NEW ORLEANS

SUPERSTITIONS
by Lafcadio Hearn
from An American miscellany, vol. II, (1924)originally
published in Harper's weekly, December 25h, 1!!"
I
#he $uesion %&ha is 'oudooism(% could scarcely be
ans)ered o*day by any residen of +e) ,rleans
unfamiliar )ih he life of he -frican )es coas, or he
supersiions of .ayi, eiher hrough sudy or personal
observaion. #he old generaion of planers in )hose
day 'oudooism had a recogni/ed e0isence**so
dangerous as a moive po)er for blac1 insurrecion ha
severe measures )ere adoped agains i**has passed
a)ay2 and he only person I ever me )ho had, as a
child in his colored nurse3s care, he rare e0perience of
)inessing a 'oudoo ceremonial, died some hree years
ago, a he advanced age of seveny*si0. -s a religion**
an impored faih**'oudooism in 4ouisiana is really
dead2 he ries of is serpen )orship are forgoen2 he
meaning of is srange and fren/ied chans, )hereof
some fragmens linger as refrains in negro song, is no
no) 1no)n even o hose )ho remember he )ords2
and he sory of is former e0isence is only revealed o
he fol1loriss by he muliudinous d5bris of -frican
supersiion )hich i has lef behind i. #hese only I
propose o consider no)2 for )ha is o*day called
'oudooism in +e) ,rleans means, no an -frican
culus, bu a curious class of negro pracices, some
possibly derived from i, and ohers )hich bear
resemblance o he magic of he 6iddle -ges. &ha
could be more medi7val, for insance, han molding a
)a0en hear, and sic1ing pins in i, or meling i slo)ly
before a 8re, )hile charms are being repeaed )ih he
hope ha as he )a0en hear mels or brea1s, he life
of some enemy )ill depar( &ha, again, could remind
us more of hireenh*cenury supersiion han he
burning of a cerain number of apers o compel some
absen person3s reurn, )ih he idea ha before he
las aper is consumed a myserious mesmerism )ill
force he )anderer o cross rivers and mounains if
necessary on his or her )ay bac1(
#he fear of )ha are syled %'oudoo charms% is much
more )idely spread in 4ouisiana han any one )ho had
conversed only )ih educaed residens migh suppose2
and he mos familiar supersiion of his class is he
belief in )ha I migh call pillow magic, )hich is he
supposed ar of causing )asing sic1nesses or even
deah by puing cerain ob9ecs ino he pillo) of he
bed in )hich he haed person sleeps. :eaher pillo)s
are supposed o be paricularly )ell adaped o his
1ind of )ichcraf. I is believed ha by secre spells a
%'oudoo% can cause some monsrous 1ind of bird or
nondescrip animal o shape iself ino being ou of he
pillo) feahers**li1e he tupilek of he ;s$uimau
iliseenek ()ichcraf.) I gro)s very slo)ly, and by nigh
only2 bu )hen compleely formed, he person )ho has
been using he pillo) dies. -noher pracice of pillo)
)ichcraf consiss in earing a living bird asunder**
usually a coc1**and puing porions of he )ings ino
he pillo). - hird form of he blac1*ar is con8ned o
puing cerain charms or feiches**consising of bones,
hair, feahers, rags, srings, or some fanasic
combinaion of hese and oher ri<ing ob9ecs**ino any
sor of a pillo) used by he pary )hom i is desired o
in9ure. #he pure -fricanism of his pracice needs no
commen. -ny e0ac idea concerning he use of each
paricular 1ind of charm I have no been able o
discover2 and I doub )heher hose )ho pracise such
feichism 1no) he original -frican beliefs conneced
)ih i. =ome say ha puing grains of corn ino a
child3s pillo) %prevens i from gro)ing any more%2
ohers declare ha a bi of cloh in a gro)n person3s
pillo) )ill cause )asing sic1ness2 bu di>eren paries
$uesioned by me gave each a di>eren signi8caion o
he use of similar charms. ?uing an open pair of
scissors under he pillo) before going o bed is
supposed o insure a pleasan sleep in spie of feiches2
bu he sures )ay o provide agains being
%hoodooed,% as -merican residens call i, is o open
one3s pillo) from ime o ime. If any charms are found,
hey mus be 8rs sprin1led )ih sal, hen burned. -
=panish residen old me ha her eldes daugher had
been unable o sleep for )ee1s, o)ing o a feich ha
had been pu ino her pillo) by a spieful colored
domesic. -fer he ob9ec had been duly e0orcised and
burned, all he young lady3s reslessness depared. -
friend of mine living in one of he counry parishes once
found a o) sring in his pillo), ino he 8bers of )hich
a grea number of feaher sems had eiher been
inroduced or had inroduced hemselves. .e )ished o
reain i as a curiosiy, bu no sooner did he e0hibi i o
some ac$uainance han i )as denounced as a 'oudoo
%ric1,% and my friend )as acually compelled o burn i
in he presence of )inesses. ;verybody 1no)s or
ough o 1no) ha feahers in pillo)s have a naural
endency o cling and form clos or lumps of more or
less curious form, bu he discovery of hese in some
+e) ,rleans households is enough o creae a panic.
