose to fame as a healer and herbalist who sought to preserve Voodoo as an African belief system, melding its religious ceremonies with the sacraments and iconography of Catholicism. Her practices, along with her enigmatic persona, ensured that her legacy as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans remains untarnished while still being shrouded in mystery.
Halloween is here and this is the perfect opportunity to discuss six true but spine-tingling facts about Marie Laveau:
She Was a Voodoo Queen
Marie Laveau is believed to have been born as a free woman of color near the end of the 18th century in the French Quarter of New Orleans, and many have described her as a devout Catholic who went to mass every day of her life. However, by 1830, she became one of several Voodoo Queens of Louisiana—with many speculating that she either learned Voodoo practices from her mother and grandmother, while others believe she learned the mystical religion from a Voodoo doctor known as Doctor John.
Whatever the case may be, it’s known that Laveau combined Voodoo and Catholic traditions, which made the Voodoo practices more acceptable to upper-class New Orleans society, and she quickly rose to the position of The Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, as she took charge of public Voodoo rituals and related ceremonies that were held weekly at Congo Square, where people could mix freely regardless of their race.
She Was a Keeper of Secrets
Though she became the Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau still had to work. She made a good income selling gris-gris, which were amulets originating from Africa that could protect the wearer from harm. However, she also started a beauty parlor, where she was a hair-dresser for the wealthier families of New Orleans. Using her sharp wit, Laveau excelled at obtaining inside information on her wealthy patrons at the parlor by listening to the ladies gossiping. Many scholars now believe that she used this knowledge to enhance her image as a clairvoyant, using the information to provide the clients with practical advice.
The Whisperer of the Final Words
The ladies’ gossip wasn’t the only secret she kept. She also ministered to prisoners and offered guidance and redemption through Christ, often listening to the stories and last words of prisoners on death row. It’s known that Marie Laveau also sought pardons for those she favored, and she would often succeed in securing pardons or at least paying bail.
But the imprisoned and wealthy weren’t the only ones to confide in her. Laveau was known to care for the sick in her community during the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 by providing herbal remedies, and her presence was so powerful that many dying individuals in New Orleans requested her to be by their bedside during their final moments.
She Was a Potion Mistress
Though we made it sound class or sub-class (depending on the game), Marie Laveau was well-known for her vast knowledge of herbs, roots, and other natural ingredients that were often used for brewing potions. Marie Laveau was known as a potion mistress, with many of the time claiming that she brewed potions that could cure ailments, bring love, or even exact revenge. In fact, many would come to her seeking her unique concoctions in the hope of changing their fate or the fates of others.
Some rumors also stated that death row prisoners would receive poison or other substances before going to the gallows, but this was never proven. It was known, however, that she would prepare them their last meal and prey with them.
The Snake Rituals
During her career as a Voodoo Queen, Laveau made her way to Maison Blanche, which was an underground Voodoo club, where she would perform more elaborate rituals involving snakes. Laveau was known for using snakes in some of her rituals, particularly rituals to evoke the spirit of Great Zombi, with Laveau interpreting the snake’s hisses and relaying the Great Zambi’s guidance to her audience.
The Immortal Voodoo Queen
Following her passing, The New York Times, The New Orleans Picayune, and Daily States described Maria Laveau as a woman of great beauty, intellect, and charisma who was also pious, charitable, and a skilled herbal healer. And though the exact time and location of Marie Laveau’s passing are known, many claimed to have seen her wandering the French Quarter, even decades after her supposed death.
Furthermore, it’s generally believed that she’s been buried in the Glapion family crypt in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, though this has been largely disputed by many individuals and scholars. There’s another crypt in Cemetery No. 2, known as the Wishing Vault or the Voodoo Vault, where visitors draw X’s on its white slab in the hope that the Voodoo Queen would grant them a wish. It’s important to note that there’s no real evidence that it’s Laveau’s tomb, but still, hundreds of visitors each year flock to the site in the hopes that Marie will turn an ear to their deepest and darkest desires.
Final Thoughts
Despite all the lore and legends surrounding her life, Maria Laveau did well. She was beloved in the New Orleans community and had the power to give good advice, regardless of whether that power was derived from the supernatural or not. Her actions, such as ministering to those in need and attending to the sick while also providing good advice to those who would listen, made Laveau not only a jewel within the fabric of the city, but landed her in the pages of history forevermore.