What do the White Witch of Jamaica’s Rose Hall and New Orleans tour staple Madame LaLaurie have in common? They're both infamous female figures in ghost lore, accused of monstrous violence during the era of slavery. But dig a little deeper, and a more disturbing truth emerges. Annie Palmer – the so-called White Witch – never existed, and Delphine LaLaurie’s real crimes were reshaped into gothic horror for public consumption. In this episode, we unpack how gendered narratives helped white societies displace guilt over slavery onto individual women.
Using the monstrous-feminine as a lens, we explore how these legends reflect colonial anxieties, racial taboos, and the fear of women wielding power. Why are Annie and Delphine the most famous symbols of slave-owning cruelty, while male perpetrators fade into obscurity?
Join Paranormal Pajama Party as we look past the ghost stories and uncover the systems that wrote these women into history as convenient villains.
Key moments
- 0:42 – A dutiful wife… and a murderess?
- 13:31 – From torture chamber to wedding venue
- 14:50 – The White Witch who never lived
- 18:26 – No villains needed – slavery was hell
- 22:53 – Delphine LaLaurie: monstrous and real
- 25:58 – When women become symbols
- 31:37 – The lady becomes a monster
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