27 Facts About Marie Laveau

Marie Catherine Laveau was a Louisiana Creole practitioner of Voodoo, an herbalist, and a midwife who was renowned in New Orleans.

Historical records state that Marie Catherine Laveau was born a free woman of color in New Orleans's French Quarter, Louisiana, on Thursday, September 10,1801.

Marie Laveau's mother, Marguerite D'Arcantel, was a free woman of African, European, and Native American ancestry.

Marie Laveau is believed to have died in Baton Rouge in 1823.

On Felicite's 1824 baptismal certificate, Marie Laveau is referred to as "the Widow Paris".

Marie Laveau is confirmed to have owned at least seven slaves during her lifetime.

Marie Laveau sought pardons or commutations of sentences for those she favored, and was often successful in her efforts.

Marie Laveau was known to care for the sick in her community during the yellow fever epidemic of 1878 by providing herbal remedies and prayers for the afflicted.

Marie Laveau was a dedicated practitioner of Voodoo, a healer, an herbalist, and an entrepreneur.

Marie Laveau was known as a prominent female religious leader and community activist.

Marie Laveau started a beauty parlor, where she was a hair dresser for the wealthier families of New Orleans.

Marie Laveau excelled at obtaining inside information on her wealthy patrons at the beauty parlor by listening to ladies gossiping, or from their servants whom she either paid or cured of mysterious ailments.

Marie Laveau used this information during her Voodoo consultations with wealthy Orleanian women to enhance her image as a clairvoyant, and used this intelligence to give them practical advice.

Marie Laveau made money by selling her clients gris gris as charms to help their wishes come true.

Marie Laveau performed her services in three main places - her own home on St Ann Street, within Congo Square, and at Lake Pontchartrain.

Marie Laveau was the third female leader of Voodoo in New Orleans, a New Orleans voodoo "queen", or priestess.

Marie Laveau maintained her authority throughout her leadership, although an attempt to challenge her was made in 1850.

On June 17,1881, the Daily Picayune announced that Marie Laveau had died peacefully in her home.

At least two of her daughters were named Marie Laveau, following the French Catholic tradition to have the first names of daughters be Marie Laveau, and boys Joseph, then each use middle name as the common name.

One of her daughters named Marie Laveau possibly assumed her position, with her name, and carried on her magical practice, taking over as the queen soon before or after the first Marie Laveau's death.

Marie Laveau 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.

Marie Laveau has offered inspiration for a number of fictional characters, as well.

Marie Laveau appears as a supporting character in the Night Huntress novels by Jeaniene Frost as a powerful ghoul still living in New Orleans in the 21st century.

Marie Laveau appears in Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods, under her married name, Marie Paris.

Marie Laveau's tomb is the site of a secret, fictional underground Voodoo workshop in the Caster Chronicles novel Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Marie Laveau is depicted as a powerful sorceress and Voodoo priestess with great magical powers and knowledge of arcane lore, including the creation of a potion made from vampire's blood that keeps her eternally youthful and beautiful.

Marie Laveau appears in the Canadian television series Lost Girl in episode 11 of season four, Young Sheldon in episode seven of season one, and Legends of Tomorrow in episode seven of season four.