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Difference between revisions of "Marie Laveau"
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She died peacefully in her home on 15 June 1881 at the age of 79. | She died peacefully in her home on 15 June 1881 at the age of 79. | ||
== | ==Crypt== | ||
[[File:Marie Laveau Grave.jpg|400px|thumb|Marie Laveau's crypt in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1.]] | [[File:Marie Laveau Grave.jpg|400px|thumb|Marie Laveau's crypt in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1.]] | ||
Laveau's name and her history have been surrounded by legend and lore. She is generally believed to have been buried in plot 347, the Glapion family crypt in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, but this has been disputed by Robert Tallant, a journalist who used her as a character in historical novels | Laveau's name and her history have been surrounded by legend and lore. She is generally believed to have been buried in plot 347, the Glapion family crypt in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, but this has been disputed by Robert Tallant, a journalist who used her as a character in historical novels. | ||
Tourists continue to visit and some draw X marks in accordance with a decades-old tradition that if people wanted Laveau to grant them a wish, they had to draw an X on the tomb, turn around three times, knock on the tomb, yell out their wish, and if it was granted, come back, circle their X, and leave Laveau an offering. | |||
===Vandalism=== | |||
In 1982, New Jersey-based punk rock group The Misfits were arrested and accused of attempting to exhume Laveau from her grave after a local concert. The arrest took place in nearby Cemetery No. 2 and there are conflicting accounts of the incident. | In 1982, New Jersey-based punk rock group The Misfits were arrested and accused of attempting to exhume Laveau from her grave after a local concert. The arrest took place in nearby Cemetery No. 2 and there are conflicting accounts of the incident. | ||
The tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1 was vandalized by an unknown person on December 17, 2013, by being painted over with pink latex paint. The paint was removed because the structure is made of old plaster and the latex paint would seal in the moisture that would destroy the plaster. Some historical preservation experts criticized the decision by officials of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, who maintain the cemetery, for their decision to use pressure washing rather than paint stripper to remove it. | The tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1 was vandalized by an unknown person on December 17, 2013, by being painted over with pink latex paint. The paint was removed because the structure is made of old plaster and the latex paint would seal in the moisture that would destroy the plaster. Some historical preservation experts criticized the decision by officials of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, who maintain the cemetery, for their decision to use pressure washing rather than paint stripper to remove it. | ||
===Restrictions=== | |||
As of March 1, 2015, there is no longer public access to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Entry with a tour guide is required because of continued vandalism and the destruction of tombs. This change was made by the Archdiocese of New Orleans to protect the tombs of the Laveau family as well as those of the many other dead interred there. | As of March 1, 2015, there is no longer public access to St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. Entry with a tour guide is required because of continued vandalism and the destruction of tombs. This change was made by the Archdiocese of New Orleans to protect the tombs of the Laveau family as well as those of the many other dead interred there. | ||
==Legacy== | |||
Although some references to Marie Laveau in popular culture refer to her as a "[[witch]]," she is usually called a "Voudou Priestess," and or more frequently described as a "Voodoo queen." To practitioners of [[Voodoo|Louisiana Voodoo]], Marie Laveau has achieved a unique status as a [[saint|folk saint]]. | Although some references to Marie Laveau in popular culture refer to her as a "[[witch]]," she is usually called a "Voudou Priestess," and or more frequently described as a "Voodoo queen." To practitioners of [[Voodoo|Louisiana Voodoo]], Marie Laveau has achieved a unique status as a [[saint|folk saint]]. | ||
===In popular culture=== | |||
Laveau has offered inspiration for a number of fictional characters. She is the protagonist of such novels as Robert Tallant's ''The Voodoo Queen'' (1956); Francine Prose's ''Marie Laveau'' (1977); and Jewell Parker Rhodes' ''Voodoo Dreams: A Novel of Marie Laveau'' (1993). | |||
In television, a heavily fictionalized Marie Laveau (portrayed by Angela Bassett) appears as a character in ''American Horror Story: Coven'' and ''American Horror Story: Apocalypse''. | |||
Laveau is mentioned in the songs "I Will Play for Gumbo" (1999) by Jimmy Buffett. | |||
[[Category:People]] | [[Category:People]] | ||