#hey are vie)ed as incipien 'oudoo tupileks. #he sign
of he cross is made over hem by @aholics, and hey
are promply commied o he <ames.
?illo) magic alone, ho)ever, is far from being he only
recogni/ed form of male8cen negro )ichcraf. ?lacing
charms before he enrance of a house or room, or
hro)ing hem over a )all ino a yard, is believed o be
a deadly pracice. &hen a charm is laid before a room
door or hall door, oil is ofen poured on he <oor or
pavemen in fron of he hreshold. I is supposed ha
)hoever crosses an oil line falls ino he po)er of he
'oudoos. #o brea1 he oil charm, sand or sal should be
sre)n upon i. ,nly a fe) days before )riing his
aricle a very inelligen =paniard old me ha shorly
afer having discharged a dishones colored servan he
found before his bedroom door one evening a pool of oil
)ih a charm 4ying in he middle of i, and a candle
burning near i. #he charm conained some bones,
feahers, hairs, and rags**all )rapped ogeher )ih a
sring**and a dime. +o supersiious person )ould have
dared o use ha dime2 bu my friend, no being
supersiious, forh)ih pu i ino his poc1e.
#he presence of ha coin I can only aemp o e0plain
by calling aenion o anoher very ineresing
supersiion conneced )ih +e) ,rleans feichism. #he
negroes believe ha in order o ma1e an evil charm
operae i is necessary o sacrifce something. &ine and
ca1e are lef occasionally in dar1 rooms, or candies are
scaered over he side)al1, by hose )ho )an o
ma1e heir feich hur somebody. If food or s)eemeas
are hus hro)n a)ay, hey mus be abandoned )ihou
a paring glance2 he )ich or )i/ard mus no loo1
bac1 )hile engaged in he sacri8ce.
=caering dir before a door, or ma1ing cerain 8gures
on he )all of a house )ih chal1, or crumbling dry
leaves )ih he 8ngers and scaering he fragmens
before a residence, are also forms of a male8cen
con9uring )hich someimes cause serious annoyance.
.appily he con9urers are almos as afraid of he
couner*charms as he mos supersiious persons are
of he con9uring. -n inciden )hich occurred recenly in
one of he srees of he old $uarer 1no)n as %=panish
#o)n% a>orded me ocular proof of he fac. #hrough
malice or houghlessness, or possibly in obedience o
secre orders, a young negro girl had been earing up
some leaves and scaering hem on he side)al1 in
fron of a coage occupied by a :rench family. Aus as
she had dropped he las leaf he irae :rench )oman
rushed ou )ih a broom and a handful of sal, and
began o s)eep a)ay he leaves, afer having <ung sal
boh upon hem and upon he lile negress. #he laer
acually screamed )ih frigh, and cried ou, %,h, pas
9e5 plis disel aprBs moin, madameC pas bisoin 9e5 disel
aprBs moin2 mo pas p5 vini icie encore% (,h, madam,
don3 hro) any more sal afer me2 you needn3 hro)
any more sal afer me2 I )on3 come here any more.)
