The Louisiana Black Code: The Origin of Catholic Conjure

The origin of Catholic Conjure in Southern Hoodoo comes from the implementation of the Louisiana Black Code (Code Noir) promulgated at Versailles in 1724 for the administration of justice, police, discipline, and commerce of African American slaves (http://www.knowla.org/). The Black Code forbade the practice of African traditional religions or any variants under the penalty of death. All slaves were forced to convert to Catholicism and Jews were expelled from the colony so there was a complete and total Catholic rule. In order to maintain any kind of traditional beliefs, the slaves recognized similarities between their Deities and the Catholic Saints and were able to continue serving their Spirits under the guise of Catholicism. Pretty ingenious. Over time, the saints were acknowledged as separate entities in New Orleans and some were incorporated into New Orleans Voodoo practices. A cooperative coexistence occurred and has been carried on in the practice of Hoodoo in Louisiana, where it has been "viewed as indistinguishable in many respects from New Orleans Voodoo by outsiders and believers alike" (Hazzard-Donald, 2013, p. 39; see also Alvarado, 2011 and Hall, 1992).

Why is this important? Understanding the historical context in which the Hoodoo tradition evolved is  necessary in order to truly understand why it has evolved in the way it has. Taking the time to learn about the history is in itself an act of ancestor reverence, which is a core value of Hoodoo and other African-derived traditions as well as Native American traditions. Understanding the origins of our ancestors and the sacrifices they endured gives one a new appreciation for the tradition.

Edict of the King:

On the subject of the Policy regarding the Islands of French America

March 1685

Recorded at the sovereign Council of Saint Domingue, 6 May 1687.

Louis, by the grace of God, King of France and Navarre: to all those here present and to those to come, GREETINGS. In that we must also care for all people that Divine Providence has put under our tutelage, we have agreed to have the reports of the officers we have sent to our American islands studied in our presence. These reports inform us of their need for our authority and our justice in order to maintain the discipline of the Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith in the islands. Our authority is also required to settle issues dealing with the condition and quality of the slaves in said islands. We desire to settle these issues and inform them that, even though they reside infinitely far from our normal abode, we are always present for them, not only through the reach of our power but also by the promptness of our help toward their needs. For these reasons, and on the advice of our council and of our certain knowledge, absolute power and royal authority, we have declared, ruled, and ordered, and declare, rule, and order, that the following pleases us:

Article I. We desire and we expect that the Edict of 23 April 1615 of the late King, our most honored lord and father who remains glorious in our memory, be executed in our islands. This accomplished, we enjoin all of our officers to chase from our islands all the Jews who have established residence there. As with all declared enemies of Christianity, we command them to be gone within three months of the day of issuance of the present [order], at the risk of confiscation of their persons and their goods.

Article II. All slaves that shall be in our islands shall be baptized and instructed in the Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith. We enjoin the inhabitants who shall purchase newly-arrived Negroes to inform the Governor and Intendant of said islands of this fact within no more that eight days, or risk being fined an arbitrary amount. They shall give the necessary orders to have them instructed and baptized within a suitable amount of time.

Article III. We forbid any religion other than the Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith from being practiced in public. We desire that offenders be punished as rebels disobedient of our orders. We forbid any gathering to that end, which we declare to be conventicle, illegal, and seditious, and subject to the same punishment as would be applicable to the masters who permit it or accept it from their slaves.

Article IV. No persons assigned to positions of authority over Negroes shall be other than a member of the Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith, and the master who assigned these persons shall risk having said Negroes confiscated, and arbitrary punishment levied against the persons who accepted said position of authority.

Article V. We forbid our subjects who belong to the so-called "reformed" religion from causing any trouble or unforeseen difficulties for our other subjects or even for their own slaves in the free exercise of the Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith, at the risk of exemplary punishment.

Article VI. We enjoin all our subjects, of whatever religion and social status they may be, to observe Sundays and the holidays that are observed by our subjects of the Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith. We forbid them to work, nor make their slaves work, on said days, from midnight until the following midnight. They shall neither cultivate the earth, manufacture sugar, nor perform any other work, at the risk of a fine and an arbitrary punishment against the masters, and of confiscation by our officers of as much sugar worked by said slaves before being caught.   

You can find the entire Code Noir here.