I hate slasher movies and don't like to read murder mysteriers or anything involving women or children in peril but I must admit to a fascination with the supernatural. Fairies, vampires, werewolves - I'm your girl. New Orleans is a city that is closely associated with the occult so it only makes sense that I would want to do a little research into the supernatural while I'm visiting here.
When my sister Deb and brother-in-law Bob were visiting here recently we made a stop at the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum which bills itself as the original and only actual voodoo museum in New Orleans. Located on Rue Dumaine in the French Quarter, the Voodoo Museum was created in 1972 by Charles Gandolfo who was a New Orleans Creole native, artist and cultural preservationist. General admission is $7.00 but because I mentioned that we found them on the internet our admission was only $5.00. On the day we visited no one was available to give us a tour so we walked around the 3 cluttered rooms ourselves. Below is a picture of the altar room where people still leave small objects or money on the altar as petitions to the voodoo spirits for intercession.
The Museum's website states that it's purpose is to explain the history of voodoo and it's contemporary existence by exploring voodoo as a spiritual practice, discussing the facts and folklore surrounding voodoo, and exploring the fusion of voodoo into music and jazz, Mardi Gras, movies and literature.
Voodoo came to Louisiana when African captives were brought to the territory as slaves bringing with them their religious beliefs rooted in spirit and ancestor worship and their knowledge of herbs, poisons and the ritural creation of charms and amulets used for protection or harm. Over the course of time, Catholic traditions and practices were incorporated into the voodoo faith and the spirits that presided over everyday life gradually took on the names of the Catholic Saints. Louisiana voodoo recognizes one God and multiple lesser spirits who intercede in the lives of their followers. Followers can connect with these spiritual forces through music, dance and the use of snakes which represent Legba. Unlike the traditional Judeo-Christian imagery of the serpent as a representation of evil, voodoo practioners believe that Legba represents the connection between Heaven and Earth and is the main spiritual conduit to all other spirits and to God.
During our visit we learned that the most famous voodoo practioner was the healer Marie Laveau. Born in 1801, Marie Laveau was a free woman of color who specialized in love potions and sought to help the hungry and poor.
In New Orleans, a voodoo priestess is called a Queen and a priest is called a Doctor so Marie Laveau is often referred to as the Voodoo Queen. New Orleans musician Malcolm "Mac" Rebennack gained fame when he took on the persona of Dr. John, the Night Tripper a name that came from an early 19th century Louisiana voodoo practioner. His first solo album was called Gris-Gris which is the word for both the act and the object of voodoo magical power. Wikipedia says that the album contains voodoo rhythms and chants and was ranked number 143 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". It might be fun to try and find that. I wonder if it's on ITunes?
Our stop at the Voodoo Museum was entertaining and informative. It made for a nice break in our exploration of the French Quarter and got me to thinking about the history of this area and the diverse cultures of the people that live here today. I'm excited to learn more about New Orleans.
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