Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled over the ages to catalogue the most spectacular man-made constructions and natural things in the world. And the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World can be traced back to the fifth century B.C.

The New 7 Wonders of the World were announced during the Official Declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on Saturday, July 7, 2007 and history was made! This inaugural worldwide vote also produced the first-ever Global Memory and a new set of 7 Human Virtues. www.new7wonders.com/classic/en/n7w/new7news/7virtues/

Also please see: Haunted America Tours Top Ten Lists And: The World's 100 Most Haunted Scariest Paranormal Places

But what about the seven wonders of the Paranormal World? Do the Exist? And do they have a real connection to the other Seven Wonders?

The historian Herodotus (484 BC–ca. 425 BC), and the scholar Callimachus of Cyrene (ca 305–240 BC) at the Museum of Alexandria, made early lists of "Seven wonders" but their writings have not survived, except as references. Their wonders included the Great Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum of Maussollos at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, and Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Greek category was not "Wonders" but "theamata", which translates closer to "must-sees". The list that we know today was compiled in the Middle Ages—by which time many of the sites were no longer in existence.

Paranormal, Supernatural, Haunted or just plain mystical ---- Here is a compiled list of the Seven Paranormal wonders of the world for you to investigate. These locations seem to draw upon the powers of the otherworldly. Many people say they are drawn to them because of magical powers or spirits that guide them to make a pilgrimage to their locations for greater enlightenment. Many paranormal investigators have traveled the world and agree the seven wonders are of the paranormal kind.

Some call them the most visited haunted hotspots in the world. Supernatural sightseeing is nothing new. Many thousands people have traveled through out the centuries to find miraculous locations to experience the wonderment of the other-side. Certain Cities and their Paranormal locations have always stirred a emotional or psychological - like experience in many. As many say this place has the supernatural Vibe

So now all the votes are in and the many visitors to our have web site have chosen the best places that they believe to hold wonderment and paranormal excitement.

The Seven Wonders Of The Supernatural World

1.The great Pyramid at Giza

The great Pyramid at Giza makes many list. From the Seven Wonders of The ancient world. Modern World, Architectural and now the most haunted of all wonders. Today, the only ancient world wonder that still exists is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Many say it is a magical place, and they can feel the power of this giant resurrection machine at work. Some say they feel enlightened others believe they have in someway touched the world of the dead emotionally, mentally and spiritually once they have entered inside the Kings burial chamber.

check out the Great Pyramids of Giza; Live Webcam here.

The Great Pyramid of Giza , also called Khufu's Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops, is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now Cairo, Egypt in Africa, and is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Visibly all that remains is the underlying step-pyramid core structure seen today. Many of the casing stones that once covered the structure can still be seen around the base of the Great Pyramid. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.

There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. A passage from the Grand Gallery leads to the Queen's Chamber, while an antechamber leads from the Grand Gallery to the King's Chamber. The sarcophagus of the King's Chamber was hollowed out of a single piece of Red Aswan granite and has been found to be too large to fit through the passageway leading to the chamber. Both the King's Chamber and the Queen's Chamber contains small shafts that ascend out of the pyramid. Egyptologists now conclude they were instead used for ceremonial purposes. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the main part of a complex setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway connecting the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles.

The term pyramid power was coined by Patrick Flanagan in 1973, to describe alleged supernatural properties of the ancient Egyptian pyramids and scale models thereof.

Pyramid power is one of the several alternative theories regarding pyramids, commonly referred to as pyramidology .It has been claimed that, like alchemy, the concept of "pyramid power" is symbolic rather than literal, having to do with psychological effects and not physical ones.

If course by it's magnitude, mystery and endurance --- this is the number one wonder of the paranormal world.

2. Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu ( (Quechua: Machu Pikchu Old Peak; sometimes called the "Lost City of the Inca's") is a pre-Columbian city created by the Inca Empire. It is located at 2,430 m (7,970 ft) on a mountain ridge. Machu Picchu is located above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, about 70 km (44 mi) northwest of Cusco. Forgotten for centuries by the outside world, although not by locals, it was brought back to international attention by archaeologist Hiram Bingham in 1911, who made the first scientific confirmation of the site and wrote a best-selling work about it. Peru is pursuing legal efforts to retrieve thousands of artifacts that Bingham removed from the site. Machu Picchu is probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas". The site was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1983 when it was described as "and absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization".

