The Glapion Tomb, reputed burial place of Voodoo Queen Marie
Laveau
It's the most recognizable tomb in the cemetery, not for its distinct
architecture, but for the markings left there over the years by
believers and skeptics alike. This tomb is the reputed burial
place of Marie Laveau, the most powerful voodooienne to live in
New Orleans. Marie Laveau was born in 1792. It's not clear if
she was born in Saint-Domingue (Haiti) or in New Orleans. The
woman in the Glapion tomb died in 1897. It's not out of the question
that the same woman born in the late 18th century died in the
late 19th century, but it is possible that the woman in the tomb
is the original Marie's daughter. It is known that the original
Marie took up with a man named Glapion after her first husband
died in 1826. Whether M. Glapion had his daughter or his wife
buried with him is still a mystery. For those of you trying to
unravel the mystery, here is a close-up of the tombstone.
In either case, the belief that a powerful voodoo priestess is
buried here is strong. People regularly leave offerings to Marie here,
or they'll knock three times on the front of the tomb, or they'll
mark the tomb with three X's in chalk or with a small piece of
red brick. The faithful believe that they can contact Marie's
spirit, who will favorably look upon their petitions and answer
them.
The original Marie had fifteen children, at least one of whom
also went by the name Marie and was a voodoo priestess. It is
believed that this daughter is buried in St. Louis Number One.
There is another tomb with lots of X's on
it in the cemetery, but the stone is damaged and unreadable.
One side note: The tomb next to the Glapion tomb is the final
resting place of Mayor Ernest N. "Dutch" Morial, the
first black mayor of New Orleans, and the father of the current
mayor (Marc). It's interesting to also note that persons of color
were buried in the same cemetery as white people in New Orleans.
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