By Dawn Theard


A New Orleans couple whose original nuptial date was postponed by the fury of Hurricane Katrina finally made it up the aisle recently in an inspired early-Spring ceremony with a unique New Orleans Voodoo twist.

In the beautiful Old Creole atmosphere the happy couple, attended by numerous friends and family members, are always excited to receive a rare gift from Mamba Bianca, the reigning Voodoo Queen of New Orleans.

Voodoo is a strange combination of Roman Catholicism and West African religions practiced in Haiti, Cuba, Trinidad, Brazil, and some of the southern states (especially New Orleans, Louisiana). From Catholicism, Voodoo worshipers take the use of candles, crosses, bells, baptism, the sign of the cross, and prayers. From West African religions (particularly those of Benin), they take the use of dancing, drumming and the worship of ancestors and twins. Voodoo worshipers worship Bon Dieu as their high god. The worship of Ioa, or spirits, are African tribal gods who are identified with Roman Catholic saints. A houngan is a Voodoo priest. A mambo is a Voodoo priestess

These two particular dolls, designed by the phenomenal Ricardo Pustanio according to strict guidelines established by Bianca and in keeping with those maintained by the secret Sosyete created generations ago by Marie Laveau, are meant to take on all the happy wishes for the new couple and make them reality in the years to come.

These dolls were created by Pustanio in the image of one of the most enduring and fruitful Lwa couples in the entire Vodoun pantheon, Papa Guede and his wife, Manman Brigit. Each stand approximately 16 inches high, wearing colorful Voodoo wedding regalia including a top hat for Guede and a flaming red veil for his bride.

Many plan for their dream VOODOO WEDDING in New Orleans, and no wedding is complete with out bride and groom voodoo dolls, one particular houngan voodoo tradition holds that a voodoo doll is made to represent each guest. They are blessed and prepared and told not to let any member of the party wish ill or hurt the new married couples chances of happiness. At the reception each doll is given as a favor to the wedding guest. Each New Orleans voodoo wedding ritual includes service to specific Loa and/or Orisha. Offerings are made and dances are ritually presented. These can include Flag Dances, New Orleans' style Court Dances, Fire Dances, Machete Duels and Snake Dances, Authentic drum beats and chants accompany the proceedings, often in Creole or Lucumi. These wedding ceremonies are very common in south Louisiana.

We have offered beautiful weddings with real rituals for many diverse functions in many different locations (often in local homes and gardens, or patios and courtyards, in restaurants like, Brennan's, Louis XVI Restaurant, The Mississippi Rivers famous Moon walk,Marriott and Windsor Court Hotel, several times on the Cajun Queen Steamboat,or just outside the Aquarium of the Americas, Tipitina's, and of course at Congo Square, and on a bridge in the middle of Bayou st. John near the Pilot House, Wedding halls etc.) Says local, a well known houngan only called Armando. "Most people only see he Tourist side of these goings on offered by local voodoo tourist companies, rarely do they see the real thing that locals have seen over the years." "I guess since so many displaced New Orleans are now across the country other parts of the country will now see the real power and spectacle of Voodoo Wedding Ceremonies." " Personally I have traveled across the United States this year attending no less then 12 of these voodoo weddings so far and, still have as many as 18 weddings to RSVP before the month is over."

Many at the voodoo weddings can't wait to witness the brides provocative snake dance, but more so the excitement mounts until the presentation of the blessed wedding voodoo dolls.

Primitive dolls, often bound with twine or cat-gut and stuck through with everything from pins to fish bones, have been given as cherished wedding gifts in South Louisiana, evidence that the concept of vicarious good luck wishes through use of an image doll was firmly in place among the African slave populations of 18th and 19th century Louisiana.This Voodoo doll Wedding Ritual continues still today.

In keeping with old New Orleans hoodoo voodoo tradition, before the couple can claim the dolls they must be passed through the gathering of family and friends who take turns inserting pins into the dolls while making happy wishes for the wedding couple.

Several elderly female guests often immediately recognize the old style hoodoo voodoo wedding dolls and enjoy being reminded that this old tradition still endures. But yet many will say, be so warned:

" Let just one person unhappy with the blessed union, sticking a pin in one of the dolls, wish an evil cruel thought, then the happy marriage will end in less then a year."

 

During this Wedding festival, different traditional new orleans voodoo cultist hold prayers, pour libations and make sacrifices to their ancestors as the wedding festivities coincide inside a catholic church. While New Orleans is famed for being the capital of voodoo in the United States, the culture of superstition pervades most A America societies. In some New Orleans Voodoo Societies cultures, it is widely believed that if you Don't give a Voodoo doll as a wedding gift, then that is a sign of bad luck.

