On June 7,
1870. Marie Laveau, the "Queen of the Voodoos," was dethroned because
of old age. Marie, the most famous and most powerful of all the Voodoo queens,
was born in New Orleans circa 1796 as a freed Black woman.
A beautiful
mulatto and a professional hairdresser and nurse, Marie worked in the homes of
some of New Orleans' most prominent white women. She was also reportedly a
procuress for white men. Marie became the chief Voodoo queen succeeding the old
Sanite "Dede," and subsequently dominated Voodoo in New Orleans for
nearly forty years. Under Marie, Louisiana Voodoo was a mixture of West Indian
fetishism and a distorted form of Catholicism.
This unusual
mixture served to increase the popularity of Marie's cult and to give it a
degree of legitimacy. Marie's unusual power lay in her ability to convince
Blacks and whites alike that she could produce "good fortune" and
stave off evil. Marie died in 1881 at the age of 79 and was succeeded by
Malvina Latour. Also important to note is that Marie was the influential woman
who began Louisiana or New Orleans Voodoo as it is practiced today.
Questions:
1. What are
some personal thoughts or questions you have about the Queen of Voodoo or
Voodoo in general?
2. Are there
similar stories of powerful women in history who had a profound impact on a
religion?
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