“Marie Le Veau”
“…One
of the most famous great open Voodoo
ceremonies of the Western world
was staged by Marie le Veau.
Upon a throne of living reptiles,
Mare le Veau’s amber-skinned
body, arrayed in a short skirt of
fig leaves, swayed like the hanging
reptiles draping her make-shift
throne. Her round, firm breast,
cause of many a duel – rose
and fell in slow, even, tantalizing
rhythm. Her arms were limp and gently
swaying. Her dainty feet rested
upon the back of a huge alligator
with mouth propped open and suffering
the tortures of Hades.
With head bent back Marie le Veau
gazed, her large brown eyes just
beyond the striking reptiles, whose
poisonous fangs came within inches
of her enchanting face.
The hour was late. Neither moon
or stars were shining. Large gourds
cut to resemble grotesque faces
cast their pale yellow light upon
the thousand or more Negroes gathered
before her throne in Congo Square.
As they kneeled, bowed and perspired,
their weird, mournful chant echoed
and re-echoed against the swamp
on the west and the river on the
east, filling the white citizenry
of New Orleans with an uncanny feeling.
Somewhere in the Old French Quarter,
a clock tolled the hour of midnight.
The Negroes came to their feet in
time to see the spirit of Marie
le Veau, in the form of a white
bird take wing into the distant
ocean of darkness for its rendezvous
with the great Zombi. Her spirit
had barely departed when Marie began
to groan in a terrible pain. The
Negroes believing an evil spirit
was attempting to possess the heart
of their queen, waved their arms,
jumped and shouted until Marie raised
her right hand and the turmoil ceased
as if by magic.
Overhead the Negroes, heard a wild
rushing noise. Looking up they beheld
three great black birds with yellow
tipped wings circling madly above
their heads, then rising to disappear
into the black depth of the night.
