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Bayou Tales. Colonel Possum is proud to present the books of Mariana Titus! M ariana Titus grew up in Franklin, Louisiana. For the past twenty five years she has photographed her surroundings and recorded colorful stories of the bayou people.
- Rain Cane
Rain, Cane, Bayou Refrain This is the bayou primordial with...
- Graveyards
Graveyards - Bayou Tales
- Sunday Mornings
Sunday Mornings - Bayou Tales
- Summers
Summers - Bayou Tales
- Hurricanes
Hurricanes - Bayou Tales
- Book Reviews
I’d like to conclude this column by quoting part of the...
- Rain Cane
Mar 17, 2024 · In exploring the legends of the Bayou, we uncover not just the mysteries of a land shaped by water and time, but also the values, fears, and dreams of those who call it home.
Jan 31, 2019 · Bayou Tales: Directed by David DuBos. With Kim Baptiste, Roger Bart, Neil Brown Jr., Ian Casselberry. 3 Southern Gothic Tales set in and around New Orleans that capture the strange, supernatural nature of the city's unique people and culture, all infused with a darkly comedic sense of justice.
- (29)
- Horror
- David DuBos
- 2019-01-31
- Overview
- Essentials
The ancestral home of Native American tribes; a sanctuary for French-speaking outcasts; and a former shelter for runaway slaves — Louisiana's famous bayou is its lifeblood, alive with history and legend
This article was adapted from National Geographic Traveller (UK).
The bayous of Louisiana run slow and silent and hide their secrets deep. There's a myth that these narrow, murky tributaries are filled with nothing but alligators and stagnation. But, as I float down the Manchac Swamp on the mossy outskirts of New Orleans, I realise that there are more dangerous reptiles to be found 30 miles away, drinking Hurricane cocktails on Bourbon Street.
This is Cajun country: blue herons skim the surface of the bayou, Spanish moss drips from cypress trees like a thick wet coat; I see old trappers' cabins adorned with deer skulls, and a pair of raccoons rolling in the mud. Local author Greg Guirard wrote: 'the swamp sucks the poisons of civilisation out of you.' The bayou is the ancestral home of the Choctaw and Houma Native American tribes, the final sanctuary of Acadian outcasts and a former shelter for runaway slaves; it's filled with hoodoo and Voodoo, ghosts and graves, legends as unfathomable as its murky depths. The bayou is more than just marsh and mire; it's the soul of the state.
It's a good time to see it too. In late March, British Airways will launch the first ever direct flight from London to New Orleans, making it easier and more affordable than ever before to reach the city they call The Big Easy — on account of its relaxed way of life. New Orleans is about gumbo, good tunes and cocktails at breakfast. It's the kind of place where you order a coffee and they reply: "With Kahlúa or Baileys?"
Tennessee Williams, who wrote A Streetcar Named Desire here, said: "America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland." But there's a further distinction too: "The great metropolises of America are defined by commerce," says Sean Cummings, owner of Loa, one of the best cocktails bars in the city. "New Orleans is defined by food, music and joy." True. It's about having fun. But it's also just the start. I plan to spend a few days exploring the city, before heading out to the Louisiana Outback, where crayfish swamps and Cajun dancehalls mix with old plantations and the languid snake of the Mississippi River. I want to see the real Louisiana, but before the swamp can cure me I have a date with the poisons of the civilised world.
Getting there & around
British Airways flies direct from Heathrow to New Orleans from £599 per person return. Several other airlines serve the city with one stop. Car hire is not recommended while in New Orleans: parking is scarce and expensive. Taxis are numerous and there's an excellent network of historic streetcars that are cheap (unlimited rides with a Jazzy Pass cost $3/£2.40 a day) and part of the authentic New Orleans experience. Most swamp and plantation tours offer hotel pick-up and return, but if you plan on exploring deeper into the Louisiana Outback, then car hire is essential for that portion of the trip.
When to go
Summer can be uncomfortably hot, but offers some excellent hotel deals. October to January sees gradually cooling temperatures and fewer crowds. February to May is festival season, with Mardi Gras held on Shrove Tuesday.
Where to sleep
The Pontchartrain Hotel
- Aaron Millar
Oct 4, 2023 · These eerie local legends, woven into the fabric of Louisiana’s history, continue to intrigue and terrify those who dare to explore the Bayou State’s most mysterious corners.
From the swamps of the bayou to the civilized inner cities, mysterious stories abound. As many legends originate from true events, some unexplainable stories become that much more frightening. The Rougarou