-noher srange belief conneced )ih hese pracices
)as )ell illusraed by a gif made o my friend
?rofessor &illiam .enry by a negro servan for )hom
he had done some ri<ing favor. #he gif consised of a
%fri//ly hen%**one of hose funny lile fo)ls )hose
feahers all seem o curl. %6ars3r .enry, you 1eep da
fri//ly hen, an3 ef eny niggers fro) eny conjure in your
yard, dat frizzly hen will eat de conjure.% =ome say,
ho)ever, ha one is no safe unless he 1eeps )o
fri//ly hens.
#he naughy lile negress a )hom he sal )as hro)n
seemed o fear he sal more han he broom poined a
her. Du she )as no ye fully educaed, I suspec, in
regard o supersiions. #he negro3s error of a broom is
of very ancien dae**i may have an -frican origin. I
)as commened upon by 6oreau de =ain*65ry in his
)or1 on =an Domingo, published in 119". %&ha
especially irriaes he negro,% he )roe, %is o have a
broom passed over any par of his body. .e as1s a
once )heher he person imagined ha he )as dead,
and remains convinced ha he ac shorens his life.%
'ery similar ideas concerning he broom linger in +e)
,rleans. #o poin eiher end of a broom a a person is
deemed bad luc12 and many an ignoran man )ould
insanly 1noc1 do)n or violenly abuse he pary )ho
should poin a broom a him. 6oreover, he broom is
supposed o have myserious po)er as a means of
geing rid of people. %If you are pesered by visiors
)hom you )ould )ish never o see again, sprin1le sal
on he <oor afer hey go, and s)eep i ou by he same
door hrough )hich hey have gone, and hey )ill never
come bac1.% #o use a broom in he evening is bad luc1E
balayer le soir, on balaye sa fortune (o s)eep in he
evening is o s)eep your good luc1 a)ay), remains a
)ell*$uoed proverb.
I do no 1no) of a more myserious disease han
muscular arophy in cerain forms, ye i is by no means
uncommon eiher in +e) ,rleans or in he oher
leading ciies of he Fnied =aes. Du in +e) ,rleans,
among he colored people, and among many of he
uneducaed of oher races, he vicim of muscular
arophy is believed o be he vicim of 'oudooism. -
noion is prevalen ha negro )iches possess
1no)ledge of a secre poison )hich may erminae life
insanly or cause a slo) %)ihering a)ay,% according
as he dose is adminisered. - :renchman under
reamen for paralysis informed me ha his misforune
)as cerainly he )or1 of 'oudoos, and ha his )ife
and child had died hrough he secre agency of negro
)i/ards. 6enal aberraion is also said o be caused by
he adminisraion of poisons )hereof some fe)
negroes are alleged o possess he secre. In shor,
some very supersiious persons of boh races live in
perpeual dread of imaginary 'oudoos, and fancy ha
he leas ailmen from )hich hey su>er is he )or1 of
sorcery. I is very doubful )heher any 1no)ledge of
hose animal or vegeable poisons )hich leave no race
of heir presence in he blood, and )hich may have
been 1no)n o some slaves of -frican birh, sill lingers
in 4ouisiana, )ide*spread as is he belief o he
conrary. During he las decade here have been a fe)
convicions of blac1s for he crime of poisoning, bu
here )as nohing a all myserious or peculiar abou
hese cases, and he o0ic agen )as invariably he
mos vulgar of all**arsenic, or some arsenious
preparaion in he shape of ra poison.
II
#he sory of he fri//ly hen brings me o he sub9ec of
supersiions regarding animals. =omehing of he
-frican, or a leas of he =an Domingan, )orship of he
coc1 seems o have been ransplaned hiher by he
blac1s, and o linger in +e) ,rleans under various
meamorphoses. - negro charm o reain he a>ecions
of a lover consiss in ying up he legs of he bird o he
head, and plunging he creaure alive ino a vessel of
gin or oher spiris. #earing he live bird asunder is
anoher cruel charm, by )hich some negroes believe
ha a s)eehear may become magically feered o
he man )ho performs he $uarering. .ere, as in oher
pars of he )orld, he cro)ing hen is 1illed, he hooing
of he o)l presages deah or bad luc1, and he cro)ing
of he coc1 by day presages he arrival of company. #he
)ren (roitelet) mus no be 1illedE c'est zozeau bon Di
(i is he good God3s bird)**a belief, I hin1, of ;uropean
origin.
