Oncle Vervain, also known as Dr. Vervain, is a powerful Voodoo doctor who lives in New Orleans. He is the older brother of Great Nananne, who is Merrick Mayfair’s godmother, from whom she learns much of her witching heritage. Oncle Vervain’s grandfather is a powerful Voodoo man during the Civil War who knows the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Marie Laveau. Oncle Vervain has the power to see ghosts in the air around him all the time. He often tells the story of how theirs is a family of magicians, dating back four thousand years before the Aztecs, perhaps even to the Time Before the Moon. He is a profound inspiration for Merrick Mayfair’s magical and archaeological interests, especially her work for David Talbot in the Talamasca.
Oncle Vervain appears in Merrick (2000). For more perspectives on Oncle Vervain’s character, read the Alphabettery entries Great Nananne, Merrick Mayfair, Talamasca Order, and Time Before the Moon.