Many call it the most Mystical Place on earth and have reported paranormal experiences and enlightenment. Machu Picchu was constructed around 1450, at the height of the Inca empire, and was abandoned less than 100 years later, as the empire collapsed under Spanish conquest. Although the citadel is located only about 50 miles from Cusco, the Inca capital, it was never found and destroyed by the Spanish, as were many other Inca sites. Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle grew to enshroud the site, and few knew of its existence. In 1911, Yale historian and explorer Hiram Bingham brought the “lost” city to the world’s attention. Bingham and others hypothesized that the citadel was the traditional birthplace of the Inca people or the spiritual center of the “virgins of the sun,” while curators of a recent exhibit have speculated that Machu Picchu was a royal retreat

Intihuatana Stone
Shamanic legends say that if you're a sensitive person and you rub your forehead against the stone you will see the spirit world. The Intihuatana stone is one of the many ritual stones in South America. They are arranged so they point directly at the sun during the winter solstice. The Spanish did not find Machu Picchu until the 20th century so the Intihuatana Stone was not destroyed like many other ritual stones. It is also called "The Hitching Point of the Sun" because it was supposed to hold the sun in its place. At midday on March 21st and September 21st the sun stands almost above the pillar creating no shadow at all. It is (as they said before) believed to be an astronomic clock built by the Incas. It survived until the year 2000. During the filming of a beer company video, a 990 pound crane fell on the stone and broke off a piece of stone the size of a ballpoint pen. The company said that they were not responsible for the incident. Many people believe that thanks to this incident many spirits have gone.

It is thought that the site was chosen for its unique location and geological features. It is said that the silhouette of the mountain range behind Machu Picchu represents the face of the Inca looking upward towards the sky, with the largest peak, Huayna Picchu (meaning Young Peak), representing his pierced nose.

Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. In September of 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts which Hiram Bingham had removed from Machu Picchu in the early 20th century. Currently, there are concerns about the impact of tourism on the site as it reached 400,000 visitors in 2003.

3. Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. Archaeologists believe that the standing stones were erected around 2200 BC and the surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with Avebury henge monument, and it is also a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge itself is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.

Stonehenge was produced by a culture with no written language, and at great historical remove from the first cultures that did leave written records. Many aspects of Stonehenge remain subject to debate. This multiplicity of theories, some of them very colorful, is often called the "mystery of Stonehenge."

There is little or no direct evidence for the construction techniques used by the Stonehenge builders. Over the years, various authors have suggested that supernatural or anachronistic methods were used, usually asserting that the stones were impossible to move otherwise. However, conventional techniques using Neolithic technology have been demonstrably effective at moving and placing stones this size. Proposed functions for the site include usage as an astronomical observatory, or as a religious site. Other theories have advanced supernatural or symbolic explanations for the construction.

Stonehenge is also mentioned within Arthurian legend. Geoffrey of Monmouth said that Merlin the wizard directed its removal from Ireland, where it had been constructed on Mount Killaraus by Giants, who brought the stones from Africa. After it had been rebuilt near Amesbury, Geoffrey further narrates how first Ambrosius Aurelianus, then Uther Pendragon, and finally Constantine III, were buried inside the ring of stones. In many places in his Historia Regum Britanniae Geoffrey mixes British legend and his own imagination; it is intriguing that he connects Ambrosius Aurelianus with this prehistoric monument, seeing how there is place-name evidence to connect Ambrosius with nearby Amesbury.

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the rocks of Stonehenge were healing rocks which Giants brought from Africa to Ireland for their healing properties. These rocks were called The Giant's Dance. Aurelius Ambrosias (5th Century), wishing to erect a memorial to the nobles (3000) who had died in battle with the Saxons and were buried at Salisbury, chose (at Merlin's advice) Stonehenge to be their monument. So the King sent Merlin, Uther Pendragon (Arthur's father), and 15,000 knights to Ireland to retrieve the rocks. They slew 7,000 Irish. As the knights tried to move the rocks with ropes and force, they failed. Then Merlin, using "gear" and skill, easily dismantled the stones and sent them over to Britain, where Stonehenge was dedicated. Shortly after, Aurelius died and was buried within the Stonehenge monument, or "The Giants' Ring of Stonehenge".

"Friar’s Heel" or the "Sunday Stone"
The Heel Stone was once known as "Friar's Heel". A folk tale, which cannot be dated earlier than the seventeenth century, relates the origin of the name of this stone:

The Devil bought the stones from a woman in Ireland, wrapped them up, and brought them to Salisbury plain. One of the stones fell into the Avon, the rest were carried to the plain. The Devil then cried out, "No-one will ever find out how these stones came here!" A friar replied, "That’s what you think!," whereupon the Devil threw one of the stones at him and struck him on the heel. The stone stuck in the ground and is still there.

