Written by She is called the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. Her tomb is one of the most visited graves in America. People still mark three X’s on cemetery walls, begging for her intercession from beyond the grave. Songs have been written about her. She appears in novels, TV shows, horror films, and tourist ghost tours. She is worshiped and feared, romanticized and demonized, studied and sensationalized.
But who was Marie Laveau, really?
The answer is far more complicated, and far more interesting, than the legend suggests.
The Documented Facts ~ What We Actually Know
Let’s begin with what can be verified through official records – the paper trail that survives two centuries of storytelling.
Born: September 10, 1801, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. At the time of her birth, Louisiana was still under Spanish colonial administration, though France had recently reclaimed it by treaty.
Parents: Her mother was Marguerite D’Arcantel (sometimes spelled Darcantel), a free woman of color of African, European, and Native American ancestry. Her father’s identity is less certain – likely either Charles Laveau (a white Creole) or Charles Laveaux (a free man of color). The confusion stems from inconsistent spelling in surviving records and the fact that Marguerite was unmarried at the time of Marie’s birth.