Henry C Castellanos
[Introductory Note]
Chapter VI: The Voudous
Their History, Mysteries and Practices
Who has not heard, in connection with the local history
of New Orleans, of that mysterious and religious sect of fanatics,
imported from the jungles of Africa and implanted in our midst,
so well known under the appellation of Voudous? St. John's
Day - the 24th of June - is the day consecrated by them to their
peculiar idolatry. Drifting into this country and the West India
Islands with the constant influx of the Slave Trade, this disgusting
organization or order, with its stupid creed and bestial rites,
made considerable progress among the low and ignorant of our population
in the early period of the present century, and extended its ramifications
among the servile classes through most of our Creole parishes.
Their dances are original, partaking of the character
of the "Calinda" and "Bamboula,"
now made world-famous by the genius of our fellow-townsman, Edward
Gottschalk, who has set them to most exquisite music. But it is
not for these dances alone that the study of Voudouism deserves
to be considered, but for the further reason that they are accompanied
by cir- [91] cumstances so odd, strange, and, I may say, atrocious,
as to deserve particular notice.
According to the Africans of the Arada nation, who
claim to have preserved unsullied the faith and ceremonies of their
religion, the word "Voudou" signifies an all-powerful
and supernatural Being, from whom all events derive their origin.
And what or who is that being? A serpent, a harmless snake, under
whose auspices these religionists gather. The attributes of prescience
and knowledge of the past are ascribed to it, and these he manifests
through the medium of a High Priest selected by the sect, and most
frequently through the lips of the black wench, whom the love of
the former has elevated to the post of a consort.
These two ministers of the God-Serpent, claiming to
act under its inspiration, assume the pompous names of King and
queen; at other times the despotic titles of Master and Mistress,
and sometimes those of a more affectionate nature, Papa and Mamma.
They hold office by a life tenure, and exact unbounded confidence
from their adepts. They communicate the will of the Serpent in all
matters appertaining to the admission or rejection of candidates.
They prescribe the duties and obligations incumbent upon them. They
receive the gifts and presents, which the God expects as a tribute
to his power. To disobey or resist means offence to the Deity, and
subjects the recalcitrant to great penalties.
As soon as this system of domination, on the one hand,
and of blind submission on the other, has been well established,
they hold meetings at stated periods, at which the King and Queen
preside, in accordance with traditions borrowed from Africa, and
varied at times by creole customs and others of European origin,
as, for instance, in matters of dress and ornament. These reunions,
whenever they are conducted in their primitive purity, [92] are
always strictly secret, are held in the night time, and
in a place so secluded as to escape the gaze of any profane eye.
There, every member, after divesting himself of his usual raiment,
puts on a pair of sandals and girds his loins with a number of red
handkerchiefs. The Voudou King is distinguished from his subjects
by a greater number, and of a finer quality, of those coverings,
always using some crimson stuff, wrapped around his kinky head,
lieu of a diadem. A cord, usually blue, encircles his waist. The
Queen is dressed with more simplicity, affects red garments and
adorns her person with a sash of the same hue.
The King and Queen take their positions at one end
of the room, near a species of altar, on which is placed a box,
wherein the serpent is imprisoned, and where the affiliated can
view it outside the bars. As soon as the strict inspection assures
them that no intruder is within hearing or sight, the ceremony begins
by the adoration of his Snakeship, by protestations of fidelity
to his cult, and of submission to his behests. They renew into the
hands of the King and Queen the oath of secrecy, which is the corner
stone of their order, and, while this part of the ritual is being
accomplished, horrible and delirious scenes follow.
The worshippers being thus prepared to receive the
impressions which the Sovereigns seem to infuse into them, the latter,
assuming the benign tones of a fond father and mother, extol the
happiness which is in store for every faithful Voudou, exhort them
to confidence, and urge them to always seek their advice, whatever
the emergency may be.
