8. The Gates of Guinee, Louisiana
There has always been something a little eerie to me about New Orleans, what with its creepy above-ground cemeteries, and now especially since I have learned about the Gates of Guinee. The teachings of Voodoo say that the souls of the dead live in an underworld called Guinee, and that the seven gates to it are located in various New Orleans cemeteries in the city’s famous French Quarter. The story is that Voodoo witches open the Gates of Guinee to claim the souls of the dead. The order the gates are opened is very important, and in fact, the exact location remains a secret, because if you inquire about it or search for it, doom will follow. Even the tour guides will skirt around the subject, or act like they do not know what you are talking about. It is a real possibility that they, themselves, believe this Voodoo folklore and do not want to tempt fate.
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