376 Laveau, Marie
The lack of natural lakes did not stop the ancient
Egyptians from creating man-made sacred lakes
around temples from which to draw pure water, in
which to raise aquatic animals, or on which to
conduct ritual offerings to neters. They were
calledshe netjerior divine pool.
Denise MartinSeealsoFertility; Rain; Twins
Further Readings
Appiah-Opoku, S., & Hyma, B. (1999). Indigenous
Institutions and Resource Management in Ghana.
Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor,
pp. 15–17.
Kenny, M. G. (1977). The Powers of Lake Victoria.
Anthropos, pp. 717–733. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/greatlakes/
greatlakes_overview_lo.html
Shaw, I., & Nicholson, P. (1995).The Dictionary of
Ancient Egypt. London: British Museum Press.
LAVEAU, MARIE
Marie Laveau is one of the most legendary
African figures of the 19th and 20th centuries.
As Vodu queen of New Orleans, her reign of
power extended throughout the southern region
of the United States. As a matriarch, Laveau’s
powers included healing the sick, extending
altruistic gifts to the poor, and overseeing spiri-
tual rites. Marie Laveau was respected and
feared by both black and white alike. Even after
her death, her legendary powers persisted
through her daughter, also named Marie
Laveau. Her grave is the second most visited
grave site in the United States. In St. Louis
Cemetery No. 14, one can find the burial
ground of Marie Laveau. Each year, thousands
of visitors flock to her burial site and adorn her
plot with spiritual regalia, candles, money, flow-
ers, and assorted personal items. This entry
looks at her early life, the Vodu/Vodu context in
which she was raised, her rise to leadership, and
her eventual demise.
Life in New Orleans
Born in 1800 to an African woman named
Marguerite Decantale and the son of a white
planter, Marie Laveau experienced a life more
privileged than her enslaved brothers and sisters.
Her father, Charles Laveau, made certain that she
and her mother were provided for financially,
although he often neglected Marie emotionally.
Her father purchased an Igbo child named
Louison from West Africa in 1814, who was close
in age to Marie. It is possible that Marie acquired
some of her knowledge of African ritual from
Louison. Igbos were well known for the rituals
and knowledge of herbs and medicine.
Marie was married to a Creole man, also the son
of a white enslaver, from Santo Domingo, named
Jacques Paris. Jacques reportedly disappeared and
was reported dead 5 years later. Upon his disappear-
ance, Marie began referring to herself as the
“Widow Paris.” After the reported death of her hus-
band, Marie started a relationship with Jean
Christophe Duminy Glapion. Because they were not
allowed to marry in a church, Marie performed
their matrimony ceremony herself. Together, they
had 15 children, some of whom were victims of the
various yellow fever outbreaks that plagued New
Orleans due to the city’s poor drainage system.
Although Marie was a committed mother and wife,
much of her priority in caretaking was extended to
her spiritual children and the general community.
Marie became a hairdresser to create economic
stability for herself and her family. Through inter-
action with her black clients who were house ser-
vants, she was exposed to personal information
about her wealthy white clients, who often sought
her counsel. Marie used this information to give
informed counsel to the people who sought advice
from her concerning their personal affairs. Many
wealthy and politically affluent individuals, both
white and black, paid Marie for personal advice,
intervention in some situation, and protection
against any evil energy that might have been
placed against them.VoduVodu in New Orleans
Since the establishment of early African civilizations,
religion has sustained the well-being of Africans and