The group then breaks up, and each one, according
to his wants or right of precedence, comes forward to implore the
voudou God. As the majority were slaves, they would ask for the
gift of domination over the minds [93] of their masters. One would
solicit money, anothe success in love, while a third would crave
the return of some faithless swain, or a speedy cure of the blessings
of a long life. While a withered hag would be conjuring the God
for a youthful admirer, a young one would hurl maledictions upon
a successful rival. There is not a passion, to which human nature
may be prone that is not incarnated or typified in these motley
assemblies, while crime itself is frequently invoked by those carried
away by malice.
To every one of these petitions or invocations, the
Voudou King lends a heedful ear. The spirit begins to move him.
He suddenly seizes the precious box, lays it on the floor, and places
the Queen upon the lid. No sooner has her foot touched the sacred
receptacle, than she becomes possessed, like a new Pythoness. Her
frame quivers, her whole body is convulsed, and the oracle pronounces
its edicts through her inspired lips. On some she bestows flattery
and promises of success, at others she thunders forth bitter invectives.
Following the trend either of her own wishes, of her personal interest,
or of her capricious mood, she dictates irrevocable laws, in the
name of the serpent, to a set of idiots, who gulp down every absurdity
with stupendous credulity, and whose rule is blind obedience to
every mandate.
As soon as the oracle has answered every question
propounded, a circle is formed and the serpent is put back upon
the unholy fane. Then each one presents his offering, and places
it in a hat impervious to prying curiosity. These tributes, the
King and Queen assure them, are acceptable to their Divine protector.
From these oblations a fund is raised which enables them to defray
the expenses of the meetins, to provide help for the needy, and
to reward those from whom the society [94] expects some important
service. Plans are next proposed, and lines of action prescribed
under the direction, as the Queen always affirms, of the God, "Voudou."
Of these many are contrary to morality and to the maintenance of
law and order. An oath is again administered, which binds not only
every one to secrecy, but to assist in carrying out the work agreed
upon. Sometimes, a bowl, dripping with the still warm blood of a
kid, seals upon the lips of the assistants the promise to suffer
death rather than reveal the secret, and even to murder a traitor
to this obligation.
And now the Voudou dance begins.
If there be a candidate present, his initiation inaugurates
this part of the ceremony. The Voudou King traces a large circle
in the centre of the room with a piece of charcoal, and places within
it the sable neophite. He now thrusts into his hand a package of
herbs, horse hair, rancid tallow, waxen effigies, broken bits of
horn, and other substances equally nauseating. The lightly striking
him on the head with a small wooden paddle, he launches forth into
the following African chant!
"Eh! eh! Bomba, hen, hen!
Canga bafio te,
Canga moune de le,
Canga do ki la
Canga li."
As these words are repeated in chorus by the onlookers,
the candidate begins to "squirm" and to dance. This is
called "monter voudou." If, unfortunately, he
should in the excess of his frenzy, happen to step out of the line
enclosing the mystic circle, the song ceases at once, and the King
and Queen turn their backs upon him, in order to neutralize the
bad omen. [95] When the dancer recovers his self-possession, he
re-enters the ring, becomes convulsed again, drinks some stimulant
and relapses into a hysteric fit. To put a stop to these symptoms,
the King sometimes hits him smartly with his wooden paddle, and,
if needs be, uses a cowhide. He is then led to the altar to take
the oath, and from that moment he is a full-fledged member of the
Order.
On the termination of the ceremony, the King places
his hand or foot on the box where the snake is ensconced, and experiences
a shock. He communicates by contact this impulsion to his Queen,
and through her the commotion is conveyed to every one in the circle.
Every one then begins to experience convulsions through the upper
portion of the body, the head and the shoulders. A work of dislocation
of the bones seems to be going on. The Queen particularly appears
to be most violently affected. She goes from time to time to the
voudou serpent, to gather a new supply of magnetic influence. She
shakes the box, and the tinkling bells, that are usually suspended
from its sides, increase the general delirium. Add to this copious
draughts of spirituous liquors. Then is pandemonium let loose. Fainting
fits and choking spells succeed one another. A nervous tremor possesses
everybody. No one escapes its power. Then spin around with incredible
velocity, whilst some, in the midst of these bacchanalian orgies,
tear their vestments, and even lacerate their flesh with their gnashing
teeth. others, entirely deprived of reason, fall down to the ground
from sheer lassitude, and are carried, still panting and gyrating
into the open air.
