The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-28
THE vOUDOU HUMBUG.
WELL TOLD LIES THAT ARE IN CIR.
CuLATIoN.
A New Orleans Journal Declares That
voudouism Has Long Been Extinct
Cable Responsible For the Revival Of
the Fraud.
rom the New Orleans Times. Democrat.

ism had disappeared from Louisiana, and
nothing was heard OF it savo an occasional
practical joke played by one negro on an.
other, until Mr.. Cable treated il far more
seriously than it ever had been before, and
in the "Grandissimes" asserted that white
creoles OF the better class believed in the
powers of Obi and Grigris. A subsequent
article OF his describing Marie Levaux, the
alleged Voudou Queen, gave still further
support to his old story and conveyed the
impression abroad that Noudouism was
still rampant in Louisiana, still credited
by the whites as well as the negroes; not
probably as bad as il is in lIayti or Guinea,
but far worse than anywhere else in the
world.
When native Louisianan circulates
these stories, ii is not to be wondered at
ii people elsewhere should credit them,
and even embellsh them. We have be.
fore us, for instance, copy OF the London
Post, with very learned article on You.
dousm, containing most of Cables abb
surd stories, and some additional ones,
the source OF which We do not know, but
which are more ludcrously incorrect than
any English stories ever published about
America. The Post substantially accepts
Cables theory, enumerated in the Grandis-
Shines that Noudousm does not merely
hold 'the devout belief of the blacks In
the southern portion OF the United States,
among whom II belongs but has compelled
reluctant credonce among worry many in.
telligcnt white people subjected TO the
| influence OF its pressure"
The Post u es an interesting account OF
| Noudouism in Africa and llayti, and then
turns to Louisiana. Here il outcables Ca.
BILE with the most absurd collection Of
monstrous fciions we have ever heard, all
told solemnly in the greatest earncstncss
and evidently believed in. Its stories OF
| the Louisiana Noulous are 50 wonderful
! that they are really worth giving in full,
| 1t informs US that "human sacrifices have
been made in the Noudou rites in Louis
lana This was frequently the case before
| the civil war; but the priests affirm that
since then IL has been questionable TO 20
| to such extremes except in great and rare
/ emergencies. When the occasion seemed
! 10 justify the sacrihcill slaughter Of child
or young girl--the victims generally SO.
! lec,cd-ihcre was no unnecessary cruelty
| in the proceedings The selected party
was Drained with u heavy club, the breast
! opened, the augurCs drawn from the heart
| or entrals. The flesh was either roasted
or made into q broth-with proper and i'm.
proper seasoning and throughout the en-
tire proceedings was referred to by the dell
icate aphorism OF the goat without
! horns"
We do not know where the Pod got this
story, but il next assertion evidently
| originated with Gable. "There are, -
writes its correspondent, "many intcll.
gent white people, CrcOlcs generally, who,
while they repuliate belief in Nouiou.
ism, yet say. notwithstanding, Il must adj
init that have known ol something very
STRANGE and they then 20 and tell
story corrOb0rdtlng astoundingy these
amazing claims. II IL undeniablc that
fifteen years beion the war OF the rebel.
lion and the abolition OF slavery, the
| Noulous forotold both these events with
sccriike prtsciencc. Aud very many
white persons In New Orleans, while the
war was in progress tell today that they
were notified by Noud0u men aud women
Of the death OF loved ones on battle fields,
and such notification was given at the
time OF their occurrence, or In some In.
stances the deaths were forotold with
specification OF time place aud circum.
stance
The Tods article IL too long TO give in
| full, and We will content ourselves with
publishing tho following information
given of Noudou convention held In the
! neighborh0Od OF New Orleans, incden-
tally saying that this Is the first time any
one IN Louisiana has ever heard OF the
| meeting
mention has been made several times
in this article Of the old aud new
schools OF Noudouism. The divergence Of
the latter from the former took form
twelve years ago at q grand council ut
| Chcnicre Caminada, small island In
| Barataria Bayou, near New Orleans, Ia,
which was attended by nearly every You.
dou priest and pHesioss In tho United
States.
Among them were some who doubted
the old claim OF ability 10 make spirits
naterialze aud cause the 'chicl spiritual
rulers, or even Satan himself. TO appear
when desired. The old orthodox PROBES.
sors undertook 10 prove their power. BY
every most potent spell aud incarnation NJ
their command-cyrn including human
sacrifce-they called ON Satan TO show
himself and coniound those who quJs-
toned his visible presence. lie did not
appear, but the reason alleged by those
who claim the honor u his personal ac.
qunintance was that there were some
among those present who were unfit to
meet him. They went on trying 10 get a
chief spiritual ruler, or oven a poor
common, ordinary ghost, TO materiaize,
aud were utterly discounted by failure.
The conditions were not right "A reason
which all spiritualiss will fully appreciate
rs quite sufficient excuse.
"Now, while the adopts or masters, who
adhere to the old belief ia al It's fullncss,
continue to believe as firmly as ever Ia
their power 90 make satan appear aud
spirits malerialiac- which they say they
have often done, and seen done by Others
The new school draw tho line ut visible
presence. The spirits aud even the doyil
himself, the latter say, come when called,
and stand around ~ help, but cannot be-
seen Of mortal eyes. And this opening
wedge Of difference has been followed by
others.
1.-THE old school admitted NJ least equal
right aud power 10 priests aud pricstcssgs
some Of them even going ~ far as 10 adj
vance the not improbable proposition that
In matters requiring thorough and extreme
deyiltry, women were likely TO bo the most
powerful. In the New Orleans Lodge Of
Noudou adopts iwothirls OF the members
are females But the new school assumes
that knowledge 81 the mysteries should DO
restricted 10 men, ~ women should not DO
Entrusted with such awful secrets and