Introduction -- Annie Christmas, daughter of the Mississippi River -- Aunt Julia Brown: voudou legend or hoodoo curse? -- Baron Samedi, voudou spirit of death -- Betsy Toledano, voudou queen and activist -- Black Hawk: the Indian in the bucket -- The broomstick equestrian of Congo Square -- Doctor John Montenée, gris gris man -- High John the Conqueror: hitting a straight lick with a crooked stick -- Jean St. Malo: martyr, African American cultural hero, and voudou saint -- Lala Hopkins, notorious hoodoo queen -- Marie Laveau, voudou queen of New Orleans -- Mary Oneida Toups, witch queen of New Orleans -- Papa Legba, gatekeeper and guardian of the crossroads -- Père Antoine, the inquisition and his legendary date palm -- St. Anthony of Padua, patron saint of lost things -- St. Expedite, patron saint of instant gratification -- St. Joseph, family man -- St. Peter with keys, open da do' -- St. Roch, New Orleans's own patron saint of pandemics -- Zozo LaBrique, peddler of red brick dust.