Passed virtually unchanged in form, generation to generation, comes this strange,"Monkey and Cock" Haunted New Orleans Voodoo curio statue. It is associated with Marie Laveau's personal Zombi Brand of New Orleans Voodoo magic only. This sacred mystic curio is deeply rooted in Yoruba mythology from the African continent.

The Monkey and Cock have long histories of bringing luck and abundance into the lives of those believers who revere their magical images on altars or in homes. Possession of the dual images entwined in the "Dance of Jubilee" is said to grant three significant wishes over a three year period to it's lucky owner.

After the wishes have been granted, those in possession of the Monkey and Cock ritually "abandon" their fortuitous friends at a crossroads or grave site where others may find and adopt them. For the new owner, the cycle of luck begins anew.

This unique item is said to have originated with the African slaves who were dispersed throughout the world during the 17th and 18th centuries. Early examples of this carving have been found throughout Haiti and the West Indies -- wherever Voodoo thrived in the New World.

The Monkey is a trickster figure of Yoruba mythology (Esu-Elegbara in Nigeria and Legaba among the Fon in Dahomey), who became Exu in Brazil, Echu-Elegua in Cuba, Papa Legba in the pantheon of the loa of Vaudou in Haiti, and Papa La Bas in the loa of Hoodoo in the United States). His power in reality is supposed that he can trick the future to what he wants it to be.

The Cock (a sign of power), In contemporary expressions of Santeria and Voodoo, the rooster is a favorite sacrifice to attract the favorable attention of the saintly spirits. The fact that cock is a common euphemism for the male sex organ adds to the fowl's appeal as a surrogate victim for the sacrificial knife. The Cock, thus, becomes the animal symbol of Ogun.

Some statues are made of stone, some of wood ,wax, clay. I have found one made of Soap. All the majority or of plaster. I have even seen them carved from sandstone, but all are similarly styled and are carved from a single piece medium. They must be carved and blessed in a very involved Voodoo ritual. Examples similar to the ones shown here have been dated back to the port city of New Orleans circa the mid- to late-1800's.

These curiosities have become a significant part of the legend of the greatest Voodoo Doo Priestess of the Americas, Marie Laveau, who is said to have revered the luck-enhancing powers of this "dynamic duo." Many of these statues have been found perched at her burial site over the years and it is widely believed that these particular carvings are placed there by direct descendants of the Voodoo Queen and her original intimate circle of followers. Some are crudely hand-carved and some are obviously purchased, but all are imbued with the same powers.