The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-28
vooDooIsM.
The Initiation Of Priestess Involves
Most Disagreeable Ordeal.
From q Chicago Letter.

From a Chicago Letter.
The opportunities which folklore study
present are well shown by the researches
Of Miss Mrry A. Owen, of St. Joseph,
Mo. She has made a study of voodooism.
What do,Alissourians know of voodooism'
The colored population Of the state is
small and scattering 1t is well mixed
with the white people, has It's schools
and churches, and, as a whole, is much
further advanced in intelligence and in
morals than the larger colored element of
states further south. Yet Miss Owen
has collected facts about voodooism
which will create nowhere more surprise
than in Missouri. Gaining the confidence
of the priests and priestesses of voodoo-
ism this lady has received from their own
lips the story of vOOdOOism, it's rites and
practices. Much of her information was
given to her personally by the king of
the Voodoos in the Missouri valley,
negro named Alexander, who died last
year.
To become a voodOo it is necessary to
take four degrees, according to AleXan-
der. The instruction in the use of per-
sons and remedies, in the significance of
dreams, the names of things which go to
make up the charms into which the
this is simply preparatory.
ANY fool" Alexander said to Miss
Owen, "cau know the way to mix sui
phur, salt, alum may apple, clover, feath-
erS, needles, blood or rags the color of
blood, and he may say the four times four,
but he can't throw his own spirit made
up string from old Old Grandfather into
them"
To make a voodoo priestess of a woman
who had gone through the prelimiffaries
Alexander commanded her to hide her
self and fast for many days, at the same
time keeping her thoughts not on her de-
privation, but on the great glories that
would be hers when she attained high
rank. He commanded her at other times
to go cheerfully among people as if she
tasted not. He commanded her again
to eat all she wanted of pleas
ant food and then to swallow
ofal filth, live catfish, any
thing loathsome to the eye and palate He
required her to 20 sleepless, to 90 cold and
weary, to burn and cut and bruise and
lash herself and thidk not at all that she
suffered. She was made to drink awful
mixtures of whisky or blood or things I'M
mentiOnable, and to swallow tobacco
smoke. Then she must walk in cemeteries,
in dense woods, beside bean hills, through
deserted streets, at night when the moon
was vi Jue Wdue anu BllOobS WtTb SbIOuB-
est and most threatening. All of these
are bits of courage by which the Voodoo
initiate is tried, Next come the dances
until feet are bleeding and mind Is fren-
zied. These are the dances of the Snake,
of the Moon and the Fire.
Having gone faithfully through all Of
this preparation of self-conquering, which
takes months and sometimes years, the
candidate receives the final instruction.
And it is:
Never obey any one. Never know any
will but your own, except when you are
helping another voodoO against common
enemy. Make every one give in to you.
Never change your purpose once it is
fixed. If you do you will form habit Of
scattering power, and will bring against
yourself Old Grandfather Rattlesnake,
who never changes, never forgets."
So the initiation into voodooism seems
to be along with the lines of theosophy
and faith cure in savage forms.