MYTHS ABOUT HAUNTED NEW ORLEANS
There are lots of reasons the city is considered the most haunted in North America. “Unfortunately,” the co-owner of Custom Conventions + Tailored Tours says, “many are based on myths and misconceptions.” Here are a few:
Vampires and Zombies: Dr. Molthrop says that mistakes were often made and people were buried alive. “This happened especially during yellow fever outbreaks when bodies were disposed of quickly, as gases emanating from the corpses were thought to be contagious.” Not everyone died of yellow fever and many went into a coma before death. Early burial can lead to either an unexpected “resurrection from the grave” or an unusual positioning of the corpse when the crypt is reopened.
Voodoo is based on Hexes and Curses: Vodou is a monotheistic religion that came from Africa with the first shipment of enslaved Senegambians into the Louisiana Territory. Africans told that they were now to be Catholic, superimposed and synthesized. A core practice of Vodou (Caribbean French spelling, now preferred by practitioners) revolves around the healing arts. In fact, the mortality rate of the colony of Louisiana begins to decline once the Senegambians arrive. “Hoodoo” and other practices were part of the tourist trade or used to frighten whites.
Madame Lalaurie: Nightly groups gather around the mansion of “Crazy Madame Lalaurie” as the myth of the woman who supposedly tortured her slaves and fled town in disgrace is perpetuated. The story has been fabricated to such an extent that it now has a life of its own. Most of what guides claim has no basis in fact.
Above Ground Burial: Is not unique to New Orleans. It can be found throughout the Caribbean, where land is limited and where there is a high water table. Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, founded in 1682 has many above-ground-reusable tombs.
The Children Lost in the Fire: More than one hotel in the city claims that children lost in the Great Fire of 1788 at a boarding school play pranks on guests. These children make phone calls in the middle of the night, rearrange furniture and disappear down hallways. Unfortunately, none of the hotels claiming the children are located where the school existed. Also, for French kids, their English seems impeccable!
For a MYTHS DEBUNKED Tour, Lecture or Interview with Dr. Molthrop, please contact Custom Conventions + Tailored Tours at 504-657-6670.
