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Marie Laveau's tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 painted pink by mysterious vandal
Nola.com
on December 29, 2013 at 12:12 PM, updated December 29, 2013 at 9:54 PM
Dozens of tourists in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 gathered around the tomb of Marie Laveau Sunday (Dec. 29) as tour guide Renee Dodge explained the mysterious history of the famed Voodoo queen.But most of the tourists had one question on their minds:
Why was the tomb painted bright pink?Two weeks ago, in the middle of the night, someone sneaked into the cemetery and painted the tomb, Dodge said, but she didn't think the person had any malicious intent."The person really came in to paint over the thousands of thousands of "X"'s all over this tomb," she said. "And that's the real desecration."Decades ago, someone started a rumor that if people wanted Laveau to grant them a wish, they had to draw an "X" on the tomb, turn around three times, knock on the tomb, yell out their wish, and if it was granted, come back, circle their "X," and leave Laveau an offering, Dodge said."I'll tell, you, I don't have a problem with it being painted pink," she said. "I have a problem with it being paint."Whoever painted the tomb used latex paint, which does not breathe and traps in moisture which is "the single biggest threat to the survival of these brick-and-mortar tombs," Dodge said.The vandal also painted the marble tablet on the face of the tomb with white paint. That is damaging because marble is very soft, porous, and fragile, Dodge said.The nonprofit Save Our Cemeteries has been in contact with several restoration companies about removing the pink-and-white paint, Dodge said.If people would like to see Laveau's tomb restored to its natural state, they can ask her to grant them that wish without desecrating the tomb with an "X," Dodge said."If anyone wants to make a wish, I will tell you here and now this lady has never let me down, and I've never done anything other than this," Dodge said putting her hand on the tomb. "You simply place your hand on her tomb make a wish, and when she grants it or she comes to you in a dream with knowledge to get what you want, you return and make an offering. "Despite Dodge's advice, the pink tomb already has several "X"'s drawn on it.The Archdiocese of New Orleans oversees the cemeteries, but the majority of the tombs are individually owned by families who are responsible for their maintenance and upkeep. Many of the families, however, left the region or died off decades ago. leaving the tombs untended for generations.Angie Green, executive director of Save Our Cemeteries, estimates that 75 percent of the tombs in St. Louis No. 1 are orphaned.
1 / 8By Richard A. Webster, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune Email the author | Follow on twitter
Nola.com
on December 29, 2013 at 12:12 PM, updated December 29, 2013 at 9:54 PM
Dozens of tourists in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 gathered around the tomb of Marie Laveau Sunday (Dec. 29) as tour guide Renee Dodge explained the mysterious history of the famed Voodoo queen.But most of the tourists had one question on their minds:
Why was the tomb painted bright pink?Two weeks ago, in the middle of the night, someone sneaked into the cemetery and painted the tomb, Dodge said, but she didn't think the person had any malicious intent."The person really came in to paint over the thousands of thousands of "X"'s all over this tomb," she said. "And that's the real desecration."Decades ago, someone started a rumor that if people wanted Laveau to grant them a wish, they had to draw an "X" on the tomb, turn around three times, knock on the tomb, yell out their wish, and if it was granted, come back, circle their "X," and leave Laveau an offering, Dodge said."I'll tell, you, I don't have a problem with it being painted pink," she said. "I have a problem with it being paint."Whoever painted the tomb used latex paint, which does not breathe and traps in moisture which is "the single biggest threat to the survival of these brick-and-mortar tombs," Dodge said.The vandal also painted the marble tablet on the face of the tomb with white paint. That is damaging because marble is very soft, porous, and fragile, Dodge said.The nonprofit Save Our Cemeteries has been in contact with several restoration companies about removing the pink-and-white paint, Dodge said.If people would like to see Laveau's tomb restored to its natural state, they can ask her to grant them that wish without desecrating the tomb with an "X," Dodge said."If anyone wants to make a wish, I will tell you here and now this lady has never let me down, and I've never done anything other than this," Dodge said putting her hand on the tomb. "You simply place your hand on her tomb make a wish, and when she grants it or she comes to you in a dream with knowledge to get what you want, you return and make an offering. "Despite Dodge's advice, the pink tomb already has several "X"'s drawn on it.The Archdiocese of New Orleans oversees the cemeteries, but the majority of the tombs are individually owned by families who are responsible for their maintenance and upkeep. Many of the families, however, left the region or died off decades ago. leaving the tombs untended for generations.Angie Green, executive director of Save Our Cemeteries, estimates that 75 percent of the tombs in St. Louis No. 1 are orphaned.
1 / 8By Richard A. Webster, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune Email the author | Follow on twitter