I is dangerous o hro) hair*combings a)ay insead of
burning hem, because birds may )eave hem ino
heir ness and )hile he nes remains he person o
)hom he hair belonged )ill have a coninual
headache. I is bad luc1 o move a ca from one house
o anoher2 seven years3 bad luc1 o 1ill a ca2 and he
girl )ho seps, accidenally or oher)ise, on a ca3s ail
need no e0pec o be married he same year. #he
appariion of a )hie buer<y means good ne)s. #he
neighing of a horse before one3s door is bad luc1. &hen
a <y bohers one very persisenly, one may e0pec o
mee an ac$uainance )ho has been absen many
years.
#here are many supersiions abou marriage, )hich
seem o have a ;uropean origin, bu are no less
ineresing on ha accoun. %#)ice a bridesmaid, never
a bride,% is a proverb )hich needs no commen. #he
bride mus no 1eep he pins )hich fasened her
)edding dress. #he husband mus never a1e o> his
)edding ringE o a1e i o> )ill insure him bad luc1 of
some 1ind. If a girl )ho is engaged accidenally les a
1nife fall, i is a sign ha her lover is coming. :air or
foul )eaher upon her marriage day augurs a happy or
unhappy married life.
#he supersiions conneced )ih deah may be all
impored, bu I have never been able o 8nd a foreign
origin for some of hem. I is bad luc1 o )hisle or hum
he air ha a band plays a a funeral. If a funeral sops
before your house, i means ha he dead )ans
company. I is bad luc1 o cross a funeral procession, or
o coun he number of carriages in i2 if you do coun
hem, you may e0pec o die afer he e0piraion of as
many )ee1s as here )ere carriages a he funeral. If a
he cemeery here be any unusual delay in burying he
dead, caused by any unloo1ed for circumsances, such
as he omb proving oo small o admi he coHn, i is a
sign ha he deceased is selecing a companion from
among hose presen, and one of he mourners mus
soon die. I is bad luc1 o carry a spade hrough a
house. - bed should never be placed )ih is foo
poining o)ard he sree door, for corpses leave he
house fee foremos. I is bad luc1 o ravel )ih a
pries2 his idea seems o me of =panish imporaion2
and I am inclined o aribue a similar origin o he
srange ropical supersiion abou he banana, )hich I
obained, neverheless, from an Ialian. Iou mus no
cut a banana, bu simply brea1 i )ih he 8ngers,
because in cuing i you cut the cross. I does no
re$uire a very po)erful imaginaion o discern in a
severed secion of he frui he ghosly suggesion of a
cruci80ion.
=ome oher creole supersiions are e$ually
characeri/ed by naJve beauy. +ever pu ou )ih your
8nger he lile red spar1 ha ries o linger on he )ic1
of a blo)n*ou candleE 9us so long as i burns, some
soul in purgaory en9oys res from ormen. =hooing*
sars are souls escaping from purgaoryE if you can
ma1e a good )ish hree imes before he sar
disappears, he )ish )ill be graned. &hen here is
sunshine and rain ogeher, a colored nurse )ill ell he
children, %ad! djabe ap batte so femme.% (4oo1C he
devil3s beaing his )ifeC)
I )ill conclude his lile paper )ih selecions from a lis
of supersiions )hich I 8nd )idely spread, no ciing
hem as of indubiable creole origin, bu simply calling
aenion o heir prevalence in +e) ,rleans, and
leaving he comparaive sudy of hem o fol1loriss.
#urning he foo suddenly in )al1ing means bad or good
luc1. If he righ foo urns, i is bad luc12 if he lef,
good. #his supersiion seems -frican, according o a
saemen made by 6oreau de =ain*65ry. =ome
reverse he condiions, ma1ing he urning of he lef
foo bad luc1. I is also bad luc1 o )al1 abou he
house )ih one shoe on and one shoe o>. or as a creole
ac$uainance e0plained i o me %c'est appeler sa m"re
ou son p"re dans le tombeau% (I is calling one3s moher
or one3s faher ino he grave). -n iching in he righ
palm means coming gain2 in he lef, coming loss.
