Cities of the Dead
Colonial skeptics who dismissed New Orleans as the “wet grave” knew what they were talking about: Since the city is only one foot above sea level, the water-saturated soil is exceptionally difficult to dig in. Corpses buried in the usual manner undergo a noxious resurrection during heavy showers: The seeping rain forces coffins out of the soil, breaking open the sepulcher lids and sweeping body parts and other unmentionable materials into the streets (bodies buried by inept miscreants also reappear in this manner). In a tropical city prone to outbreaks of fever, as New Orleans was, this was as life-threatening as it was nauseating. Above-ground internment in tombs and crypts was the only hygienic means of burial, a solution which has made the French Quarter’s cemeteries one of her most interesting features (while none of the cemeteries are technically in the French Quarter— in fact, St. Louis Cemetery #3 is across town—they are very much a part of the “Old City”, and are therefore discussed here).
The St. Louis cemeteries, owned by the New Orleans Archdiocese and containing all the old Creole families, look like miniature versions of a European capital. Long, cramped aisles of peaked little “houses” give the visitor the impression of traveling through a midgets’ metropolis. The tombs are built with soft brick, covered with plaster, and whitewashed, then frequently topped by black iron crosses or crucifixes. Depending on whether the deceased’s family survived him, a tomb may be cleaned regularly, fresh flowers lain alongside it, and gleam like a pearl in the sun; a well kept tomb may stand beside a decrepit one, its whitewash weathered to a stained, mottled gray, cracks and fissures running down its wall, crab grass growing on its roof. Along the walls of the St. Louis cemeteries run the “oven” vaults, with their arched ceilings and doors arranged like draw ers on a bureau. Several persons (unrelated) were stored in each vault; when a drawer was filled to capacity, the bones were simply pushed to the rear of the vault, so more could be interred in the front. As grotesque as this may sound, it was the most efficient way residents could make use of the limited space available to them for burial.
St. Louis Cemetery #1 (Basin St.) is the oldest cemetery still extant in New Orleans. Its most famous tomb is that of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau (1832-1897—see page 70). The faithful still knock three times on its door The French Quarter — 15 for good luck, or scratch “X”-like sigils on its walls with one of the many loose bricks lying nearby. Candles, change, flowers, photographs of loved (or hated) ones, and other voodoo offerings lie at its stoop. Mambos summon her spirit for advice at night from this spot with a variation of the Contact Spirits of the Dead spell. Many voodooists, however, contend that she is not buried in this tomb at all, but in the anonymous “Voodoo Vault” in St. Louis Cemetery #2.
In the rear of the graveyard of St. Louis Cemetery #2 (N. Claiborne Ave.) is a squat, brick “oven”-type vault, known as the “Voodoo Vault”, rumored to be the true resting place of Marie Laveau. This oven has even more voodoo decorations appended to it than the official Laveau tomb. Also interred here is Dominique You (1775-1830), one of pirate Jean Lafitte’s most beloved lieutenants and captains. Captain You returned to New Orleans after the destruction of Campeche and gained the respect of the Creole by outfitting a ship to rescue Napoléon from exile on the isle of St. Helena. Napoléon died before You could execute his scheme, however.
St. Louis Cemetery #3 (Esplanade Ave.) is the newest member of the St. Louis “family”, dating back to 1835. The “priests’ tomb” is here, containing the remains of La Santa Hermandad’s sainted ex-leader, Antonio de Sedella (1748-1829). One of the Brotherhood’s secret passageways undoubtedly ends at this tomb in a trapdoor beneath the marble bench facing the clergymen’s crypts. Finding the concealed depression-switch on the bench requires a Spot Hidden roll; figuring out how to flip it requires a successful Idea or Locksmith roll.
