I'm planning a short game set in Cheliax, but flavoring the whole thing as a New Orleans pastiche. They've both got a dark history, ties to slavery, former glory, downtrodden people, colorful & complicated religious traditions. Anyone have bright ideas about things I need to include? The players have mentioned building a jazzy Tiefling Bard & a Slums Shaman.
“The thing you need to understand about Voodoo,” my buddy Gabe was saying, “is that it isn’t about harming others. Contrary to popular belief, Voodoo is mainly for healing and providing. The Voodoo doll, for example, that’s a tacked on European belief carried over from the poppet.”
“Okay,” I said. “Thanks, but how’s that going to help us?”
“I’m just trying to give you an idea what to expect,” Gabe said. “Don’t expect those priests to be sticking needles into any Rougarou dolls.”
Gabe and I were ankles deep in swamp. Bald cypress trees stood sentinel around us. The voodoo priests, relatives of Gabe’s, were setting up.
“You could’ve told me that earlier,” I said, “when we first discussed this.”
Gabe shrugged. He got back on drier land where the priests and priestess were. He checked his rifle for the umpteenth time. I followed him up out of the fringes of the swamp. I glanced back at the cypress trees, with their fat-rooted bell-bottoms curving out of the water. The summer sunlight was weak but hot, trapped in a cage of humidity down there with us. It was not long before sunset, not long before full moonrise.
Insects clicked and frogs moaned. An alligator spine cut the green froth of the water. Smells of wet things and rotten things curled up into my nose to die, and so did a few gnats.
“Didn’t want to insult you,” Gabe said. “In case you already knew. But you were talking about Voodoo dolls, so I thought I’d chime in.”
“Thanks for not assuming I don’t know jack shit about real Voodoo,” I said. “Even though I’m white.” I held up my hands to the priests, who’d turned in our direction. “Sorry,” I said, not sure if it was disrespectful to swear and mention Voodoo in the same sentence.
“Believe it or not,” Gabe said, eyes on his rifle, “there are some white Voodoo priests.”
“Really?” I said.
Gabe laughed. “No idea. Seems like there probably are though.”
“There are plenty,” the priestess named Marie said. “And even more practitioners who are white and other races as well.”
“Sorry,” Gabe said, giving me an ironic smile. “I don’t go to the same church they do.”
“I know that,” I said. “We go to the same church.”
After testing the wind, the voodoo priests spread cornmeal in patterns over the damp earth. They sang and chanted in Haitian Creole. They wore all white with traditional tignons. The Earth and possibly other things still drank the blood of the chickens that had been sacrificed earlier.
When I moved closer to those patterns of cornmeal, I w
... keep reading on reddit ➡
I was reading up on it and read that Louisiana Voodoo is a mixture of Vodou, conjure and rootwork? Can someone please clarify.
I'm curious to know people's thoughts on Louisiana Voodoo.
It's not really talked about here and on the outside it seems to function in a different way than Haitian Vodou or West African Vodoun.
I’m Black and just beginning to learn about hoodoo. The texts that I’ve found talk about voodoo and hoodoo, so I’m having a hard time identifying which parts are which.
Is cooking for your ancestors a part of hoodoo or is that Louisiana voodoo? Thank you!
so im trying to reconnect but dont have anyone in my family that actively practices anymore as i was told that they stopped to bury the practice due to my family trying to become more christian centered. i want to learn voodoo and recconect but don't know where to start specially since the online books are mainly for haitian voodoo. can anyone pls help me.
I could easily imagine one of the Black Marsh cities being based off of real life New Orleans, and some of the Argonian Saxheel tribes inventing Jazz music, and some of them being based off of Rednecks, Creoles, Cajuns, Louisiana French, Freed Blacks, Haitain Voodoo, Mayas, Aztecs, etc, and then you have the whole House Dres slavery thing going on in Deshaan region of Morrowind, and slave raiders. The Archein Tribe of Argonians actually betraying their fellow Saxheel and selling them to the Dunmer Dres, and Telvanni.
