Revelation: Hope, significance, and encouragement.
Under the laws of Louisiana, Sundays and holy days were days of rest for all residents. So, on Sundays, although required to attend Mass at the Catholic church, slaves were afterward free to move about the city as they pleased.
Some chose to hire themselves out for the day, because under the laws they were allowed to keep their savings. Middle-class whites and free people of color who did not own slaves but needed help with laundry, house cleaning, or maintenance were grateful for this source of labor, even if it was available only on Sundays. It was not unusual for a slave who chose to work on these days to save enough to buy his or her freedom. Many masters were amenable to such a transaction, as it allowed them to free a middle-aged slave and purchase a younger one.
Most slaves, though, chose to attend the weekly Sunday afternoon celebration in Place Congo.
And Sunday, December 18, one week before Christmas, was no different.
Several hundred black people, both free and slaves, gathered on the old parade ground located west of Rampart Street. Here, they anticipated participating in sensual dances that provided a sense of solidarity, as well as honoring and preserving their traditional African culture.
While awaiting the arrival of their queen, friends, family, and neighbors exchanged greetings and gossip at the provisional market or in small clusters throughout the grounds. Included in everyone’s discussions that day was speculation about the imminent British invasion. Once the ritual began, they would pray to their loas for the protection and safety of New Orleans. Most had already implored various Catholic saints at Mass in St. Louis Cathedral; now it was time to include their voodoo counterparts.
Hush.
Soundlessly, the crowd gathered into a unified oneness, a large spiral, each individual facing its center, expectant, reverent, and somber, knowing their queen had arrived.
The majestic-looking spiritual leader seemed to flow through her people as she silently proceeded to their nucleus, solemnly cradling the body of a sizable snake, as if presenting an offering. The queen’s large, almond-shaped cobalt eyes calmly acknowledged her people as she passed; her sensuous, blood-red lips were upturned. Her constituents bowed their heads.
As a free and affluent black, the queen wore a lustrous ivory silk tignon that set off her polished ebony face and enveloped most of her gleaming dark hair. Her large gold earrings and bracelets glistened in the sunlight, and, like her female congregants, she had on a loose dress. This garment made it practical for the ceremony’s twisting, turning, and twirling movements. It, too, was a creamy white and was embellished with ribbons, shells, and little bells, which jingled when she moved.
A small gathering of spectators was assembled on one side of the square. Some of the Creole women had on the newer-fashioned high-waisted, empire-silhouette chemises. Others had tightly laced themselves into corsets that, although uncomfortable, displayed their waistlines. All wore petticoats decorated with ruffles or lace; these could be seen when the outer gowns were lifted.
These women and their male companions did not intend to participate in this ritual. In fact, just a few months ago, they would have complained about the loud music and what they considered lewd dances and songs. Today, though, was different. Today, they recognized a singleness of purpose: blacks and whites, in their own ways, were praying for safety and protection. General Jackson was demanding unity; their survival depended upon it.
On the opposite side of the square, a black man squatted and held his single-headed drum between his knees. Another sat astride his percussion instrument, hunched, ready to slap his palms and fingers on its drumhead.
The queen came to a standstill. Soundless seconds passed. She elevated the snake and slowly raised her face toward the sky. More silent seconds. Suddenly, her head dropped down. The drums and rattles commenced, setting the women to trilling a single tone, which gained momentum.
At first, the queen’s feet and shoulders did not move but every other part of her body does. Then, as the blending of exuberant energy reached a crescendo, a spirit took control of her body. She swirled forward with extraordinary speed and agility. Her followers joined in the sacred dance. Her snake, symbolizing rebirth, the interconnection between heaven and earth, seemed to smile, swinging and swaying with the queen’s tempo.
With rhythmic chants, the congregation whirled about in a circle, following their spiritual leader, gyrating with passion. The singing, dancing, and drumming continued, until the queen was certain that all invocations to the deities were made, all petitions were addressed, and appropriate animal sacrificial offerings were proffered.
The ceremony concluded solemnly, and all of the people departed, trusting in a greater strength.
Whether that strength was the queen, a loa, the Christian God, or even General Jackson, faith and hope were abundant.