Archdiocese sextons lock the St. Louis cemeteries’ gates at dusk, but the fences are easy enough to vault over. Investigators snooping around after dark may encounter voodooists collecting grave dirt (“goofer dust”) in preparation for some hex, or Tulane frat pledges spending the night in their underwear. It’s possible that every St. Louis cemetery has a tomb or two accessible to La Santa Hermandad, allowing a Brother to keep a watchful eye on nosy player characters. The Holy Brotherhood’s presence alone keeps the ghoul population low, although it is doubtful the corpse-eaters would feast here, anyway: The cemeteries’ secure, above-ground burial methods discourage the ghouls’ usual scavenging tactics.
The remainder of the cemeteries are fair game, however, since they are laid out on the higher, drier ground of the “American Quarter”, where graves may be dug. Tombs are common, but are due more to tradition than topological necessity. Three resting places worth noting are:
Girod Cemetery (S. Liberty St.) is the city’s oldest Protestant burial ground, dating back to 1825, but has fallen into disuse. Crumbling headstones, overgrown vines, and haunted-looking willows dominate.
Greenwood Cemetery (City Park Ave.) is the final resting place for almost 600 Confederate soldiers, who lie in a pyramid-shaped mausoleum guarded by busts of Lee and Jackson.
St. Roch’s Cemetery (St. Roch and Derbigny Sts.), a.k.a. Campo Santo (“Holy Field”), is most notable for the small chapel on its grounds. Heaped behind the communion rail is a pile of prosthetic limbs (arms, hands, feet, legs), crutches, wheelchairs, and the like. They are left here by pilgrims who have successfully sampled the church’s legendary healing powers.
On November 1, All Saints’ Day, all the tombs in New Orleans are cleaned and fresh wreaths are placed beside them. The night before, Halloween, many have candles placed in front of them, lighting the cemeteries with a ghostly glow.