+ever leave a house by a di>eren door from ha by
)hich you enered i2 i is %carrying a)ay he good luc1
of he place.% +ever live in a house you build before i
has been rened for a leas a year. &hen an aged
person repairs his or her house, he or she is soon o
die. +ever pass a child hrough a )indo)2 i sops his
gro)h. =epping over a child does he same2 herefore,
)hoever a1es such a sep inadverenly mus sep
bac1 again o brea1 he evil spell. +ever il a roc1ing*
chair )hen i is empy. +ever ell a bad dream before
brea1fas, unless you )an i %o come rue%2 and never
pare he nails on 6onday morning before a1ing a cup
of co>ee. - funny supersiion abou )indo)s is given
me in his noe by a friendE %#l ne faut pas faire passer
un enfant par la fen$tre, car a%ant un an il y en aura un
autre% (- child mus no be passed hrough a )indo),
for if so passed you )ill have anoher child before he
lapse of a year.) #his proverb, of course, ineress only
hose )ho desire small families, and as a general rule
creoles are proud of large families, and sho)
e0raordinary a>ecion o)ard heir children.
If )o marriages are celebraed simulaneously, one of
he husbands )ill die. 6arry a he ime of he moon3s
)aning and your good luc1 )ill )ane also. If )o
persons hin1 and e0press he same hough a he
same ime, one of hem )ill die before he year passes.
#o chop up food in a po )ih a 1nife means a dispue in
he house. If you have a ringing in your ears, some
person is spea1ing badly of you2 call ou he names of
all )hom you suspec and )hen he ringing sops a he
uerance of a cerain name, you 1no) )ho he pary is.
If )o young girls are combing he hair of a hird a he
same ime, i may be a1en for graned ha he
younges of he hree )ill soon die. If you )an o ma1e
i sop raining, plan a cross in he middle of he yard
and sprin1le i )ih sal. #he red*8sh has he prin of =.
?eer3s 8ngers on is ail. If )aer )on3 boil in he
1ele, here may be a oad or a oad3s egg in i. +ever
1ill a spider in he afernoon or evening, bu al)ays 1ill
he spider unluc1y enough o sho) himself early in he
morning, for he old :rench proverb saysE
%-raign5e du main**chagrin2
-raign5e du midi**plaisir2
-raign5e du soir**espoir%

(- spider seen in he morning is a sign of grief2 a spider
seen an noon, of 9oy2 a spider seen in he evening, of
hope).
;ven from his very brief s1ech of +e) ,rleans
supersiions he reader may perceive ha he sub9ec
is peculiar enough o meri he aenion of e0perienced
fol1loriss. I migh be divided by a compeen classi8er
under hree headsE I. +egro supersiions con8ned o
he blac1 and colored. populaion2 II. +egro
supersiions )hich have proved conagious, and have
spread among he uneducaed classes of )hies2 III.
=upersiions of 4ain origin impored from :rance,
=pain, and Ialy. I have no ouched much upon
supersiions inheried from ;nglish, Irish, or =coch
sources, inasmuch as hey have nohing especially local
in heir characer here. I mus be remembered ha he
re8ned classes have no share in hese beliefs, and ha,
)ih a fe) really raional e0cepions, he pracices of
creole medicine are ignored by educaed persons. #he
sudy of creole supersiions has only an ehnological
value, and ha of creole medicine only a boanical one,
in so far as i is relaed o empiricism.
-ll his represens an under side of +e) ,rleans life2
and if anyhing of i manages o push up o he surface,
he curious gro)h ma1es iself visible only by some
really prey blossoms of feminine supersiion in regard
o )eddings or berohal rings, or by some dainy sprigs
of child*lore, culivaed by hose colored nurses )ho ell
us ha he lile chic1ens hro) up heir heads )hile
hey drin1 o han1 he good God for giving hem )aer.
(;nd.)