Voodoo in the American South isn’t just folklore – it’s music, mystery, candlelit rituals, whispered spells, and powerful women who commanded respect, fear, and fascination.
These queens weren’t just spiritual leaders; they were healers, love spellcasters, political influencers, and sometimes even local celebrities.
Whether they worked with benevolent spirits or had reputations that made people cross the street when they walked by, their stories linger like the scent of incense in the night.
Here are nine Southern Voodoo Queens whose legends still echo through streets, cemeteries, and candle shops today.
1. Marie Laveau
Marie Laveau is the Beyoncé of Voodoo history. Born in the early 1800s, she ruled New Orleans as the High Priestess of Voodoo with charisma, beauty, and rumored supernatural gifts.
Locals believed she could make or break fortunes, cure illnesses, and reveal secrets people thought were buried deep.
Her tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is still a hotspot for visitors who leave offerings hoping she’ll grant a wish.
Some even say her spirit still roams the French Quarter, keeping an eye on things like the queen she always was.
2. Marie Laveau II
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Marie Laveau II took over the family spiritual empire.
She was known for her bold public rituals, often holding elaborate ceremonies near Lake Pontchartrain.
Some say she was even more daring than her mother and maintained influence through both fear and fascination.
Whether she truly had powers or simply understood people better than they understood themselves, her name is still intertwined with New Orleans lore.
3. Sanité Dédé
Sanité Dédé was known for roaming New Orleans’ Congo Square, offering charms, spells, and spiritual advice to anyone who dared approach her.
She wasn’t a formal voodoo queen, but many considered her an underground force in the community.
Legends claim she could make a cheating partner confess or protect someone from enemies using her bags of herbs and whispered incantations.
Her spirit is said to linger around old market areas, especially on stormy evenings.
4. Julie White
Julie White was a powerful Voodoo Queen rumored to have lived in the Louisiana bayous.
Known for her enchanting beauty and dangerous spells, she was feared for her ability to summon spirits to torment those who wronged her.
Locals claimed she could shapeshift or vanish into thin air. When she died, people were terrified to attend her funeral for fear she’d rise again.
Some say if you whisper her name three times near the swamp at midnight, you might hear her laugh.
5. Malvina Latour
Malvina Latour is often credited with continuing New Orleans’ famous St. John’s Eve Voodoo rituals after Marie Laveau.
She is said to have performed ceremonies on the banks of Bayou St. John, leading dancers and drummers under the full moon.
Her rituals were described as electrifying, attracting both believers and curious thrill-seekers.
Even today, St. John’s Eve celebrations in New Orleans are dedicated to the queens who kept the fire of Voodoo alive, and Latour’s spirit is believed to dance among the flames.
6. Julia Brown
Julia Brown, also known as Julia Black or “Madame Julia,” was a feared and respected voodoo priestess who lived in Frenier, Louisiana, in the early 1900s.
Known for her eerie lullabies that often carried cryptic warnings, she was said to sing, “One day I’m gonna die, and I’m gonna take the whole town with me.”
When she passed away in 1915, a devastating hurricane struck on the very day of her funeral, destroying the town and killing many residents.
Locals still whisper that Julia’s prophecy came true and that her spirit lingers in the swampy ruins, especially when the wind sounds like it’s singing.
7. Marie Courteau
Marie Courteau gained fame for her supposed ability to control luck, particularly in gambling.
Stories from the 19th century say wealthy men would seek her blessings before stepping into casinos or betting on horse races.
She was also known for love potions, though some believed her potions worked a little too well.
A few rumors claimed her angry clients found themselves cursed if they didn’t pay properly. To this day, superstitious gamblers joke about needing “a Courteau charm.”
8. Black Herman’s Queen
While Black Herman is famous as a Harlem magician with Southern roots, legends whisper about a mysterious voodoo queen who worked behind the scenes in the South to give him spiritual power.
Known only as Queen Ally, she was believed to be a conjurer with ties to both hoodoo and voodoo traditions.
Some say Herman’s best illusions were powered by her rituals, and after her death, he reportedly lost some of his magical prowess.
9. Tituba
While Tituba is more often linked to Salem, some legends suggest she later traveled south or inspired early Southern voodoo circles.
As an enslaved Caribbean woman, she likely carried spiritual traditions from Barbados that echoed through generations of Southern practitioners.
Though not a queen in title, many consider her a symbolic matriarch of African and Caribbean spiritual practices that shaped later Voodoo queens in Louisiana and beyond.
私は生まれたときから、常に神との強いつながりを感じていた。作家として、また指導者として、私の使命は、人々が最も暗い時代に愛と幸福と内なる強さを見つけるのを助けることである。