Some claim "Friar's Heel" is a corruption of "Freyja's He-ol" or "Freyja Sul", from the Nordic goddess Freyja and the Welsh word for way or Sunday, respectively, or the name may simply imply that the stone heels, or leans. The name is not unique; there was a monolith with the same name recorded in the 19th century by antiquarian Charles Warne at Long Bredy in Dorset.

The first excavation inside the ring at Stonehenge in more than four decades gets under way ion April of 2008.

'Breakthrough' at Stonehenge Dig - Archaeologists carrying out an excavation at Stonehenge say they have broken through to a layer that may finally explain why the site was built. -- BBC News

The two-week dig will try to establish, once and for all, some precise dating for the creation of the monument. are convinced that the dominating feature on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire was akin to a "Neolithic Lourdes" - a place where people went on a pilgrimage to get cured.

Some of the evidence supporting this theory comes from the dead, they say.

A significant proportion of the newly discovered Neolithic remains show clear signs of skeletal trauma. Some had undergone operations to the skull, or had walked with a limp, or had broken bones.

Modern techniques have established that many of these people had clearly traveled huge distances to get to south-west England, suggesting they were seeking supernatural help for their ills. Also visit : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7322134.stm

4. Lourdes

Lourdes was originally a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees. At that time the most prominent feature was the fortified castle which rises up from the center of the town on a rocky escarpment. Following the claims that there were apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, Lourdes has developed into a major place of Christian pilgrimage. 2008 is the 150th Jubilee of the apparitions, and larger crowds than usual are expected to visit.

Lourdes (Grotte de Massabielle)

Today Lourdes has a population of around 15,000 inhabitants but is able to take in some 5,000,000 pilgrims and tourists every season. Lourdes has the second greatest number of hotels in France after Paris with about 270 establishments.

It is the joint seat of the diocese of Tarbes-et-Lourdes. On 11 February 1858, a 14-year-old local girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed a beautiful lady appeared to her in the remote Grotto of Massabielle. The lady later identified herself as "the Immaculate Conception" and the faithful believe her to be the Blessed Virgin Mary. The lady appeared 18 times, and by 1859 thousands of pilgrims were visiting Lourdes. A statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was erected at the site in 1864.

Since the apparitions, Lourdes has become one of the world's leading Catholic Marian shrines and the number of visitors grows each year. It has such an important place within the Roman Catholic church, that Pope John Paul II visited the shrine twice on 15th August 1983 and 14th-15th August 2004. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI authorized special indulgences to mark the 150th anniversary of Our Lady of Lourdes.

5. Chichen Itza

With new intrest in the Mayan Apocalypse, 2012, if the world would end in 2012 as predicted by the Mayan prophecies then this is one reason why this haunted hot spot is making the list. At the mouth of the well of the Itza") is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Yucatán state, present-day Mexico.

Chichen Itza was a major regional center in the northern Maya lowlands from the Late Classic through the Terminal Classic and into the early portion of the Early Postclassic period. The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, from what is called “Mexicanized” and reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico to the Puuc style found among the Puuc Maya of the northern lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion.

Archaeological data, such as evidence of burning at a number of important structures and architectural complexes, suggest that Chichen Itza's collapse was violent. Following the decline of Chichen Itza's hegemony, regional power in the Yucatán shifted to a new center at Mayapan.

The ruins of Chichen Itza are federal property, and the site’s stewardship is maintained by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, INAH). The land under the monuments, however, is privately-owned by the Barbachano family.

Northern Yucatán is arid, and the interior has no above-ground rivers. There are two large, natural sink holes, called cenotes, that could have provided plentiful water year round at Chichen, making it attractive for settlement. Of the two cenotes, the "Cenote Sagrado" or Sacred Cenote, is the more famous. According to post-Conquest sources (Maya and Spanish), pre-Columbian Maya sacrificed objects and human beings into the cenote as a form of worship to the Maya rain god Chaac. American Consul Edward Herbert Thompson dredged the Cenote Sagrado from 1904 to 1910, and recovered artifacts of gold, jade, pottery, and incense, as well as human remains. A recent study of human remains taken from the Cenote Sagrado found that they had wounds consistent with human sacrifice.

