Today is a special day as we participate in a wonderful blog party Broomsticks on the Bayou. Special thanks goes to Anna of Frosted Petunias and Marfi of Incipient Wings - two creative ladies, mixed media artists and simply one of those bloggers who bring magic to your life.
Let us start our journey then. It is definitely a journey for me as I get to know so many new things while preparing this party entry. It was somewhat difficult to find what I exactly wanted to write about also because of the topic itself which revolves around New Orleans and its Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. I, being a foreign blogger, am not familiar with oh so many cultural phenomena of America, that simply retelling a story of Marie Laveau taken from Wiki was not an option. So I chose to mix and connect, my Slavic roots with American tradition.
At first I looked at the name of the Voodoo Queen Marie and couldn't help but recollect my forever favorite heroine Margarita, who by the way became a Queen of the Ball of the Full Moon once, if you remember. So both are Queens and well, witches. The meanings of both names are different though, as Margarita means "pearl" and Marie (Maria) supposedly means "beloved", "love".
In addition their names have a common syllable mar- which is also can be related to pro-Indo-European root *mer, meaning "to die". I know that these analogies are just a theory, imagination of you want, nevertheless I believe that as soon as linguistics and other human sciences propose existence of a pro-Indo-European language which was common on our Earth before the continents separated, any such coincidence is possible, even though some may argue that roots can just sound similar but be of a different origin. I don't insist on linking Marie and Margarita through the names, but somehow one being a book character, another, a real person, are connected by a thread of witchcraft. And you know what, they once met at the Bayou, not far from Moscow, in the beginning of 20th century. What do you think they spoke of with each other that night?
"Margarita, hot after the flight on the broomstick, slipped into the soothing waters of a small river. The Moon was shining bright and she could see its glitter on the water. "I can do anything tonight!", - thought she. She felt so much strength in her body that needed more movement, more action, when she suddenly heard a rhythmic sound of drums, somewhere half kilometer away from the pond. "I want to dance!" - vigorous thought crossed Margarita's mind, and leaving her broomstick on the bayou, she followed the sound which was becoming louder with her approach. "What a wonderful night!", - she couldn't stop that fountain of joy and happiness beating its waters from inside her.
Dancing Margarita came near the lush of bushes and trees through which she could witness what was happening in the inner open space: a gorgeous woman was sitting in the center of a circle and beating one of the drums with her right hand. "The Queen", - guessed Margarita, and she wished to immediately enter the circle of dancing people and creatures. Not even a second passed how she was already among joyous crowd, which was shouting "Queen!" and bowing... to her, Margarita! "There must be a mistake! That one is worth being called Queen, not me!"
- That's right, my dear, you are the Queen of the Ball of the Full Moon today. And I am your preceptress tonight. Come over here and help yourself with that steaming drink!
Margarita smiled at the lady and accepted the chalice from a goat-like creature.
- To The Queen! - shouted from all the sides.
-To the Queen of the Ball of the Full Moon and the Voodoo Queen! - screamed the goat-like creature.
When Margarita's chalice was empty, she was offered to sit beside the Voodoo Queen. Now looking at this woman so close she could recollect dreams she experienced three months ago of far land, and a woman in bright cloths and a turban, who always seemed to call Margarita somewhere, and it used to feel so good, so soothing, like mother's presence...
- I know you, Voodoo Queen. I knew you before I even could realize it.
The Voodoo Queen kept on looking at the dancing and the big bonfire in the middle, a smile kindled on her face:
- My dear Queen Margo, I never left you. It is just you didn't understand me then, and perhaps were afraid of me, but when the time came, you accepted me and now you are me as much as I am You. I hope you enjoy my little gathering on the bayou tonight, but don't be late for the Ball, my dear."
Hope you too enjoying the Broomsticks on the Bayou, my dears, and trying out all the yummies Marfi and Anna prepared for us!
Dancing Margarita came near the lush of bushes and trees through which she could witness what was happening in the inner open space: a gorgeous woman was sitting in the center of a circle and beating one of the drums with her right hand. "The Queen", - guessed Margarita, and she wished to immediately enter the circle of dancing people and creatures. Not even a second passed how she was already among joyous crowd, which was shouting "Queen!" and bowing... to her, Margarita! "There must be a mistake! That one is worth being called Queen, not me!"
- That's right, my dear, you are the Queen of the Ball of the Full Moon today. And I am your preceptress tonight. Come over here and help yourself with that steaming drink!
Margarita smiled at the lady and accepted the chalice from a goat-like creature.
- To The Queen! - shouted from all the sides.
-To the Queen of the Ball of the Full Moon and the Voodoo Queen! - screamed the goat-like creature.
When Margarita's chalice was empty, she was offered to sit beside the Voodoo Queen. Now looking at this woman so close she could recollect dreams she experienced three months ago of far land, and a woman in bright cloths and a turban, who always seemed to call Margarita somewhere, and it used to feel so good, so soothing, like mother's presence...
- I know you, Voodoo Queen. I knew you before I even could realize it.
The Voodoo Queen kept on looking at the dancing and the big bonfire in the middle, a smile kindled on her face:
- My dear Queen Margo, I never left you. It is just you didn't understand me then, and perhaps were afraid of me, but when the time came, you accepted me and now you are me as much as I am You. I hope you enjoy my little gathering on the bayou tonight, but don't be late for the Ball, my dear."
Hope you too enjoying the Broomsticks on the Bayou, my dears, and trying out all the yummies Marfi and Anna prepared for us!
