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Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints
A Guide to Magical New Orleans
1 of 1 copy available
New Orleans has long been America's most magical city, inhabited by a fascinating visible and invisible world, full of mysteries, known for its decadence and haunted by its spirits. If Salem, Massachusetts, is famous for its persecution of witches, New Orleans is celebrated for its embrace of the magical, mystical, and paranormal. New Orleans is acclaimed for its witches, ghosts, and vampires. Because of its unique history, New Orleans is the historical stronghold of traditional African religions and spirituality in the US. No other city worldwide is as associated with Vodou as New Orleans.
In her new book, author and scholar Denise Alvarado takes us on a magical tour of New Orleans. There is a mysterious spiritual underbelly hiding in plain sight in New Orleans, and in this book Alvarado shows us where it is and who the characters are. She tells where they come from and how they persist and manifest today. Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints shines a light on notable spirits and folk saints such as Papa Legba, Annie Christmas, Black Hawk, African-American culture hero Jean St. Malo, St. Expedite, plague saint Roch, and, of course, the mother and father of New Orleans Voudou, Marie Laveau and Doctor John Montenée. Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints serves as a secret history of New Orleans, revealing details even locals may not know.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
February 1, 2022 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781633411456
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781633411456
- File size: 5439 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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November 29, 2021
Alvarado (The Magic of Marie Laveau), a researcher and practitioner of the Louisiana folk magic tradition, delivers an inspiring survey of 20 witches, healers, and saints drawn from the Big Easy’s history and legends. Profiles include, of course, Queen Marie Laveau, a free woman of color in the early 19th century revered for her healing, and Voudou spirit Papa Legba, the “cunning celestial trickster” known as the “Black Man at the Crossroads.” Alvarado also introduces Annie Christmas, a pre–Civil War superheroine who could outwork and outdrink anyone on the Mississippi riverfront and became a Voudou saint petitioned for empowering women and destroying bullies. Alvarado explores how newly converted African slaves associated their Voudou spirits with Catholic saints, as was the case with St. Expedite, who is based on a “fringe saint” fourth-century Armenian Catholic martyr and has evolved to be revered as the “patron saint to computer programmers and hackers.” Mixing historical sources and folklore details, these well-researched sketches reflect Alvarado’s reverence and admiration. It’s a rollicking party of spirits that should appeal to tourists, contemporary spell casters, and armchair historians. -
December 30, 2021
Teacher and author Alvarado (The Magic of Marie Laveau, 2020) brings readers into the magical side of New Orleans. She introduces readers to many heroines of New Orleans history and folklore to show that the magical and spiritual practices of Voodoo and Hoodoo are not something to fear, as they are usually portrayed in media. Alvarado includes quotes, biographical notes, and stories of heroines such as Annie Christmas, Aunt Julia Brown, and Betsy Toledano. Many of these women were of Black, Native American, or Creole decent, activists for equality, and went against the gender norms of their day. Their spiritual practices have a long living history and continue to thrive today. Alvarado allows their stories to live on in the written form for many to enjoy. This book is recommended for those who wish to learn more about the real legacy of Voodoo and Hoodoo and the ancestral women who practiced it.COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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