Louisiana Folklore

Filed under Louisiana Travel by on October 3, 2011 at 12:47 {no comments}

The history of Louisiana has all the makings of good stories rich with ghosts, spirits and ancient traditions. Aside from the aboriginal stories still present, there are those originating from the African slave populations working on plantations. All the stories are heavily influenced by Catholicism and Voodoo; sometimes even the two religions overlapped and became affected by folklore.

There is the story of Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen who lived on St. Ann Street. She was a talented manipulator, clever with spells and often used spying or blackmail to get what she wanted. The Voodoo in New Orleans originated in Africa and was of naturalistic origins. When it was brought to New Orleans the Voodoo was altered to include the undead, demons and ghosts. Laveau embraced these changes, and in order to appeal to the European residents of the city she also incorporated many Catholic elements into her spells and incantations.

Marie Laveau had a long and productive career in Voodoo before she finally grew a conscience and vowed to amend her past transgressions. Laveau converted to Catholicism and lived out the rest of her life serving the sick, the indigent, and criminals, even those sentenced to death. When the Yellow Fever hit New Orleans, Laveau was instrumental in caring for the sick. Today, legend states that if you mark and ‘x’ and knock three times on her grave at St. Louis Cemetery No.1, your wish will be granted.

During the days of slavery and colonial opulence, it was not unusual for masters to fall into an intimate relationship with a favourite slave. There is one such story where a female slave had fallen in love with her master and wanted to marry him. He would not agree, but after a long period of insistence on the part of the slave, the master finally agreed that if she could spend an entire night in December sitting on the roof of the house without any clothing on, he would marry her. December came along with the usual damp and cold characteristic of the French Quarter in New Orleans.

One evening the master had a friend over for a game of chess and a few glasses of absinthe. As the gentlemen passed the evening and eventually the night, they were unaware that sitting atop the roof of the house a favourite female slave was naked, trying to survive the cold. When the master of the house ultimately retired in the wee hours of the morning, he went looking for his slave but found her bed empty. As he realised that she may have taken his bargain seriously, he headed up to the roof and found the slave dead from exposure. Those who now reside in the beautiful home on Rue Royale report two ghosts roaming the property regularly. There is the nude ghost of the slave who wanders the roof on December evenings and of course the morose gentleman sitting by the window playing chess.

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The Islands of Louisiana

Filed under Louisiana Travel by on August 20, 2011 at 09:18 {no comments}

The title of the article is not a typo or misunderstanding; there are actually nine official islands off the coast of mainland Louisiana. Located in the south of the US, Louisiana was named after King Louis XIV of France. Baton Rouge is the state capital, but New Orleans is the largest city and has the longest history. However, in this discussion we will skip over the history of the state and take a geographical look at the islands lying in the waters just offshore of the state.

Avery Island is just three miles away from Vermilion Bay, and can be seen from Iberia Parish on the mainland. The island is lush, filled with exotic plants and birds. There are even visitor attractions such as Jungle Gardens and Bird City that are open to the public. Avery Island is most well known for being the source of Tabasco Sauce, a popular hot sauce used on food. The island isn’t actually a traditional island, it is a massive salt dome created by the gradual accumulation of salt deposits from the Mississippi River Delta. The salt is, in part the reason for the collection of unusual foliage.

Cote Blanche is also a little salt dome, but off the coast of St. Mary parish and just at the shores of Vermillion Bay. The name is of course from the French, “White Coast, which refers to the white of the salt. The North American Salt Company currently mines Cote Blanche, producing about nine tons of salt every minute. Marsh Island is also located in the area, but is not a salt dome. It is made up of marshy type vegetation, providing the perfect place for a wild bird sanctuary, alligators, crabs and shrimp.

Grand Isle is the largest of the Louisiana islands, and in fact connected to the mainland via a vehicle causeway. There are about 1500 permanent residents on Grand Isle, but the population swells to over 20,000 in the summer. The location is ideal for beach vacations, fishing, camping and general summer recreating. Unfortunately, Grand Isle does receive a fair amount of hurricane activity simply because of its location.

Last Island is not a single island, it is a collection of small barrier islands that, according to the tide, rise as one out of the ocean or descend as many. Before 1865 Last Island was a favourite resort spot for travelers because of the white sand beaches and clear waters. On the mainland the waters were quite marshy, so a haven close by was a real treat. Regrettably, there was an abrupt end to the enjoyment of the beaches when a devastating hurricane destroyed most of the island and killed 200 people on August 10, 1865. In fact, after the hurricane the once highest points of Last Island were five feet of water.

The islands of Louisiana are scant and small, but unusual and stunning. Witnessing their existence is a must when traveling in the area, but do so outside of hurricane season which generally runs June to October.

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The Honey Locust Tree of Louisiana

Filed under Louisiana Travel by on August 9, 2011 at 18:17 {no comments}

The Honey Locust tree is a deciduous tree found in the southeast of the United States. It likes moist ground, thus is often growing along riversides or in valleys. Despite its average size, and in comparison to most trees, the Honey Locust does not live long and is fairly delicate.

The Honey Locust can be identified not only by its autumn growing fruit, but also its golden leaf colour at that same time of year. Their growth formation is much like the oak tree, with a large wide umbrella but a relatively thin trunk for its size. The Honey Locust grows quickly and to a median height of 100 feet, but they usually only live for 120 years. The reasons for their short lifespan are unknown, but it is important to note the brittle nature of their branches. During even the lightest windstorm or tug on a branch by grazing animals, the branches will break off.

Cattle and horses favour the fruit of the Honey Locust for its sweet inner pulp. As they animals digest the pulp, which contains seeds, the hard outer shell of the seed is broken down. When the seed is expelled along with fecal matter, the absence of an outer shell makes germination more successful. The Honey Locust tree is not to be confused with the Black Locust tree, whose fruit is toxic.

At some point during the evolution of the Honey Locust, thorns began to take shape. Many arborists conclude the formation of thorns occurred as a defence mechanism against the very grazing animals that ensure the tree’s population growth. Today the thorns grow up to five inches long; however some are twice that size. They begin as soft green tips, and then change into hard red needle-like weapons and eventually turn grey with age. When the thorns are grey, they generally disintegrate and fall away.

The indigenous peoples of the Southern United States used the Honey Locust fruit as a source of food, and even made beer from the inner pulp. The wood of the tree is ideal for furniture, as it is durable and polishes into a lovely deep colour. Unfortunately the short life span of the tree and its inherent inability to self germinate means there are not enough trees to sustain the demand and the species at the same time. The delicacy of the Honey Locust could mean an eventual extinction, especially if trees are harvested before their life is over.

The Honey Locust is a beautiful tree, favoured by gardeners for its ability to survive transplant and the colours presented during the seasons of the year. If you are driving through Louisiana, try to spot the ancient and fragile Honey Locust.

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