那些将新奥尔良贬为 "湿漉坟墓 "的殖民地怀疑论者清楚他们所言之事。这座城市因其海拔仅高于海平面一英尺,所以被水分饱和的土壤极难挖掘。历经大雨时,以一般方式埋葬的尸体会经历一个令人反感的复活过程。渗进土壤的雨水裹挟着棺材露出土面,破开棺材盖,把尸块和其他提起来都觉得恶心的东西冲到街头。(被才疏技拙的歹徒埋藏的尸体也会以这种方式重现天日)。在新奥尔良这样一个易爆发热病的热带城市,这种情况既令人作呕,也会对他人的生命构成威胁。在墓地和教堂藏骨堂采用地上安葬才是唯一卫生的丧葬方式,这种处理手段成了法国区的公墓最有趣的特征之一。(虽然确切地讲,这些公墓都不在法国区——事实上,圣路易斯3号公墓在城市另一头,但它们在很大程度上是 "老城 "的一部分,所以在此提及)
新奥尔良主教管区所管辖的圣路易斯公墓埋藏着所有古老的克里奥尔人家族,它看上去就像是一个欧式首都的缩影。那尖尖的小"屋子"间有着悠长、狭小的过道,给游客的印象就是在一个侏儒都市中穿行。地上墓穴以软性砖建成,其上复有石膏并被刷成白色,墓顶上常有黑色的铁质十字架或十字架状的耶稣受难像。地上墓穴可能会被定期打扫,旁边摆有鲜花,整座地上墓穴在阳光下像珍珠一样闪耀光彩,这些都取决于死者的家人是否仍然在世。一座保存完好的地上墓穴可能矗立在另一座朽败的地上墓穴旁,后者的白色石灰浆已被风化成褪了色的斑驳灰色,墓壁上缝隙丛生,墓顶上也长出了马唐草。有一些 "烤箱 "般的墓室挨着圣路易斯公墓的围墙边,其拱形的天花板和门径排列起来就像是办公桌的抽屉一样。每个墓室里都容纳着数位逝者(彼此没有亲缘关系)。当一个抽屉被塞满时,尸骨就会被挤到墓室的后部,这样前面就可以安葬在更多的尸骨。尽管听上去很荒诞,但这是居民利用有限丧葬空间的最为高效的方式
圣路易斯公墓1号(波本街)是新奥尔良仍然留存的最古老的公墓。其中最有名的墓便是伏都教女王女王玛丽.拉沃(1832-1897——见70页)的墓。她的信徒们仍会在墓门上敲三下,或者用附近的许多散砖在墙上划出 "X "形的符号以求好运。蜡烛、零钱、鲜花、亲人的(或仇人的)照片,以及其他伏都教的祭品,都会摆在其墓门前。伏都教女祭司会在晚上于此处用一种"死灵联络术 "的变体咒语召唤她的灵魂以寻求建言。然而许多伏都教信徒认为,她根本没被埋在这个地上墓穴中,而是在圣路易斯二号公墓的无名“伏都教墓室”中。
在圣路易斯2号公墓的墓园后方是一个粗矮,砖制的“烤炉”型墓室,被称为伏都教墓室,传言中它才是玛丽.拉沃真正的安息之所。这个炉子上的伏都教饰物甚至多于官方的拉沃墓。这里还埋葬着多米尼克.尤(1775-1830),他是海盗让.拉菲特最钟爱的副官和船长之一。尤船长在坎佩切殖民地复灭后回到了新奥尔良,并以其筹备只船前去营救流放在圣赫勒拿岛的拿破仑的举动赢得了克里奥尔人的敬重。然而,拿破仑在尤的计划实施之前就已去世。
圣路易斯3号公墓(滨海街)是圣路易斯 "家族 "的最新成员,其历史可以追溯到1835年。“牧师之墓”就位于此处,里面埋有神圣兄弟会中已被追封为圣人的前领导人安东尼奥.德.塞德拉(1748-1829)的遗体.兄弟会的一处秘密通道的终点无疑通在这个坟墓里,在正对着神职人员埋骨堂的大理石长椅之下有一个活板门。要找到长椅上隐藏的凹陷开关需要一次侦查检定。要弄清楚如何翻开活板门则需要成功的灵感或锁匠检定。
主教管区的教堂司事会在黄昏时分将圣路易斯公墓的大门锁上,但栅栏却很容易翻越。在天黑后四处打探的调查员可能会遇到伏都教徒正在收集坟墓的泥土("goofer dust"),用以施展魔法,或者是杜兰大学兄弟会考验入会者只穿着内衣在坟地待上一晚上。也许每个圣路易斯公墓都有一两座地上墓穴便于神圣兄弟会通行,让修士们可以盯梢多管闲事的玩家角色。单是神圣兄弟会的存在就足以减少食尸鬼的数量,尽管这些食尸者是否还会在这里大快朵颐仍然值得商榷,但无论如何,墓地可靠的地上埋葬方式阻挠了食尸鬼惯用的扫荡手段。
而其余的墓地就成了猎物,因为它们建在 "美国区 "那地势更高、更为干燥的地面上,那的坟墓能被挖开。地上墓穴在那些墓地里也很常见,但它们更多出于传统而不是地质学上的需要。此外还有三个安息地值得一提:
吉罗德公墓(自由街南路)是新奥尔良市最古老的新教墓地,其历史可以追溯到1825年,但现已废弃。摇摇欲坠的墓碑、遍地丛生的藤蔓,以及看似鬼影幢幢的柳树占据了这里
格林伍德公墓(城市公园大道)是近600名南军士兵最后的安息之地,他们葬在一个金字塔型的陵墓中,被李和杰克逊将军的半身雕像守候着。
圣洛克公墓(圣洛克与德比尼街),又名Campo Santo(圣陵),其最引人注目之处乃是其地面上的小礼拜堂。在礼拜堂的圣体栏杆后面堆放着一大堆假肢(有胳膊、手、脚和腿)、拐杖、轮椅,以及类似之物。这些都是朝圣者应验了教堂传说中的治愈能力后留在这里的东西
11月1日诸圣日,新奥尔良的所有坟墓都会被打扫干净,在一旁摆上鲜花花圈。在此前夜,也就是万圣节前夕,许多坟墓前都会摆上蜡烛,将墓地映照出朦胧的光晕。