The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-09-26
vOUDOUISN.

Superstition a Characteristic of Southern
Darkies-SOme Curious and Decidedly
Interesting Stories.
HOUsTON, Tex, September 10
Among Southern negroes, even in slave
times, the superstition of voudOuism has
long existed, and to those acquainted
with the doings of the darkies, it is not
by any means on the decrease.
WHAT IS 1T?
An answer to this question is most diff
ficult, since whatever secret there is in
it belongs alone to the "priestesses,"
the yelled prophets of what is among the
negroes something of a religion, and is
not divulged, any more than the mys-
teries of FreemasOnry. There is in al
some mysterious old negress, who is by
the other negroes denOminated, rever-
enced and feared as the "VOudOu
Queen" They believe she has dealings
with supernatural beings, notably the
devil, and "spells'' and "charms" are
at her command, either for good or i'll,
and to be used by her for either purpose
at pleasure. When a darky desires to
gain the affection of some dusky maiden,
he applies to the IS voudou,'' paying her
price for the exercise of her supposed
power, which is also, and in the same
manner, invoked to hurt or destroy his
enemies.
When vOudOu goes to her incanta-
ton, it is said she builds fire in an
open spot, and, like the three witches in
Macbeth, dances around it, ut the same
time using some unintelligible gibberish
and curious "lingO," and scattering
feathers, the beaks and claws of birds
and portions of the skins of snakes upon
the flames. There is at present a ne
gress in Dallas who processes the YOU
dou practices and carries with her q
stuffed snakeskin as part of her
outfit.
Last year a negro was arrested by the
police Of Houston and lodged in the
CITY Calaboose. On searching him
they found ball in his pocket, and, on
inquiry, were by the prisoner informed
that it was a vOudOu charm. On being
opened it was found to consist of piece
of iron ore tightly surrounded by rusty
needles, all covered by strips of cloth of
various cOlOrs. On being tested the
iron was found to be magnetic, and
really nothing but a lOadstOne. The
wearer stated that it had been given
him by vOudOu as charm against his
enemies. His faith in its virtues APP
peared implicit.
| THE VOUDOUED YOUNG LADY.
Many years ago there was curious
instance of the supposed effects of YOU
dOuism in New Orleans. She belonged
to wealthy family, and the chamber
maid was a young negress. This servant
girl was visited by vOudOu who APP
peared to be acting for another woman,
who, from jealousy or some other cause,
was an enemy to the young lady in ques-
ton. After this the young girl became
i'll with, apparently, a slow wasting dis
ease. The best medical aid was summon
ed. No physician, however, was found
who could diagnose the girls malady, or
suggest remedy. All remedies were
tried in vain; the doctors could discover
nothing either in their patients mental
or corporal system that could account
for the strange and singular symptoms.
One day it was found necessary to cut
ONn the pillows on which the young girl
had reposed during her illness. Inside
one of them was found a. quantity of
curious and heterogeneous materials,
portions of hens claws, beaks of birds,
snake-skins, rags, and strings of differ
ent cOlOrs, roots, herbs, and other
vOudOu materials. The disgust
ing stuff, which the servant
girl acknowledged she had put
there under the circumstances above
mentioned, was removed. Immediately
the fair young invalid began getting
better, her appetite returned, and in u
month or two she was herself. again. 1t
may be inquired to what were due the
phenomena in this case? Most likely
not to any supposed fetish influence, but
to the physical effect on the young girls
system of the poisonous exhalatiOns of
the peculiar and unknown specimens
deposited in her pillow, and which prob
ably affected her nervous system through
the medium of the lungs and blood.
In the days of slavery, on the large
plantations, there was almost always
some old negro, generally woman,
who was regarded with superstitious
dread by the other negroes, and some
times by the "white folks" her young
master and mistress, as possessed Of
the power of the vOudOu. She generally
had things her own way, all dreading to
offend her for fear some misfortune
should befall them.
THE VIRGINIA VOUDOU.
An instance is recalled of large Vir-
ginia planter in the long years before
the war, and who was lord and master
of several hundred negroes. One of
these was mulattO, who had been
ERASED in the house," and was more
intelligent than others of his class. He
was reputed vOudou, and, on one oc-
casiOn, his master, the old gentleman,
thought it necessary to whip him. He
was accordingly tied up, but before the
lash was applied, the mulattO told his
master he would never have any more
luck or rest in his house or home. How
ever, the whipping was finished and the
mulatto unloOsed anddegraded from his
position of house servant to that of field
hand, for which again he vowed ven-
geance. After this every thing went
wrong with the old Virginia gentleman.