The Haunting of the Octoroon Mistress is a ghost tale about the haunting of a house on 734 Royal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. The haunting of the Octoroon House has a history in the social morals of the 1800s. The term Octoroon is used for people in New Orleans in the 1800s that were 1/8 black, 7/8 white. These octoroons were known as Creoles of Color. They received the best education and were often very wealthy. Relationships between octoroons and elite Creoles of New Orleans was prohibited, but it was not uncommon for young men to have a strong attraction to octoroon women because of their beauty. Octoroon balls were used as a way for rich Creoles to obtain an octoroon mistress. These balls were used as a personal gain for the Creole men and the octoroon mistresses because it entitled the men to keep these beautiful women for their own and the octoroon mistresses would gain, in return, wealth, personal slaves, and the finest living arrangements. Most of the men had families aside from the octoroon mistresses and would often keep their affairs a secret. Because of their different social statuses, octoroons and Creole men were not allowed to marry.
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Legend of the Octoroon Mistress
The legend has it that the octoroon who inhabited this house in the 1850s was named Julie. Julie was an octoroon because she had 1/8 black in her antecedents. Julie was said to be very beautiful with striking black hair and dark eyes that were said to be full of mystery. Julie met and fell in love with a very handsome and rich Frenchman. To the Frenchman Julie was just a mistress, his secret lover. But to Julie the Frenchman was much more. Julie desperately wanted to marry the Frenchman but the Frenchman repeatedly denied her request for marriage because of their social status. After months of begging the Frenchman devised a test which he thought would prove Julie's love for him. He told her that he was going to play a card game downstairs with some of his friends and while he was entertaining his guests he wanted her to strip off her clothing and wait on the rooftop for him until he was done. The Frenchman thought Julie would not take his request seriously and continued to entertain his friends. Julie was desperate to show her undeniable love for the Frenchman, so she immediately undressed and waited on the rooftop for her lover to return. Julie waited patiently in the cold and damp December air for her lover. When the Frenchman finally made his way to bed, he realized that Julie was nowhere to be found. He had not thought she took his request seriously, but he ran up to the rooftop to look for her. When he got up there, he saw her naked, frozen body in a corner, waiting patiently for him to return. Legend has it that the death of Julie put the Frenchman into a deep depression because he really loved Julie. Some also say that he died a few months later of a broken heart.
The octoroon mistress is still said to haunt the house she once resided in. Some people say on a cold and damp December night you can see her figure pacing on the rooftop waiting for her lover to return. Her ghost is also said to roam the floors of the house but her presence is a friendly one. The house is now home to the Bottom of the Tea Cup Psychic Readings and many of the employees and customers have had many encounters with her. They often note her as playful and energetic with lots of giggles being heard from room to room. The Frenchman is also said to roam the garden outside and people who have encountered him have said that his spirit seems sad.
Henri Enge Rouge
Another spirit is said to roam the floors of the house but his background is unknown. His name is supposedly Henri Enge Rouge. His name literally means “Henry Red Eye”. Creoles would call someone “Enge Rouge” if they were “bad” people. His name is often picked up through recordings of Julie saying his name over and over again. His spirit is not so kind. His energy is very evil and malevolent and often scares tourists away. At night once The Bottom of the Tea Cup closes and Julie retires to the third floor “Henri Enge Rouge” is said to roam the house freely.
Bottom of the Cup Tea Room
The Bottom of the Cup Tea Room opened up in 1929 at 734 Royal Street. Since then it has established a reputation for being the most reliable psychic house in New Orleans. Recently celebrating 80 years, the Bottom of the Cup still gives tarot readings, palm readings, and tea leaf readings. It is also home to a gift shop at 327 Chartres St, New Orleans with various teas from around the world and trinkets to fulfill anyone’s psychic interest.