The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Wasn't sure where to post this. But was just wondering if anyone knows what the big deal is with New Orleans and vampires. Seems like in most books, movies, and tv shows at some point or another they always end up in New Orleans. Does anyone know what the significance of this city may be?

I think it could be because you have the "old" world set in the "new world". Just a guess, but I think that Anne Rice's books made it synonomous with vampires.

for sure, I know in more recent vampire tv shows like angel and nightwatch Los Angles is the place to be lol.

Well, if you think about it, LA and New Orleans are cities with big populations. That may have something to do with it. But I do know what you mean by LA being the city for vampires. It's a big city, and it's FAMOUS. But Buffy was also set in California.

Well New Orleans has a very gruesome history in general. With the torture of slaves back in the day. Among a million other god awful tragedies. Search it on wikipedia. New orleans has a history of everything. And the violence rate there is insane as well. Some say that katrina happened because god was cleansing the evil. I don't know if I buy that...but that's what some people say.

New Orleans does have alot of history and alot of people whom believe in the living dead, spirits etc. as was said alot of Old World still around in the new world.

I love New Orleans myself and the cemeteries alone are worth any visit there, plus the French quarters etc. It just has the lure of all that OLD History and stories of the first slaves and the terrible raging death and killing sprees that have took place there.

Plus one of my favorite things is the feel of the French legacies that still are around just you feel the history and see it when your there.

So I can see and understand the stories mostly ending up in New Orleans. a City of ledgends in it's own time ....
and still stirring upon the streets there.

My mom used to call it.. The City of Spirits... I always liked that saying. :)

possibly because of the older more gothic looking cemetaries vs the puritan simple headstones of other places

I would love to go there. I just have no money for a vacation there :(

And I agree with what you said. I just didn't think of it when I replyed to the question. The cemetaries look like awesome places to visit (I have seen A LOT of TV shows about New Orleans.)

This is true I forgot about many of the spiritual practices that take palce there especially Voodoo.

Hopefully nothing like The Skeleton Key

It's a movie set in New Orleans about a girl that is hired to be a housekeeper for a couple. It has to do with Hoo-doo I beleive it's called. Also deals with soul transfer and the idea of immortality

I would say maybe the voodoo festival, the Ann Rice house ( i walked in front of it....really nice) also maybe the tour, wax museum, and other related

Vampires are possibly connected to New Orleans as it is the most magickal city in this country. You can walk through the French quarter at least before Katrina and find Pagan run magick shops, Voo Doo shops, and a very large herbal and Magick store I think on Dumanse (sp?) street. Magick users of many types practiced in and around the Quarter. the uu church had a very active CUUPS group teaching witchcraft and introducing the students to other magickal p-ractices and religions. The violence level would also make it easy for a victim of vampirism to be just another of the unsolved murders of the hundreds of murders that year.

New Orleans is/was a very magickal and violent city what is not to like for a vampire.

skeleton key was a pretty good movie good take on voodoo

but yeah like someone said it has a vast history and the crime rate is insane

Thanks temporary2 that makes sense. Many other cities in the United States have a high crime rate. And many also have an old history to them like San Francisco, Philly, Nyc, and even Boston. They all had their share of religious upheavil but none of them come clsoe to New Orleans. So I can now truly see why New Orleans is a mecca~sp~ in the past as well as in the present and hope the future to come.

New Orleans has a history rife with vampire activity; Anne Rice picked up on it and set her stories there. Though her books did make the city more famous for it, there are plenty of gruesome and tragic tales that lived long before she was born.

Arunima is there a story in particular you would like to share?

I forgot to mention that New orleans is the Hoodoo capital of the world!!! Mhm that's true! Well, all of the southern parrishes are heavily into Hoodoo. Especially Terrebonne parrish. Consting of Houma...near new orleans. Hoodoo= herbal practice of magice. Usually consisting of root matter and other rare herbs. new orleans has a wicked history. As does the rest of LA

Thanks for all the info I've learned a lot. Now I think I have a better understanding of why Vr heled it's ball there. As well as to support the rebuild of the city.

Also probably because of the open-mindedness of the city, and the rougher elements of the city.

On a side not, I do know there is a large lycan society located there. They don't play well with vamps, and vice versa.

