The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-03-13
a VOUDOO DANCE.
Tho Weird and Repulsive Scene That Was
Witnessed In a Tennessee swamp.

old-time Southern negroes took place
about four miles south of Lanes Ferry
in Wayne county, Tenn. For two days
preceding the dance they began to ar.
rive, and the colored people of five
States were represented, there being
worshipers from Tennessee, Alabama,
Mississippi, Georgia, and the priest or
leader, was native-born Louisianian.
Very few knew of the ceremony, and
no white persons were present as spec
tators except the ''Globe- Democrat" re-
porter and lawyer of Waynesboro.
The meeting place was in Ocoltee
Swamp, down in the wiregrass, where
the pine and the hemlock, and the cy-
press and the juniper grow side by side.
Very few human creatures have ever
traversed its hidden recesses, or gone
beyond the open close to the margin Of
the sluggish black pools which abound
in all kinds of creeping scrpents and
fish. 1t is dense swamp as nearly i'm
penetrable as the Dismal Swamp of Vir-
ginia. Briars of lusty growth, and the
creeping roots of the trees and shrubs,
ma sc it dangerous for one to walk even
in the edge of the thickcts. for fear
of being tripped. The swamp is ter
rible place to enter after nightfall, as
the wild scream of the panther, the
growl of the wild boar and the hooting
of owls make ones blood run cold. Step
by step, slowly and as noiselesSly as
| possible, the scribe and the lawyer,
with pistols ready for any kind of four
footed denizens of the swamp, made
their way from hummock to hummock,
miring into slush and mud and wading
through the sluggish pools. The weird
loneliness of the swamp with no light
except the rays of the bulls eye, terri
| fed them, but it was ''see the 'vOudoo'
dance or die" and disturbing a snake
here, lizard there, or hearing the
frightened chirp of little bird that had
left its nest, they made their way for
three-quarters of a mile.
In the center of the swamp is the
Devils Lake, small, brackish body of
water, and into this a peninsula runs out
for several hundred yards, and instead
of tapering to point widens at the end.
On the end of the little peninsula is a
thick growth of trees; in the center is an
open. In this open the voudoo wor-
shippers were to make their sacrifices.
Before the war this spot used to be a
favorite meeting place of theirs, but of
late years the dances have been con-
fined to Louisiana, Georgia and Missis-
sippi. The two spectators found shelter
in the hollow of gigantic oak, and for
two long hours sat cramped up in their
narrow quarters awaiting the appear
ance of the negroes.
As the hands of the watch pointed to
the hour of midnight a shril scream
woke the echoes of the swamp, and was
answered by yells on all sides of the
swamp. In n moment Il light doomed up
through the thick underbrush about
quarter of a mile to the east, followed
by others until in moment the jungle
seemed to be alive with torches. The
priests, followed by the negroes, ap-
preached the peninsula, and singing a
monotonous chant entered the clearing
and circled around the priest three times,
when at a wave of his hand or stick the
men threw their torches to the ground
in pile and rushed off to the woods
after fayots and firewood. Four out of
the thirty-four women graspcd heavy
kettle, and going to the edge of the
peninsula filled it with the black water
Of the lake. They brought it back full
to the brim and placed it on the roaring
bonfire which the mon had made. The
fire lighted the scene for 100 yards or
more, and the two spectators crept
farther back for fear of being seen. The
crowd of about eighty-tive then joined
hands and began circling around, sing
ing and yelling, while the old priest in
the ccnter-a gaunt, hollow-faced. tooth
less and aged negro-lay fiat down on
his belly to invoke the spirits. Over
the backs of each one of the worShipers
was strappeda long sack. They stopped
when the priest arose, and each one lay
fiat on the ground while the doctor
walked around the circle touching each
ones head with his wand, which was no
sooner done than the one touched would
rise and stand motionless in his place.
When they had risen they began to
march around the big kettle, which was
roaring now. Their sacks were trans
ferred to the front, and each one dived
his or her hand into the sack and drew
out wriggling snake, lizard, scor-
pion. frog turtle or other reptile, which
was flung into the kettle. This was kept
up until they had each put into the loath-
some mass three reptiles or animals.
, When this was done the doctor began n
harangue, while the worshipers stood
with bowed heals and folded hands.
I Then began the dance around the ket-
: tle No human pen could describe the
gyrations, contortions and twistings of
the writhing mass of humanity. Iells,
| screams, screeches and cries filled the
atmosphere with hide Gus vibrations. 1t
t looked as if each one was doing his
l best to throw himself out of joint and
outshriek his neighbor. The awful
t lance was kept up until one by one they
/ fell to the ground exhausted. Presently
7 all was still
/ The priest cried out something in a
, sharp voice, and, as if by magic, all
t arose. From their sacks each one drew
L sharp stick, and the circle began NOV
ng about again. Each one thrust his
I stick into the seathing caldron aid drew
= It forth with some reptile im2aled upon
9 it. In moment each one of the whole
c iendish crew had sickening mass on
I Y II.