Many have over the genrations reported magical otherworldly feelings when visiting the site. Often some have reported it as being a mystical life changing event.

Dominating the center of Chichén is the Temple of Kukulkan (the Maya name for Quetzalcoatl), often referred to as "El Castillo" (the castle). This step pyramid has a ground plan of square terraces with stairways up each of the 4 sides to the temple on top. On the Spring and Fall equinox, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the structure casts a shadow in the shape of a plumed serpent - Kukulcan, or Quetzalcoatl - along the side of the North staircase. On these two days, the shadows from the corner tiers slither down the northern side of the pyramid with the sun's movement.

Mesoamerican cultures periodically built larger pyramids atop older ones, and this is one such example. In the mid 1930s, the Mexican government sponsored an excavation into El Castillo. After several false starts, they discovered a staircase under the north side of the pyramid. By digging from the top, they found another temple buried below the current one. Inside the temple chamber was a Chac Mool statue and a throne in the shape of jaguar, painted red with spots made of inlaid jade.

The Mexican government excavated a tunnel from the base of the north staircase, up the earlier pyramid’s stairway to the hidden temple, and opened it to tourists. In 2006, INAH closed the throne room to the public.

The pyrimad complex in Mexico City, and Tulum is also said to be very mystical and haunted but does not come near to the experience when visiting Chitzen Itza for shear paranormal bliss.

6. Colosseum

The Colosseum or Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96).

Originally capable of seating around 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. It remained in use for nearly 500 years with the last recorded games being held there as late as the 6th century. As well as the traditional gladiatorial games, many other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building eventually ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such varied purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry and a Christian shrine.

Although it is now in a ruined condition due to damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum has long been seen as an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. Today it is one of modern Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlight"Way of the Cross" procession to the amphitheatre.

Stained with the blood of thousands upon thousands of people and animals the Colossem is said to be haunted by man woman and child ghosts, and those of animals from lions ,tigers bears and even elephants. The spectral of the roman era is said to be haunted by the innocent and the moans of the dead are often heard.

The Colosseum was used to host gladiatorial shows as well as a variety of other events. The shows, called munera, were always given by individuals rather than the state. They had a strong religious element but were also demonstration of power and family prestige, and were immensely popular with the population. Another popular type of show was the animal hunt, or venatio. This utilised a great variety of wild beasts, mainly imported from Africa, and included creatures such as rhinoceros, hippos, elephants, giraffes, lions, panthers, leopards, crocodiles and ostriches. Battles and hunts were often staged amid elaborate sets with movable trees and buildings. Such events were occasionally on a huge scale; Trajan is said to have celebrated his victories in Dacia in 107 with contests involving 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators over the course of 123 days.

The Colosseum has long been regarded as having been the scene of numerous martyrdoms of early Christians. However, this belief appears to have arisen only around the 16th century. Roman and early medieval accounts refer to Christians being martyred in various vaguely described locations in Rome (in the amphitheatre, in the arena etc) but without specifying which; there were, in fact, numerous stadia, amphitheatres and circuses in Rome. Saint Telemachus, for instance, is often said to have died in the Colosseum, but Theodoret's account of his death merely states that it happened "in the stadium" (eis to stadio). Similarly, the death of Saint Ignatius of Antioch is recorded as having been in "the arena", without specifying which arena. In the Middle Ages, the Colosseum was clearly not regarded as a sacred site. But all Knew it was haunted and it remains that way to this day.

7. New Orleans & The Tomb of Marie Laveau

The City of New Orleans is by far the most haunted city in The America's. With the number of ghost sightings and mystical experiences. The Voodoo Capital of America as it is often referred to is the hotspot for spooks specters and an array of otherworldly encounters. And makes the list at number seven as the most truly haunted Hotspot in the United States. Renowned Paranormal Investigators from around the world and weekend Ghost hunters flock to this very haunted city to find out for themselves what makes New Orleans truly really haunted! And they all walk away with plans of returning very, very soon.

Home to the famed Cities Of The Dead, Above ground tombs and the first known haunted house (Lauarie Mansion) in the country. No wonder this very haunted city makes the list. It is also home to the legacy that was Marie Laveau. New Orleans Ghosts are said to be the most active, Most photographed and if I dare say lively of all the spooks, specters Ghosts, Ghouls, Vampires, Zombies, Banshee's, Voodoo Lwa's and Spirits, Demons, Devil Babies Grunch, The Lost Dead, Werewolves (Loupe Garou) and all the nameless unholy things that go bump in the night in the whole of The United States of America.