It seems to be different with different authors too. Anne Rice being in New Orleans. ;)

New Orleans is like a mini France, plus I agree with others about the history of the place. It's one of the oldest cities in the US, so of course, it will have that old feel to it. It certainly does too. There are many old buildings there and of course the cemeteries. Way cool place to visit.

The link through the old world of magic, is supposedly still alive within New Orleans. A former import of black magick, voo doo, white magicks, etc. So, why not make it easier to have it be more commonplace to find something of mystery in a place with a very heavy historical background. The same for witches in New England. Their legends lead there because the historical background does.

there are so many different points they place settings for vampire movies i dont think they have reasons lol

I didn't know there is a large Lycan society there. Hmmmm

I wasnt sure there was a New Orleans fication with Vampires

Could be because of the deep south you had voodoo etc

From my understanding, much of it has to do with the fact New Orleans was settled by Europeans around the same time there was a lot of Vampire hunting, and Vampire fear running through Europe.

A lot of the legends and social practices were carried over by those who immigrated to settle the city.

I think it can also be because of the vast night life because in the movies vampires can only come out after dark and that city never sleeps.

I believe there are many factors involved. For one the culture itself..voodoo is a common practice and they believe in the dead coming back and isn't that what a fictional vampire is? A person who has no life running through them yet they are alive?

It is also the old world feeling that many have stated here and it lends to the aura that is usually depicted with vampires.

I think alot contributes to New Orleans is a mystical place in all means, cult, vodoo and the celebration of the dead. so alot of book writers and hollywood love this symbolnism.

Birra, you hit the nail on the head!

The people that settled New Orleans brought all their legends and customs from Europe with them. New Orleans is the most European in the United States (as told to me by a European visitor to my city), and New Orleans has the most maintained culture than any other city you can find in the country. We're celebrating customs, traditions, and holidays that many parts of the US would have since forgotten about. We're American, we just haven't forgotten where we came from.

That being said, this is the environment Anne Rice grew up in. She merely popularized what she knew. She made old wives tales, folklore, and legend household knowledge~ when many people never realized it before ;)

A good part of it is the city from the Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat novels. Also being a very old city as far as the USA goes, and voodoo, and other mystical things, it has become rather synomous with vampires, voodoo, and the occult.

Having to have cemetaries that people can only be interred above ground - the cemetaries are fascinating in themselves and add to the mystery of the city.

I love the feel of the city and enjoy visiting it very much.

I being a vampire myself honestly have no idea. It used to be a big place way back when but now perhaps we vampires are staying with some of the old ways.
~Katana~

I'm not catching your drift there, SexBloodPain. Are we talking about this same things here... or are you RPGing?

For me, I was speaking of reality here in New Orleans.

In the old days New Orleans was always known as a bad place due to the Aficians being bought there as slaves. A lot of them believed in black magic so I figure vampire would be atracted there as a place of evil.

Birra & Clandestine are spot on. New Orleans is rife with old traditions brought over by the immigrants of the time.

You should also argue that Salem Mass has the equivalent with "witches".

However, there is no doubt that many old world traditions & feel of New Orleans has never, and will probably never, modernize.

New Orleans definitely was brought more to light with Anne Rice and her Vampire novels. As well as her Vampire Lestat ball she used to have on Halloween every year. I'm not sure if it's still going on, but tickets were kind of pricey therefore making it more "exclusive" and talked about. By doing so, she brought New Orleans and Vampires more to light and equated with each other.

"Seems like in most books, movies, and tv shows at some point or another they always end up in New Orleans."

***

You mean to say most books, movies, and tv shows in the states. In which case I would have to agree with birra. Otherwise, New Orleans is not the most popular setting world-wide.

http://www.neworleansghosts.com/vampires.htm

This site has much to offer and most interesting of how when one died the familty would not leave the body unattended looking for signs of paranormal activity of the body.

It gives some of the richness of the vampires.

new-orleans has an historic of spirits witches and vampire and zombies !!! old magic brought there by the natives and the ones who( it's a mix between old and modern magik) arrive from the old country (france) as a native of a old country who believe in such , demons spirits and others , i think if you research most of the place in the world you'll find out surprising happenings evrywhere sorry my english i'm french i hope i explain myself good enought... yurs devoted

My husband is from La and he mentioned that another reason New Orleans.Is most popular with vampire culture and myths might be the climent.Causing fog to roll in and most of it settles in the cemetery.They also have a tour of a well known vampire ghost who supposed to haunt the back ally ways of the french quarters.Many people have gone down that ally way and have dissapeard or have been found dead.

and lafayette cemetery it is known around the world !!!!!!

