Voodoo queens and kings were spiritual and political figures of power in s New Orleans. The core belief of New Orleans Voodoo is that one God does not interfere in daily lives, but that spirits do. Connection with these spirits can be obtained through various rituals such as dance, music, chanting, and snakes.
The most famous voodoo queen was Marie Laveau , a legendary practitioner buried in St. Louis Cemetery No.
She was a devout Catholic and encouraged others to do so as well. She lived in the French Quarter on St. Ann Street, where people would ask her for help. She was a free woman of color who adopted children, fed the hungry and nursed the sick during the yellow-fever epidemic.
She was known to help enslaved servants and their escapees. It is said that politicians, lawyers and businessmen often consulted her before making any financial or business-related decisions.
County police agencies have seen evidence of voodoo rituals when doing search warrants. Palm Beach County has at least five houses of worship, which operate essentially underground out of fear of repercussions due to such elements as animal sacrifice. Despite this fear, it is still actively practiced and its capital is New Orleans , Louisiana. Congo Square, now located in Armstrong Park, once served as a gathering place for enslaved Africans.
They practiced their traditions and culture, including Voodoo! During the 's, true Voodoo went underground when New Orleans became a tourist destination. At that time, businesses were started, charging money, selling fake potions and powders believed to protect the wearer from evil or bring good luck. After a Voodoo priest named Dutty Boukman started the Haitian Revolution of n aming slaves as leaders in the resistance, it sparked terror in the white colonist that sought to keep slavery in the U.
The early slaves that were held in large groups, relatively isolated from interaction with white settlers, were able to keep these traditions intact. It was a source of strength for African slaves who had to endure fierce conditions when they found themselves uprooted and moved around the world as capital.
Voodoo played a major role in the resistance to slavery and the continued existence of our identity. Our ancestors believed that if you take away the so-called supernatural elements, you will see an expression of our identity.
Unlike Eurocentric a belief system assuming that European American culture and Western culture is the norm and should be viewed as the standard against which other cultures are judged religions , it does not decline or focus on the past, but continues to understand its origin.
It lives in the here or now and evolves as the times and people do. Voodoo was developed so the enslaved could worship their own Gods under the domination of their Spanish and French plantation masters. A t first, in the late 's, most slaves hadn't been converted to Christianity yet, but as the years followed, Christians, Baptist and Methodist practically forced this religion onto our people. Preaching about hope and redemption they even believed that God said that white people were superior to Black people and that they were fated to live as slaves, per the Bible.
For many slaveholders, this outlook made it so easy to convert slaves and establish biracial churches. Fortunately, for our enslaved ancestors, slave preachers might emphasize the need for obedience to the "master" while whites were present, but among other slaves they went back to their old teachings, emphasizing themes of suffering and redemption. Slaves would sing spirituals filled with lyrics about salvation and references to biblical figures like Moses, who led his people to freedom.
These songs functioned even more explicitly as expressions of resistance, encoding messages about secret gatherings or carrying directions for escape! Although Voodoo is often called a syncretic religion because of its Catholic appearances, the Rev. Orlando Espin thinks syncretism is a wrong term to use because slaves did not have much of a choice in converting, therefore, they used Catholicism to mask the practices of their own religion, thereby pretending to be Catholic.
In the 's and 's, two of the most significant slave rebellions in American history were plotted by Denmark Vesey and Nat Turner. Even though this rebellion ended, there were rumors of more on the way. White people brutally retaliated against Black people for ten days, killing hundreds of slaves and even free Black people that had nothing to do with the rebellion.
This led whites to figure out how to prevent further rebellions, passing laws that cracked down on slaves and free Blacks. They outlawed teaching Blacks to read or write, and forbade Blacks from preaching or holding religious services. Since Voodoo had given slaves a sense of power and strength that white people couldn't understand, they certainly cracked down on that as well.
Looking back at the revolution in , it was generally believed, a secret vodou ceremony had provided the spark for the violent uprising that liberated the country from its French masters. However, in the s to , slave masters were also concerned about what the enslaved were learning in the Bible as well as reading. If anything, the slave masters would rather read and teach what they wanted and how they wanted than for the slaves to learn for themselves.
Never have any church. De white preacher would call us under a tree Sunday evenin tuh preach tuh us. When dey tell yuh tuh do somethin run an do hit.
Nevertheless, slaves were very much aware of Voodoo and some would practice in the dead of night, chanting and dancing. Others were told to stay away from the devil magic and keep their head focused on the Lord and their Christian ways.
In Western culture, a hex is similar to something like the Italian version of the 'evil eye' that is warded off by those who believe in its power by wearing a piece of jewelry fashioned like a horn. A hex is a spell or a threat that something bad is going to happen to somebody. It is used to cure anxiety, addictions, and feelings of depression or loneliness, as well as to help the poor, hungry, and the sick. It was a place reserved for African traditions and expression of culture, including Voodoo.
Hundreds of people would gather to form drum circles and spiritual ceremonies. The area remains open today and continues to host cultural meetings.
The most famous voodoo queen was Marie Laveau , a legendary practitioner buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. She was a devout Catholic and attended Mass at St. Louis Cathedral. She encouraged others to do so as well. She lived in the French Quarter on St. Ann Street, where many people stopped to ask for her help at all hours of the day and night. She was a free woman of color who adopted children, fed the hungry, and nursed the sick during the yellow fever epidemic.
She was known to help enslaved servants and their escapees. It is said that politicians, lawyers, and businessmen consulted her before making any financial or business-related decisions. Her home was adorned with candles, images of saints, altars, and items to protect the house from spirits. You can find nickels, paper flowers, and various offerings on her tomb today. Stay at the Inn on St. Perhaps one of the most famous voodoo kings of New Orleans was Dr.
John, also known as Bayou John. He was born in Senegal, where he was kidnapped as a slave and brought to Cuba. He eventually moved to New Orleans as a cotton-roller, where he became part of the local voodoo community. He bought property on Bayou Road and became known as an excellent healer in Voodoo and fortune teller.
He was the teacher of Marie Laveau. John's Eve is celebrated on June 23 around the world for the summer solstice. The holiday has a special celebration in New Orleans each year.
The celebration began in the s by Marie Laveau on Bayou St. A head-washing ritual was combined with a public party, a celebration that International House Hotel has since adopted. You can also return to Bayou St.
John to participate in the ritual each year as well. Today, Voodoo remains in practice to serve others and influence life events in connection with ancestors and spirits. Rituals are usually held privately, but there are various places that will give you a reading or assist in a ritual. Learn about rituals, voodoo altars, and artifacts from Africa, Haiti, and old New Orleans. Shop for products or get a personal reading.
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