A very diverse City with many, m any Haunted Houses, Haunted Cemeteries, Haunted Streets, Haunted Buildings, and Haunted Bayous. Many beleive their is at least 16 - 30 ghosts to every living person in the city tourist included at any given time.

Everyone who has lived in The Crescent City usually has more then one ghost story to tell. Encounters with the unknown seem to make this a mystical hotspot for Vampires, Voodoos', Witches, Ghosts, Spirits, and Zombies. It is also home to a swamp monster known as the Loupe Garou (or rou-garou) The Cajun Werewolf or wolf man and the American Chupacabra like Grunch sightings of which continue to this day.

The City has many connections to the past and historical events that rocked the nation. It is also a place where intrigue and bohemian lifestyle of the occult has always thrived. Even the great beast Aleister Crowley visited the City in his lifetime just to experience it's power. Onieda Toups formed the first charter to the Religious Order of Witchcraft in the 1970's.

New Orleans is not without it's many terrifying urban legends. Tales of a Devil Baby the spawn of Satan roaming the French Quarter for over the past 150 years have never died. Grunch Road, Haunted Mardi Gras parades, Haunted buildings, Ghost filled Cemeteries and of course the legend of the Lost Dead.

The bodies of Lost Dead have the same distinctive characteristics as the bodies of vampires in folklore. They do not decay or fall victim to corruption, instead, they swell and may even attain a "drum-like" form, they have a ruddy complexion and their clothes are ill fitting (either hanging on them or popping the seams), and are, according to one account, " Always life like and fresh from being gorged with new blood of it's victim". They look like a un kept person or a vagabond and they may range in age from that of a young child to the elderly.

The activities of the Lost Dead are nearly always strange and paranormal, verging from merely leaving their above ground grave and tombs and "roaming about" and being seen even on Bourbon Street during the daylight hours.

Among other things, this Louisiana creature is believed to knock on the doors of houses or even in New Orleans Hotels and business's and call out the name of the persons inside. Much often The Lost Dead or so likened to that of the Banshee as a foreteller of death.

If The Lost Dead gets no reply the first time comes to a home, it will pass without causing any harm but leave mud from the Cemetery on the door step. If someone unfortunate does answer the door, he or she will die a few days later and become another of the Lost Dead and roam New Orleans until Judgment Day. For this reason, there is a superstition present that one should not answer a door until the third knock or ringing of the bell. The Lost dead are known to slit your throat or wrist with a sharp knife then hold you down and drink your blood.

Marie Laveau

The reported wishing haunted tomb of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau is visited by people from around the world. Located in St. Louis Cemetery Number 1 in New Orleans Louisiana. No one but Laveau is synonymously with the religion then she. Her tomb attracts thousand of visitor s each year. Ghost photos happen here all the time as well as EVP's and daily voodoo hoodoo rituals. The cemetery it is in is also very haunted and all of this in New Orleans deemed by many as the most haunted city in America.

Marie Laveau was the reigning Voodoo priestess of the nineteenth century. New Orleans Voodoo as a social phenomenon came into its heyday during the 1800’s. Under Marie Laveau’s guidance Voodoo thrived as a business, served as a form of political influence, provided a source of spectacle and entertainment, and was a means of altruism. But what Voodoo is in its pure form is religion: forms of worship brought to Caribbean and American colonies through the slave trade.

Due to slavery, the entire life of the transplanted African was tragically altered. Naturally the religious beliefs and practices would change. This mutation of West African religion under the strain of slavery ultimately gave rise to the New-World phenomenon known as “voodoo.” More than any one person, Marie Laveau transformed the religious practices of African slaves into a major social and cultural institution of nineteenth-century New Orleans. On many levels, her life was an embodiment of New Orleans Voodoo.

To begin with, New Orleans Voodoo is steeped in Catholicism. Marie Laveau, the most renowned Voodoo figure in the history of North America, has been buried in a Catholic cemetery which has a separate section for Protestants. She was a devout Catholic who attended Mass at the St. Louis Cathedral nearly every day. First public record of her appears at the Cathedral, where she was married to Jacque Paris on August 4, 1819. To a greater extent than her predecessors, Marie Laveau would mix holy water, Catholic prayers, incense, and saints into the African-based Voodoo rites.