The history of New Orleans is a huge part of why it is referenced with books. There is a lot of mystery in that wonderful little city.

Probably just the simple fact that New Orleans is considered the Voodoo Capital of the U.S. They have a long history with thigns the pertain to magic. So only seems fit to but magic and vampires together I guess.

Where would a vampire be? Somewhere they could blend in or hide and be left alone. Large cities like LA or NYC ,no one could find you there. But New orleans is a little smaller but the belief in the unkown (voodoo ect..) helps to keep your privacy. Unless you wish to die or worse. Plus is sounds so nice to live there with its old history & old ways.

Remember as well that as far back as colonial days, New Orleans was a chief port for international traffic and travel to and from other contries as well as other parts of the States.

This center of activity would likely be appealing to an imortal looking for a place to get lost, yet be integrated.

I dont think it really has anything to do with the city itself proberly just it's pass.

It's the city, because the people are the city :) These people brought a history here, and since it's been passed down over 3 centuries... it's history is now IN New Orleans. No longer just European history, but New Orleans history.

:)

Yup seem you put it that way it does make sense. A city is its people past future and present.

It's supposed to be the most haunted city in America, & it's history is pretty bloody. I would absolutely love to go there some day. Lol, try to show up on Anne Rice's porch...

personally, i find that MOST supernatural events/things such as vampires or magic in books or stories takes place in England

I agree with Mizfitchick *hope I spelt that right* about the whole Anne Rice idea, but I have read a lot of other books about vampires and not all of them are set in New Orleans.

keep in mind that new orleans is NOT a safe city! My best friend lives down there, her uncle got the crap beaten out of him at a bus station there and everyone just watched and laughed. Some of her relatives have been raped just walking down the street. And the crime rate there is astronomical. If you go there and are going to wander, be sure you have a bottle of mace and some other forms of protection. make sure you always have someone with you and always carry a cell phone. it is a very dangerous city, though steeped in history.

cemetaries...voodoo...Anne Rice's novels...moss covered hundred year old oak trees...plantation homes with histories of violence and death...the French Quarter..the theater...wrought iron balconies...trolley cars...slow and wide Mississippi river...chicory coffee and hot creole food...what's NOT vampiric? Dang I love New Orleans...

As a tourguide, I can explain this rather simply...

If you look up the histories of the casket girls and the Urseline convent, it will be here that the myth originated. A shift full of nuns and caskets that pirates would not even touch them, let alone pass them by for the rumours of vampires being on board with the caskets and all. Uknown by the pirates, the nuns had cassettes, not caskets.

Later, after the ships landed at the port of Orleans, the crowd that gathered around witnessed several caskets being carried into the convent itself.

After a century, in 1977 a couple of journalists decided to stay the night outside the convent itself to see if the rumours about the third story windows were true. Their bodies were found at the door to the convent itself with no sign of struggling at all as well as their bodies drained of blood from puncture wounds at their aorta. But blood was not present at the location.

These days, the vampire community has taken over. This keeps both the tourism alive as well as the myth/legend itself.

As stated above New Orleans has sufficient history and mystery to inspire the imagination toward the paranormal.

In addition when one thinks of New Orleans, luxury, decadence, classic beauty, and a sense of excitement come to mind. There's also the feel of danger, darkness, a touch of the seedy underbelly, if you will.

All things that make an impressive metaphorical back drop to the Vampire story.

I figured it sort of became the "hot spot" for vampires (in fiction at least) because it's a city full of superstition and Occult interest. I would blame Anne Rice on it mostly though :P

i used to travel there and go looking for those in the lifestyle both Vamp and Lycan alike, they are there, as with other places around the country,so its no wonder given the cities history and age they would be there

They held out against major religions, they have a twenty four seven party atmosphere, and most of the natives are very attractive characters, a plus for authors, and screen play writers as well. That blur of factual, and imagined is so rich.. Great now I once shin want to visit N.O.

Might be that there is a whole underground of real real vampires. You never know.

The Societies there are well known. They go back in history.

The first Society I heard about is based in New Orleans.

I think it to do with the pass of New Orleans it has always had a dark pass with Slavery, Voodoo, black magic etc etc. Because of this it is easy to relate anything dark and evil with the deep south.