Now I can just hear a TES Morrowind remaster of Dixie Land song playing in my head. "In Morrowind I take my stand to live and die in Morrowind, hooray hooray!" Or call it Resdayn, the traditional name. "Oh I wish I was in Resdayn! Hooray Hooray!" And it is House Dres people singing it.
Seriously, Lilmoth was ZoS missed opportunity to have an New Orleans like city in the Elder Scrolls series, and they missed it. Oh well, I guess we still got Helstrom, Blackrose (the city not the prison) Soulrest, Archon, and Thorn. Since Gideon is basically just a clone of Leyawiin, and we are finally getting it in Blackwood. I am kind of happy to finally see Gideon in-game since Arena.
But yes, I can see all the TES equivalent of Mardi Gras in my head now. Freaking Gatorfest, Crawfish boils, and Argonian tribes with Cajun accents living in Soulrest, or something, and Soulrest could be the TES New Orleans. Or let it be Helstrom, or Archon or whatever. Hear one of the Saxheel call a fellow Saxheel an "Uncle Tom" for selling his fellow Saxheel to the Dunmer House Dres as slaves.
I’m curious about Louisiana Voodoo because of my Creole heritage. I was wondering how to learn more about it and if it is still practiced today. If it is, how would you start practicing it
I’m interested in the years around 1859 -1860, but earlier is OK.
What was the public perception of voodoo? Could devotees practice in public, or was there still fear of misunderstanding/retribution? How difficult was it to find a voodoo priest/ess (compared to nowadays where you can stroll in off the street to find a practitioner)? How did beliefs vary from modern day voodoo beliefs, if at all?
What are some books I can read to learn more about voodoo in antebellum New Orleans/Louisiana?
I'm at this random door right n...then, and trying to knock but I came across this interestingly crafted decadent mirror on the wall right in front of it. My beard is coming in nicely. Not that I'm a narcissist or anything. New Orleans in this time is so very interestingly eclectic if I say so myself. A mix of many cultures, much in the same sense of this town a few states further northeast known as C.H. I won't say more to that, it's quite a long story that I don't even remember.
I came across this woman playing a violin looking instrument she called a "fiddle." She played it fast and with such grace and interesting elegance. She taught me the basics of it using her very own instrument! I happily borrowed it from her whilst she wasn't looking and scurried off.
So anyway I've been messing around with the people of the city in the attempt to locate him. So far no luck.
I don't feel guilty for any of it as I didn't come here to make friends. In the present I couldn't keep a friend for anything. I've always messed up by saying something that made them hate me.
They see me as quite a strange man here. I don't plan to stay long. I only came here to ask him a few questions about his views on the area and back to 2020 I go. I don't like the present though, I was always bullied.
But here in New Orleans for some peculiar reason things seem almost familiar, perhaps it's the multiculturalism. I hear the hellos of many different languages frequently, including Chinese! There's a good sized outdoor market, similar to a flea market. Vaudeville but it was boring to me no offense, probably just my ADD. A street trumpeter every so and so busy area. Ships passing through the bay and workers at work.
Oh and AMA, btw!
Hmm... Why am I at this door again? Might go try out that Chinese restaurant.
Not only for my own enjoyment but to help give me ideas for some voodoo-themed exploitation movie poster and illustration designs.
Edit: thank you everyone for your recommendations!
Damballah is the father of the voodoo god divinities and is symbolized as a snake, is known to shift from human form to snake form, he is known as the one source of creation in some variations a god of the dead in others, and another variation speaks of him being created by an almighty and the almighty working creation through him. offerings can include white candles, white crystals, luxurious white fabrics if need be, whole raw eggs, white rice, milk, corn syrup, alcohol white rum, or milkier white rums/ alcoholic drinks, tobacco.
I have a game series set in Louisiana and where was voodoo portrayed well? I was thinking of making an expansion in the vein of Call Of Duty Zombies or the Zombie Army games.
Looking for something to get that's super voodoo, from voodoo dolls, alters, papa legba etc idea. I've asked artist around my state and they just come up with a normal voodoo doll.
I was reading up on it and read that Louisiana Voodoo is a mixture of Vodou, conjure and rootwork? Can someone please clarify.
