Fast History: Who Was VooDoo Priestess Marie Laveau? (Patreon)

Marie Laveau. While most of you may know of her from American Horror Story, her real-life story is actually more intriguing. Here's a list of things you never knew about the famous Voodoo Priestess. 

First, Voodoo in a nutshell.... 

The core beliefs of Louisiana Voodoo include the recognition of one God who does not interfere in people’s daily lives and spirits that preside over daily life. Spiritual forces, which can be kind or mischievous, shape daily life through and intercede in the lives of their followers. Connection with these spirits can be achieved through dance, music, singing, and the use of snakes, which represent Legba, Voodoo’s “main spirit conduit to all others.” (Voodoo New Orleans)

Because of her mysterious lifestyle, the absence of quality historians at the time, and urban legends handed down through the generations, not much is known with absolute CERTAINTY about Marie. However, the following are widely accepted as most-likely facts by historians and biographers.

• Marie Laveau married her first husband in 1819, but he died not even a year later of mysterious circumstances. After he died, she got together with a white man named Christophe Glapion, who she would remain with until his death. They had 7-15 children... one of which would go on to be Marie Laveau II
• Slaves and free blacks in Louisiana were less regulated than those in other portions of the country- because they outnumbered the French and Spanish settlers almost 2 to 1. As a result, they were able to practice their religions much more freely- spirited singing and dancing and voodoo casting lead to fearful white people thinking they were going to start a revolution. So, they created an ordinance in which blacks could only dance and gather in groups on Sundays in an appropriated space- the Congo Square. Marie battled and defeated the other Voodoo leaders for control of this lucrative space, cementing her as the Voodoo Queen.
• Marie earned a reputation of being able to harm people and protect people from harm with her rituals. She also specialized in romance and business quarrels. As a hairdresser, gossip and client coaxing made her able to appear all knowing- and ultimately a very powerful harbor-er of secrets for the New Orleans elite. Whites and blacks alike would go to her for business- judges wanting to win elections, a woman wanting to discredit another woman for the attention of a male- she did it all. However, she usually charged white people and helped blacks for free. 
• As a devout Catholic, Laveau added the elements of holy water, saint statues, and christian prayers to Voodoo
• She allegedly organized secret orgies for wealthy white men looking for black mistresses at her home, The White House
• She was known to help the poor and sick with healing incantations and food
• Marie Laveau retired publicly in 1869 at the age of 70. Her daughter, Marie II, followed in her mothers footsteps by becoming a Voodoo priestess. Whereas Marie I was usually kind and only vindictive when the situation called for it, Marie II relied on the fear of her subjects to remain in control. She would prove to be adept at Voodoo spectacles, however. The Saint John's Day celebration of 1872 began as a religious ceremony. Marie came with a crowd singing. Soon a cauldron was boiling with water from a beer barrel, into which went salt, black pepper, a black cat, a black rooster, a various powders, and a snake sliced in three pieces representing the Trinity. With all this boiling the practitioners ate, whether the contents of the cauldron or not is not known. Afterwards or during the feast was more singing.  Then it was cooling off time at which all stripped and swam in the lake. This was followed by a sermon by Marie, then a half hour of sexual intercourse. Then four naked girls put the contents of the cauldron back into the beer barrel. Marie gave another sermon, by this time it was becoming daylight and all headed for home.
• Even though Marie 1 died on June 16th 1881 at the alleged age of 98, sightings of the Voodoo Priestess would continue to be seen for years to come. Some of these can be attributed to Marie II, who did not die until the 1890's. However, sightings of Marie Laveau continued until as late as 1918.
• Urban Legend says that drawing an X on Laveau's tomb and leaving an offering of money, candy, or white rum three times will earn you a free wish from her. This might be why her grave has more yearly visitors than Elvis Pressley's.