What is undoubtedly true and is a remarkable phenomenon
among these people, is the existence of that species of electric
fluid which urges these people to dance, until bereft of sense through
complete exhaustion. They are not unlike the Shakers in this repect.
[96] These singular details are gleaned from a work
entitled "Souvenirs d'Amérique," written
by a talented Creole lady of New Orleans, who seems to have made
a special study of the subject.
The greater portion of these people came to Louisiana
at the period of the St. Domingo Revolution, when thousands of whites
and blacks repaired to our shores in quest of an asylum from impending
massacre. They brought with them the peculiar dialect of their unfortunate
and doomed island home, and, among other customs which their slaves
introduced, they domesticated in our midst the lascivious saturnalia,
the horrid orgies and the dangerous, and, in many cases, criminal
practices that constitute the ritual of this African institution.
A brief historical sketch of their existence and leaders
in New Orleans may prove of interest to the general reader.
In the foreground of the Kings and Queens who wielded
here their sceptres with despotic power, was a fellow, named John,
better known as "DR JOHN," who lived out on the Bayou
Road, near its intersection with Esplanade street. He was a negro
of the purest African type. His ebony face was horribly tattered,
in conformity with the usages of the Congo tribe. He was glib of
tongue, neat in his apparel, always wore a frilled shirt front and
claimed miraculous powers for the cure of diseases. His room or
office was packed with all sorts of herbs, lizards, toads and phials
of strange compounds. Thousands visited him. As an Indian doctor,
he was a great success.
In addition to this industry, he cumulated the functions
of an astrologer, a mind-reader and professed cartomancy and divination
also by means of pebbles and shells. His control over the credulous
and super- [97] stitious element of society was incredible. He pretended
ability to read the past, to know the present and to forecast the
future. Charms and amulets were special objects of traffic in his
shop, and realized very high prices. One would stand aghast were
he to be told the names of the high city dames, who were wont to
drive in their own carriages, with thickly veiled faces, to this
sooty black Cagliostro's abode, to consult him upon domestic affairs.
As he was well informed of many family secrets, through the connivance
of the hundreds of negro servants attached to the cause of Voudouism,
his powers of vaticination [sic] cease to be a subject of wonder.
He exercised the functions of voudou royalty for upward
of forty years,and was most strict in the observance of the African
ritual. He was a negro to the core - in color, origin and principle.
A mulatto was his special aversion. "Too black to be white,"
he was wont to say, "and too white to be black, he is nothing
but a mule." He was well off, having accumulated some property.
He died shortly after the war, at a very advanced age, but such
were his vitality and powers of endurance that his body ever remained
erect and his hair jet black.
Not unlike "Doctor John" in many respects,
Marie Laveau, deserves mention. In her youth, she was a
woman of fine physique and a noted procuress. Introducing herself
into families as a hair dresser, she would assist in the clandestine
correspondent of sweethearts, and aid youthful lovers - and old
coquettes as well - in their amouts. She was an essentially bad
woman. Though queen of the Voudous, she excised the ritual of the
original creed, so as to make it conform to the worship of the Virgin
and of other saints. To idolatry she added blasphemy. She was the
first to popularize [98] - I whould say, vulgarize - voudousim in
New Orleans. She would invite the reporters of the press, the magnates
of the police force, the sweels of the sporting fraternity to their
public dances and drinking bouts, where a snake in a box, a beheaded
white rooster and other emblems of their religious belief were conspicuously
exposed. These festivals occurred yearly on St. John's eve, at some
convenient sport not far from the bayou which bears that name. But
this was a mere device to hoodwink the unwary. Her secret conclaves
were usually held in a retired spot upon the lake shore known as
the "figuiers" - once a big orchard, - beyond
which she had constructed a frame cabin, that she used as a summer
resort.
Her house, situated on St. Anne street, between Rampart
and Burgundy, is said to be one of the most ancient frame residences
of the city. It is a rickety concern today, and is retired from
the street.