" Trouble usually pursues the couple and begins within a few days of the wedding. From great mistakes made in haste, to the loss of friends. Plagues of frustration, fits of anger and great trials and tribulations. Beware of the person who sticks the doll with malice or cruelty!"

Pins are inserted in the groom’s pockets (for money), the bride’s feet (for a firm marriage foundation), and even in the dolls’ hearts to ensure a long and enduring love. But the most popular location for pins on both dolls appears to be the groin region filled with wishes for many happy children, and also stuck the groom doll in the butt as a gentle reminder of a lifetime of firm guidance.

 

Documenters covering obscure and extreme voodoo practices in world behavior, are of those particularly to be seen on many television programs soon, from Marie Laveau head washing rituals, hurricane protection ceremonies and who knows when but a real Voodoo Wedding New Orleans style!

Wedding Voodoo idol Benin voodoo

When the pin-sticking ritual is complete, the dolls are presented to the couple, with the bride receiving the groom doll and the groom the image of his bride. The couple are further delighted to find each doll holding a wedding gris-gris bag charged and blessed by Bianca herself and each containing not only a Sacred Monkey and Cock figurine but also many traditional fetishes that have been given to the newly-married of New Orleans for generations: tonka beans, pennies, thread, salt, and other traditional items filled the bags.

Traditional New Orleans VOODOO WEDDING DOLLS are available for purchase throughout New Orleans. Each set of dolls is usually handmade and designed specifically with individual couples in mind – no two sets are ever alike.

New Orleans Wedding Voodoo dolls sell very well in Europe and are now something of a craze in parts of Asia; in the US, roughly crafted wedding dolls with a “handmade” look are being sold as Wedding day novelties or curios.

Recently i dated a well traveled anthropologist into his own private investigation into the spiritual voodoo wedding practices. He was invited by me to attend a real Wedding of a New Orleans voodoo follower I personally know who got married to his bride on the 16th of July 2006, the Feast of Saut-d'Eau. They received from me two hand made New Orleans voodoo dolls, purchased from a local mamba named Mama Violet a student of Bianca the voodoo queen, and these particular dolls were consecrated to the lwa Ezili.

During the receptions wild dancing the guest and bride experienced real voodoo spirit possession.

Guest at this grande hotel reception witnessed the bride possessed by Papa Gédé, the great known voodoo spirit of the dead. Papa Gede is Death, and he is at all times a prankster and a jokester, which is why he often comes to weddings as a uninvited guest. The 5' 2" bride began to strut around with two cigarettes in her mouth, she borrowed top hat and put on a black tuxedo coat from a waiter, and with gyrating hips an a out thrust hand eagerly she began tickling and pinching female guests bottoms. (Gede' his favorite libation at weddings.) Almost always awaiting him in case he does show up, is a first-distillation rum called clairin in which 9 red-hot peppers have been steeped for weeks (called in Creole a tromp) until it's fiery enough to scorch the gullet of any wild Zombie. When the loa mounted her - took possession of her, that is - the young lady leaped to her feet with a wild male like guttural yell of Ache' an raced to the poteau mitan, the sacred central post at the base of which wedding gifts are offered up to the gods to be blessed. As it happened, the houngan and his assistants at this wedding service were people of foresight and had Papa Gede's rum ready for him. She in one great gulp emptied the bottle.

The tiny bride did not get drunk. Oh, she, danced wild and fast, staggered and fell as she danced on table tops, and jumped into the air doing cartwheels and rolling around on the floor a bit... as giant beads of sweat literally flew from her as she danced and jumped to the rising drums wild beating. Her eyes glazed white rolled and fluttered at times. But she drank every drop of that fifth of raw rum spiked with the best red-hot peppers and became neither drunk nor ill. I have tasted it a few times and your mouth will burn for hours!

When the drumming pace slowed, she returned it to the base of the post, took off the top hat and coat took a last drag on the cigarettes, and calmly walked into the sacred hounfor at the end of the hotels wedding hall peristyle. But in just a few minutes she reappeared, returned to her place at the head of the reception line and later sat down and ate her reception meal.

She didn't remember a thing when my friend questioned her. She was not even aware that she had danced. When I enlightened her, she at first seemed astonished, then delighted, that Papa Gede should have chosen her and her wedding to attend. She said she had never been possessed by a loa before and believed the presence of the Voodoo dolls had made the difference. And that now her wedding and life were truly blessed.