Everybody I know from new Orleans is a crafty theatric persona magnific'.

I have been lucky enough as an Australian to visit New Orleans and the surrounding area. To me seeing the Bayou it was erie. Seeing it for the first time was a total shock and I can see how they would relate this place for the dark side of life.

Not saying it is a bad or ugly place.

I concur with the Anne Rice statement from a previous post, she did contribute widely to the provocation of the Antibellum Vampire.

The buildings which surround the city itself are residual evidence of the past made into historic landmarks. Such as the instigation from the several colonial wars that took place within the confines of the city. From the French and Spanish fighting over the cities flag, to the Irish and German decendants coming in to stake their claim...It is no wonder why the buildings are cross architecture between all the colonial migration.

I prefer the term "city of decay", which in definition means "a city of old in league with the modern world."

Anne Rice was smart enough to use the architecture of the Oak Alley Plantation into her works. Where else would be so ellegant to hold a vampire?

A good analogy for the historical referance would be Bram Stoker for Europe and Anne Rice for the America's.

i dont know that their is a significant tie but there is alot diverse thoughts their and beliefs

vampires are immortal they have lived through history so it would make sense to me that they would want to be in a city that is rich in history which is what new orleans is

you can thank Anne Rice and her Lestat for the relationship between New Oreleans and Vampires

What other "dark" authors came from New Orleans?

Well, there is always Poppy Z Brite of whom lives not 3 houses down from where I am in the Garden District.

What writings did she/he do?

Only a few I will name which include: Drawing Blood, Exquisite Corpse, and Lost Souls.

She does have a website to peruse for conveniance at Poppy Z Brite

Excuse the link mishap...www.poppyzbrite.com.

Her Name alone is entertaining. Such names are not that uncommon in New Orleans, I imagine.

I don't really know, I mean I am writing a vampire series myself and my name is not that uncommon...

Poppy's books are darker than the Rice books I think. There is a special ambience to New Orleans but I have to disagree that it is the only place with the European feel to it as there are others.

With the mixture of types of people there and the superstitions that arose that were brought in by the many cultures it is no wonder that it drew those with darker tastes to the area. Hoodoo is American folk magic, a combination of African practices brought in by the slaves and Native American rootwork. You can find it in many places. The South itself has a history of superstition which deals with Vampires, were creatures like the Loup Garou. New Orleans is rife with stories and legends about such things due to the French having been present there and their intermixing with other cultures such as African and Spanish. Each brought their own legends to the melting pot. The city has played up on this with tours and the re-telling of stories to the tourists. If I was a vampire (fictional type)though I think I wouldn't go there because it would be predictable to look there and not safe.

Well if you think about it New Orleans is a city full of the macabre, with celebrating the day of the dead and all. Plus with the voodoo I agree. As far as Anne Rice, many authors set their books with where they live and she lives there so.

It's one of the oldest cities in America; a huge melting pot of many cultures - voodoo and santeria being a big part of the mystery there.

The way that people have to be interred above ground in tombs has fascinated people and sets the scene for many a book and movie as well.

Having Anne Rice set many of her novels there as well as other authors has helped to entrench New Orleans in the vampire and paranormal settings..

Been there twice this year and thoroughly enjoy the old cemetaries with tombs reaching back into the 1700s and the history of the french quarter - lots of energy there, lots of shadows and mystery.

i think that when it comes to vampires and new orleans it has a rich culture of everthing that goes bump in the night you have your hauntings voodoo and so on i think that is the reason why new orleans is a mecca for vampires in books

I live in Louisiana, and New Orleans is the place to be.

Richest culture, big city life. Of course, there's crime up the hoohah now. something like 95 murders per 100,000 people.

New Orleans is an ultimate party city mixed with rich culture. It's culture is the closest to European [many diff countries too] that I can think of off the bat in the US.

So when I think vampires, I think old, wise, seen a lot. New Orleans is old, has been French, Spanish, and American. *shrug* It seems to have it all.


Just rambling. Not well thought through,k but you get the point.

My research revealed the following information: "Vampires and vampire-like creatures have been found in the folklore of every civilization, every culture, every religion since the beginning of recorded time. New Orleans is no exception. New Orleans was settled in the early 1700’s and it was during this time in Europe that massive vampire hunts were occurring.

