Legends of New Orleans

foreign throughout time people across the world told each other Tales of how they came to be of Heroes and monsters romance and tragedy death and rebirth mythology helped shape the ancient world explaining the unexplainable this is mythology in the Southern United States there is a city on the Mississippi River filled with mystery and enchantment New Orleans from Bourbon Street in the French Quarter to the port and the Bayou New Orleans is a gem in the state of Louisiana famous for its food music annual celebrations and its melting pot of culture such culture is bound to spawn more than its fair share of myths and legends stories of strange creatures Phantom lights and even the undead all with their own style and Flair are told in the fabled city this program will discuss some of the most mysterious and chilling Legends of New Orleans stories of vampires go back thousands of years perhaps even before the civilizations of Mesopotamia but in the United States New Orleans holds the record for Vampire Legends and even vampire sightings but one Legend stands Out Among the rest the most famous vampire in New Orleans Jacques Saint Germain according to the legend Saint Germain immigrated from France to New Orleans in 1902. where he earned a reputation for throwing lavish dinner parties for New Orleans wealthy citizens bizarrely however he was never seen to dine with his guests his wealth his shadowy background and his aloof and almost alien Behavior coupled with his gentlemanly charm made him the subject of many rumors one night screams were heard from Saint germain's home and a woman jumped from the second story balcony of his house people coming to a rescue heard her raving that she had been attacked by Saint Germain and that he had bitten her on her neck the woman was taken to the hospital where she later died when police searched Saint germain's home they found blood stains and wine bottles filled with human blood but there was no sign of the man himself to this day Saint Germain and other suspected vampires are said to lurk in the French Quarter preying upon the unwary wandering alone at night in addition to vampires New Orleans has its own legends of werewolves called the rugaroo or lugaru the monster is said to prowl the bayous and marshlands of the greater New Orleans area according to Cajun folklore a person may become a Rougarou either when they fail to observe lent for seven consecutive years or if they have been cursed by a witch during the day the creature maintains human form their condition kept a secret from the rest of the world but at night they transform into a wolf-like beast and the rugaroo proceeds to prowl the fields and buy you looking for prey The Unlucky individual cursed as the rugaroo is then under the spell for 101 days after that time the curse is transferred from person to person when the Rougarou draws the blood of another either through biting or clawing and the cycle continues on the best known method to protect one's home from aruguru involves placing a colander or 13 pennies or stones on the doorstep or windowsill Legend has it that the rugaroo is fixated on Counting but does not know how to count beyond the number 12. this method would perplex the creature delaying its approach until Escape or help could be found or until the sun rises a common trickster figure in various mythologies is the Phantom light and engage in folklore that comes in the form of Le Foo Foley much like other ghostly lights such as the Willow the Wisp of Celtic mythology fufolay shines brightly in the bayou bordering New Orleans appearing as a lonesome traveler wandering in the dark by the light of a lantern or in more recent years a flashlight they most often would position themselves over a deep Marsh or a body of water and lure unsuspecting Travelers towards them causing them to sink into the water leading to drowning or at least utter humiliation both acceptable outcomes telefu for Lay another trick that they may play upon humans is to lead them Far and Away deep into the woods until they are hopelessly lost the mystical origin of these Phantom lights changes from tail to tail some say that they are the spirits of deceased loved ones returning to bid their final goodbyes While others say that they are evil entities laying a trap for those unlucky enough to stumble upon them either way if you were to see a mysterious light flickering in the dark area of the Bayou it would be wise not to follow it towards the east of New Orleans lies a fabled road that leads to the home of a group of hidden folk and their monstrous protector the grunches in the early 1800s there was a group of societal outcasts Afflicted with cases of albinism and dwarfism and due to their appearance were shunned by the rest of society driven deep into the forest their mistreatment from society coupled with the unrelenting Fury of the wild was said to devolve them into creatures that scarcely resembled human beings from their layers in the woods they were said to steal livestock namely goats kidnapped people and even engage in cannibalism the legend goes on to say that they made sacrifices to the devil in order to gain a protector a beast that resembles a deformed reptilian goat with leathery skin a row of back spines and glowing eyes like chupacabra of Latin American folklore the Beast of grunch road is said to drain the blood of livestock and even people though the location of grunch Road and the origins of the grunches and their Beast is widely debated the story remains one of the most popular and chilling our final Legend of New Orleans addresses the seemingly endless supply of ghostly activity all across the city stories of spirits of the deceased lingering in the land of the living are nothing new and found practically worldwide and yet the ghost stories of New Orleans managed to Stand Out Among the Sea of paranormal Tales so much so that the City offers ghost tours of allegedly haunted sites such sites include the infamous lalori Mansion at 1140 Royal Street in the French Quarter whose Halls are said to be haunted by the eponymous owner delfine lalore as well as the souls of the tortured people she had mistreated during her cruel lifetime and the Hotel Monteleone whose long history of Paranormal Activity includes the spirits of deceased employees a former tenant named William red wildermere and its most famous resident the ghost of a toddler named Maurice bergier who died on Hotel premises some go with some New Orleans are even praised rather than feared such as per dagaber de longori a sandal clad robe wearing Capuchin monk of the 18th century who appears during rainy mornings singing loudly in front of Saint Louis Cathedral all the way down Pirate's alley but perhaps the most famous ghost in New Orleans is the queen of voodoo Marie Laveau Laval was a devout practitioner of vodu and an herbalist who would hold spiritual ceremonies of healing and faith in Congo Square every Sunday until her passing in 1881. in the Years following her death Marie laveau's Legend as both a benevolent Community participant and a mysterious individual capable of Untold abilities grew exponentially it is said that her ghost still roams the location of the former Saint Anne Cottage and her tomb located in Saint Louis Cemetery it is said that New Orleans is among the most haunted cities in America amidst the wonderful music the iconic Cuisines and diverse cultural history is a plethora of spooky urban legends woven deep into the cultural tapestry of the city from strange creatures and monsters lurking in the rural areas to denizens of the undead Waltzing through the urban areas so if you ever find yourself wandering the streets of The Big Easy take heed you may meet an unexpected visitor from the afterlife foreign

Channel: Mythology Unleashed

Views: 225,232

Keywords: Mythology Unleashed, Mythology, Myth, Greek, Egyptian, Celtic, Viking, Norse, Nordic, Meso-American, Gods, Goddesses, Monsters, Heroes, Heroines, Magic, Grimm Fairy Tales, American folklore, American legends, American cryptids, American vampires, American werewolf, Vampire, Werewolf, Rougarou, Jacques St. Germain, Grunch, Grunch road, Grunch road monster, Le feu follet, Will o the wisp, Marie Laveau, Pere dagobert, Lalaurie mansion, Hotel monteleone, Vodou, Voodoo, Mardi gras, New Orleans, NOLA

Id: Bs6CBx6qcfk

Length: 11min 56sec (716 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 22 2023