The Hoodoo Wishing Voodoo Tomb

Controversy persists over where Marie Laveau and her namesake daughter are buried. Some say the latter reposes in the cemetery called St. Louis No. 2 (Hauck 1996) in a "Marie Laveau Tomb" there. However, that crypt most likely contains the remains of another voodoo queen named Marie, Marie Comtesse. Numerous sites in as many cemeteries are said to be the final resting place of one or the other Marie Laveau (Tallant 1946, 129), but the prima facie evidence favors the Laveau-Glapion tomb in St. Louis No. 1 . It comprises three stacked crypts with a "receiving vault" below (that is, a repository of the remains of those displaced by a new burial).

A contemporary of Marie II told Tallant (1946, 126) that he had been present when she died of a heart attack at a ball in 1897, and insisted: "All them other stories ain't true. She was buried in the Basin Street graveyard they call St. Louis No. I, and she was put in the same tomb with her mother and the rest of her family."

That tomb's carved inscription records the name, date of death, and age (62) of Marie II: "Marie Philome Glapion, décédé le 11 Juin 1897, ágée de Soixante-deux ans." A bronze tablet affixed to the tomb announces, under the heading "Marie Laveau," that "This Greek Revival Tomb Is Reputed Burial Place of This Notorious 'Voodoo Queen' . . . ," presumably a reference to the original Marie. Corroborative evidence that she was interred here is found in her obituary ("Death" 1881) which notes that "Marie Laveau was buried in her family tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1." Guiley (2000) asserts that, while Marie Laveau I is reportedly buried here, "The vault does not bear her name." However, I was struck by the fact that the initial two lines of the inscription on the Laveau-Glapion tomb read, "Famille Vve. Paris / née Laveau." Obviously, "Vve." is an abbreviation for Veuve, "Widow"; therefore the phrase translates, "Family of the Widow Paris, born Laveau"-namely Marie Laveau I. I take this as evidence that here is indeed the "family tomb." Robert Tallant (1946, 127) suggests: "Probably there was once an inscription marking the vault in which the first Marie was buried, but it has been changed for one marking a later burial. The bones of the Widow Paris must lie in the receiving vault below."

The Laveau-Glapion tomb is a focal point for commercial voodoo tours. Some visitors leave small gifts at the site-coins, Mardi Gras beads, candles, etc.-in the tradition of voodoo offerings. Many follow a custom of making a wish at the tomb. The necessary ritual for this has been variously described. The earliest version I have found (Tallant 1946, 127) says that people would "knock three times on the slab and ask a favor," noting: "There are always penciled crosses on the slab. The sexton washes the crosses away, but they always reappear." A more recent source advises combining the ritual with an offering placed in the attached cup: "Draw the X, place your hand over it, rub your foot three times against the bottom, throw some silver coins into the cup, and make your wish" (Haskins 1990). Yet again we are told that petitioners are to "leave offerings of food, money and flowers, then ask for Marie's help after turning around three times and marking a cross with red brick on the stone" (Guiley 2000, 216).

In recent days a controversy has arisen regarding the legend and practice of marking the alleged final resting place of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau with X’s in the infamous “wish spell” ritual popularized throughout the past several decades by certain companies, groups and individuals working in the New Orleans tourism industry.

At the center of the controversy are attacks on this web site for posting stories about the legacy of Marie Laveau and the enduring legend of the "wish spell" X-marking practice. We have been repeatedly accused of encouraging what has now been designated a criminal activity. To clarify, the threats have only come from one individual within the industry who is not a native of New Orleans or the South, yet who, ironically, makes a living by the daily exploitation of the legends and folklore of this City.

The X practice is now so well-known, having been documented in hundreds of books, newspaper reports, web sites, local histories and travel books and brochures over the years, that what began as well-intentioned attempts to stop what some see as desecration have been given more "teeth" with the threat of arrest, prosecution and imprisonment.

Those caught in the act of marking on the Laveau tomb, or any other edifice within the historic New Orleans cemeteries, may be subject to police action.

The markings are, understandably, frowned upon by the owners of the tomb -- the Glapion family -- who have complained literally for years for the appropriate authorities to put an end to the activity. Now that regulatory action has at last been taken in response to the family's ongoing appeals, the local tourism industry seems to suddenly be singing a different tune.

Other wonders of the world include:

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Wonders of the Medieval World
Wonders of the modern world
American Society of Civil Engineers Seven Wonders of the Modern World
New Open World Corporation New Seven Wonders of the World
USA Today's New Seven Wonders
Seven Natural Wonders of the World
Seven Wonders of the Industrial World
Seven wonders of the underwater world
Travel wonders of the world
Man-made travel wonders
Natural travel wonders