From the dark, uncharted realm of African
Voodoo secrets comes the tale of the legendary
Sacred Monkey and Cock…
Passed virtually unchanged in form, generation
to generation, this unique curio statue, the
Sacred Monkey and Cock, is most closely associated
with practitioners of New Orleans Voodoo magic.
This mystic curio is deeply rooted in Yoruba
mythology from the African continent and the
voodoo magic of Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen
of New Orleans, whose powerful legacy still
endures to this day.
The Sacred Monkey and Cock is a good luck
curio and has a long history of bringing luck,
love, wealth, health and many other benefits
into the lives of those believers who revere
the power of New Orleans Voodoo and who display
the curio in a place of honor on altars or
in their homes. Possession of the hand-carved
dual images of the monkey and cock entwined
in “The Dance of Jubilee” is said
to grant three significant wishes over a three-year
period.
Many times they are left at
the tomb of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau as an
offering for others to take.
After the wishes have been granted one owner,
those in possession of the sacred curio ritually
endow it to another family member, or, barring
this, ritually “abandon” it at
a crossroads or gravesite where others may
find and adopt it. For the new owner, the
cycle of luck begins anew. Many people choose
to ritually relinquish their Sacred Monkey
and Cock curio at the tomb of Marie Laveau
herself and it is usually a good omen to be
the person who finds one there and claims
it for their own. This will transfer the power
and protection of the curio to the new owner
under the most auspicious circumstances possible.
The rare and joyful Sacred Monkey and Cock
is said to have originated with the African
slaves who were dispersed throughout the world
during the 17th and 18th centuries. Early
examples of this carving have been throughout
Haiti and the West Indies, where Voodoo first
began to thrive in the New World. The oldest
examples of the carving, often in wood or
bone, have been traced to origins on the African
continent in particular Congo, the area of
West Africa most closely associated with the
Voodoo religion.
The monkey represents the much-loved “trickster”
figure of Yoruba mythology who goes by many
names such as, Esu-Elegbara in Nigeria, Legaba
among the Fon in Dahomey, Echu-Elegua in Cuba,
and the familiar Papa Legba in the pantheon
of Haitian Vodoun. He is also recognized as
Exu in Brazil and Papa La Bas among the hoodoo
rootworkers of the American South. His power
is in opening the way for luck to flow from
the world of the spirit and, as a trickster,
to “fool” the future and turn
it into anything he wants it to be. With the
monkey working on your behalf, the future
truly can be whatever you most fondly wish.
The cock or rooster has always been a sign
of power in contemporary expressions of Voodoo
and Santeria. The rooster is the favorite
sacrifice offered to attract the favorable
attention of the Lwas, voodoo spirits or saints.
Additionally, the association of the virile
cock with the potency of the male sexual organ
adds to the fowl’s appeal as a suitable
sacrifice for the sacrificial knife, the cock
thus becoming a powerful sacrificial symbol.
In addition, the cock is closely associated
with the powerful Vodoun Lwa Ogun La Flamba,
a spirit full of robust, rampant energy who
revels in his ability to overcome obstacles
and set things right.
Thus the Sacred Monkey and Cock depict the
powerful spirits of Papa Legba and Ogun La
Flamba engaged in a joyous dance of jubilee.
This symbolizes that the way has been opened
and obstacles have been overcome, leaving
the devotee free to revel in the flow of benefits
that follows. Relinquishing the curio after
experiencing the successful working in your
life is a way of allowing these powerful spirits
to work their magic in the life of others,
thus fulfilling their purpose and sharing
the largesse of good fortune.
These curious little figures have become a
significant part of the legend of the greatest
Voodoo Queen to live in America, Marie Laveau
of New Orleans. This most powerful of voodoo
priestesses is said to have revered the luck-enhancing
powers of this “dynamic duo” of
Vodoun and even participated in crafting some
of the curios herself. Many statues have been
found at the famous burial tomb of this Voodoo
Queen in commemoration of their use by her
in many profound rituals invoking protection,
wealth and health for her devotees. It is
believed that the majority of Monkey and Cock
figures found at the popular gravesite are
placed there by direct descendants of the
Voodoo Queen and her most intimate associates,
her “secret sosyete” and circle
of original followers.
Examples of the Sacred Monkey and Cock exist
in stone, wood, wax, clay, plaster, bone,
and (most rare) gold. Some have even appeared
carved from soap and sandstone; some are painted
and others are layered in gold leaf, with
these latter kind being mostly from the time
of the Voodoo Queen herself. Examples similar
to the ones shown here have been dated back
to the time of the Louisiana Purchase, when
New Orleans was establishing itself as the
greatest port city in America.
It has been said that the lucky powers of
the Sacred Monkey and Cock statue are especially
potent when given as a gift. When given to
newlyweds it promotes luck and lasting true
love in the marriage, even, in some instances,
promoting fertility. When given to a stranger,
as those placed at the tomb of Marie Laveau
are meant to be, it brings tremendous good
fortune back upon the original owner.
The day you receive this mystic curio is considered
its “birthday.” On its birthday
each year you have it in your possession it
will grant you one wish, so it is important
to mark this special day. The wish is said
to be granted within the year before the statue’s
next “birthday.”
The Sacred Monkey and Cock should be revered
upon your altar to positive deities or displayed
in a place of honor in your home. Doing otherwise
will cause the benefits of possessing this
little figure to come to you more slowly.
However, if your wish is for an increase in
wealth, the Sacred Monkey and Cock should
“live” in a bowl or disk surrounded
by money (a good way to ensure this is to
empty your pockets or purse of change each
day and offer it for the curio). If your wish
is for love it is best to carry it with you
(some wrap it in a small piece of red or pink
cloth) and to hold it or whisper to it when
you are in sight of the lover you seek. If
protection is your wish, place the Sacred
Monkey and Cock in a place near the front
door or on the mantelpiece, displayed by out
of reach of other hands. It will serve well
as a protector of the household, but remember,
it really likes granting wishes best of all.
And there is only one warning associated with
keeping the Sacred Monkey and Cock: it must
be set free on its third birthday or all that
you have gained or wished for will be lost.
This is the single cosmic rule associated
with the curio, but it is a powerful one so
it is wise not to disobey it!
Paranormal investigator and author William
Brawley has amassed a collection of Sacred
Monkey and Cock statues over the past three
years. Some he found in local New Orleans
cemeteries, others among the rocks along the
Mississippi River and Bayou St. John. One
was turned up in the grass outside a courthouse;
another was located in the root of a tree
at a local intersection. Brawley has collected
twelve statues in several different mediums
and has also purchased additional statues
from Bianca, the reigning Voodoo Queen of
New Orleans.
Under the direction of Queen Bianca, the Sacred
Monkey and Cock Statues are still created
as they have been for generations: hand-carved
and ritually empowered by the Voodoo Queen
herself in her yearly blessing ritual. Only
after they have been “charged”
by the ritual blessing of Queen Bianca are
the Sacred Monkey and Cock Statues allowed
to be dispersed to the public.
It was Queen Bianca who told Brawley that
no one “should underestimate the power
of this little charm. It was a favorite of
Marie Laveau for a reason and it is nothing
to joke about.” Queen Bianca went on
to say that she considered the Sacred Monkey
and Cock to be “one of the strongest
New Orleans voodoo charms ever to come from
the local