It was a tradition that began in the early 1200’s in Eastern Europe and over hundreds of years spread into Western civilizations. Vampire hunters, usually church representatives, were digging up the dearly departed, driving wooden stakes through the corpses, then beheading and burning the body."

From the following link:
http://www.neworleansghosts.com/vampires.htm

I live in New Orleans and one only needs to walk the streets and smell the air to know that there is more to New Orleans then one would think.

New Orleans is a place of Old Souls, I mean over the years there has been Slavery, and trades from many many places that were always drawn to this beautiful place.

The history alone is mind blowing with Voodoo and witchcraft and hodoo, the swamp areas alone have many many stories to telland I am sure plenty of ghost and vampires .

Alot of old country from frances and abroad has been and stayed there. Many lifestyles are there but the Cajun is a constant withnew orleans as well as the night life of it.

Vampires are always drawn to the streets of darkness and New Orleans has alot of them.

So it is only proper that many feel it appropriate to use it as a back drop for books and stories. just my opinion.

It is a very wonderful and facinating place in my eyes.

well I feel as many just being in New Orleans you know that there is so much History and secrets from days of old there, it has all the quaintness of the Old Country as well as the new that has submerge over the years.

They have real true ghost stories and magic going on there. I love New Orleans I wish I could live there yet I do not. Just to be apart of all that history and the people....

Anne Rice made New Orleans a popular Vampire place because she grew up there. Most authors will write about the places they live to make it a more realistic environment. Another example is Laurell K hamilton. Her boooks are all based around St. Loius

i'm from louisiana..i've never really understood the meaning but i'm gonna guess at this and say that maybe it might have something to do with the old plantaions...and Anne Rice is from new orleans so that's why her books are in new orleans probably

yup, anne rice lives in new orleans and hence her books mostly take place there. since her books take place there, there is much talk of linking vamps with N.O.

true, there is a large vampire culture there, but what came first....the chicken or the egg....er....the bat or the rice? lol
~W~

Actually, Anne lives in California now...But Poppy, Chelsea as well as myself (being a future published novel writer) are still around.

It is a big city with an active nightlife which would draw vampires. It is also a very picturesque city with a unique culture and style.

Maybe New Orleans is a town where a lot of vampires are or go. I know there are a lot of citys with vamps in them, some places seem to draw more people like that then other places.

I think because it is an old city and there are alot of weird things that happen there. Like a mystical city I guess

Okay so to put it all together......

It is partly the history. The timing of when New Orleans was settled. The fact that it still looks like an old city. The fog rolling in at night, reminds you or old horror flicks.
It has a very gruesome past. With everything from ghosts to serial killers. Which are kept alive by tour guide telling of their stories. The hoodoo practitioners, Strigoi Vii, psychics,..ect. that have shops or tours or are set up in the square. Endless Nights Ball which has helped also to further the stories told by those that visit. Then comes Anne Rice, and shortly after her own Vampyre ball. (which is still going on under the name ARVLFC ball) Not to mention no one is surprised to see anything at anytime of day or night.
As for the movies that have been filmed there.
Its perfect....Why... because they can close off whole streets for weeks or more at a time without completely screwing up the traffic.
You could also get into all the little places and clubs that you could hide in. The large amount of crime that could easily hide a fictional being with a need to kill people.

The list goes on and on...
If you have not been. You should go then it would all make sense .
~Asar

I actually was there oddly somehow not too long ago.
It could be because the French quarter is full of voodoo shops (though most of them are fake) and lot's of psychics roam the area. It's a funky town, but I would certainly not like to go back.
The people weren't very nice, quite rude, actually, and there was wayyyy too much alcohol and wayyyy too many cops running around, plus, the cabs looked like the cop cars, so you never know which is which.
It was insanely annoying.
I wouldn't suggest going there.

I almost completely agree with ~Asar~. Very well put. Though the Strigoii is a New York venue, it is the whole of the vampire community not stereotyped into one word that surrounds the city.

But all in all, very well stated. As well as of course, the fact that the NOPD rarely does anything unless it actually annoys them, or is on the news the next night, or in the papers. Which does make a perfect atmosphere for any sort of unnatural crime to take place.

*Firmly stated* NOPD...N.OT O.UR P.ROBLEM D.UDE

Just jumping in, but a city full of cultures and legends brought from all over Europe would be ripe for stories of the Vampire (and other bumps in the night).

I love that I finally live closer to New Orleans. Well, more then 8 hours or so, but better then NY.