She also dealt in charms against malefices, and pretended
to cure many ailments, particularly those produced by "gris-gris"
and other criminal devices. Such was the superstition of our people
in her palmy days, that her apartments were often thronged with
visitors from every class and section, in search of aid from her
supposed supernatural powers. Ladies of high social position would
frequently pay her high prices for amulets supposed to bring good
luck. Politicians and candidates for office known to purchase what
we would call "mascots" today at her shop of Fortune,
and sports would wear,attached to their watch chains, pieces of
bone or wood dug from the graveyard. Some of these were curiously
and fantastically carved. Is it needless to say that she was an
arrant fraud? Yet, money poured into her purse.
[99] A fellow by the name of DR. ALEXANDER succeeded
her in this profession of dupery. He had for sometime a large following
in the suburbs, but frequent arrests by the police hampered his
business. He died a few years ago, I believe.
The prince of the occult science, styling himself
Don Pedro is now the recognized head of the sect, and his
adepts, I am told, are legion. The police haave, however, nearly
broken up his business, having compelled the medium of the press,
as he advertises occasionally as a healing medium. As long as charlatans
are not put down by the strong arm of the law, there will ever be
a host of believers.
The organization of the voudous, as an organization,
has been suppreessed in a great measure by the efforts of our municipal
authorities. I remember a raid, made by Captain Mazerat, of the
Third District, some forty years ago, which was accompanied by circumstances
of such a startling nature, as to give the association a deadly
blow. Many of the old residents remember the "Racket Green,"
along the St. Bernard Canal, where thousands were in the habit of
congregating to witness the battles of the "Bayous" with
the "La Villes," in the games of Raquettes. The
field was an immense one, extending from Claiborne as far back as
Broad. In the centre stood an old pottery, apparently untenanted.
While the game was progressing, the Captain aided by a strong corps,
advanced unobserved upon the dilapidated tenement and arrested the
whole concern - Voudous and paraphernalia - while engaged in one
of the wildest orgies which the most prurient imagination can conceive.
The women, having cast off their every day apparel, had put on white
camisoles - called today "mother hubbards" -
and were all found clad in this [100] uniform attire. Blacks and
whites were circling round promiscuously, writhing in muscular contractions,
panting, raving and frothing at the mouth. But the most degrading
and infamous feature of this scene was the presence of a very large
number of ladies (?), moving in the highest walks of society, rich
and hitherto supposed respectable, that were caught in the drag
net. Two of them, through consideration for the feelings of their
relatives and connections, so unexpectedly brought to shame, were
permitted to escape, while the husband of a third, unable to survive
the disgrace of his wife, deliberately took his life on the following
day. These facts are beyond controversy, and the scandal, attested
by thousands, was made the subject of town gossip for many a year.
Besides the potent incantations which they claim the
power to perform, it is an admitted fact that they use philters,
drugs and poisonous substances in their wicked operations. These
they call "gris-gris." One of the favorite ingredients
used is a decoction of the "concombre zombi,"
- Jamestown weed - which they mix in coffee. it is the plant from
which the rank toxicant, kinown as stramonium, is extracted.
They use dirt taken from the graveyards. They employ certain powders,
which they scatter around such places as they suppose their victims
are apt to touch with their hands or feet, and the effect of these
powders is to produce inflammation, pain and fever. Even feather
pillows are impregnated with deleterious substances, in the guise
of poisonous crosses, coffins, images etc., but how they contrive
to introduce these objects therein without detection, is as yet
an unsolved mystery. perhaps, some one may answer: "By the
black servants, of course." But I and hundreds of others have
heard of various well authenticated cases in families where no menials
were engaged, and every [101] household duty was performed by the
inmates themselves. I am no believer in supernaturalism, but I am
free to confess that the mystery appears at this present day as
far from explanation as ever.
The tribe of Voudous, as a tribe or a class, deserves
to be stamped out of existence, and with the advances of our superior
civilization it is to be hoped that the hour is not far distant
when the last vestige of its degrading and dangerous influence will
be forever wiped out of existence.
Source: Henry C Castellanos, New Orleans As It Was: Episodes
of Louisiana Life (New Orleans: L. Graham & Son, 1895),
pp90-101.
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