Baron Samedi

One of the voodoo loas of Haitian mythology. He is one of the more dreaded loas, because he represents death. He is a guardian of the crossroads, where our world intersects with the spirit world, and he is often depicted as a skeletal figure smoking a cigar, drinking rum, and wearing black clothing, a black top hat, and dark sunglasses.

Though he's often depicted in Western media as a demonic supervillain of sorts, those who follow vodou don't think of him as a pure negative force. As the guardian of the lands of the dead, Samedi helps to escort the dying into the next world, so ceremonies will call on him on behalf of those who are dying. He's also the loa of resurrection, so he's sometimes called upon by those who are gravely ill. 

François "Papa Doc" Duvalier, the sadistic former President-for-Life of Haiti, modeled his own appearances on Samedi, which probably does a lot to explain why the loa is considered a pure villain in the West.

Samedi has a morbid sense of humor and is closely associated with Baron Cimitere and Baron La Croix. When he rides (or possesses) a worshipper, they can be identified because they like to smoke cigars and wear sunglasses and dark clothing.

In English, his name is Baron Saturday, which is a pretty awesome name, too. 

One of the Guede or "death spirits", the Baron is sometimes a feared loa. Favors requested from him usually require a considerable sacrifice and retaliation from him is fierce. Baron Samedi is usually depicted smoking a cigar and wearing dark glasses, a top hat and black coat tails. He is fond of drinking and womanizing and is often considered to be the husband of Brigid or Brigitte.

One of the prime Satanists of the post-La Veyan era. Real name Neil Smith, defrocked Catholic priest, trade, high-end art printer, bookbinder and publisher. Known for holding parties in the New Haven, CT, area, often with P. Scott Hollander, of the Yale-influenced bookbinding and librarian family, published with Llewellyn, 'Catman' a noted male prostitute and former lion-keeper with Ringling Brothers, Deal Whitley, legendary underground cartoonist, and Teleny Parrish, partigoer, bon vivant, and journalist. Author of "The Stellar Almanac", one of the most important Satanic texts.

Parties at his home were attended by the extreme members of the Satanist community: one warrior, who identified himself as "under the Stars and Stripes in Omaha", USAF, claimed to have dedicated all his kills in battle to Satan. Oddly, to counter Evangelical claims, children were never hurt: the Baron claimed that all such were "under His Protection" and their 'needs would be met', which meant, apparently, that in Festival times, they could eat and drink as they willed, have adults obey them, their pick of TV, toys (owned jointly) and books, and be put to bed in soft, specially scented bedsheets. Otherwise, sex, drugs, music and philosophical discussion would go on for three or four days, ending at FitzWilly's listening to Steely Dan before going on their separate ways.

He's since disappeared, Deal's dead, and I am the sole chronicler...

Yeah. It's not what you wanted to hear. Satanism involves, on an average year, 3-5000 people worldwide, spread out among five major groups, and any number of schisms, all trying to present themselves as "the tip of the iceberg." Sorry, peoples. The buck stops here. The reason why Baron Sam and his group come across as a bunch of 70's swingers is because there is no huge Satanic conspiracy. It's more like a false front than an iceberg...they're tops at psychologically manipulating people. They're powerful, and you're not. Case closed.

If we didn't involve a Queen Anne Victorian house, an aperion of worshippers, and a service conducted to the wails of infants and the cries of the Chosen Victim, it's because it didn't happen. Period. And if any such were to be happening, we would have known. Most Satanists aren't even able to keep down a job, much less a comfortable Colonial Revival home with traditionally styled furniture, a library, and a store of Satanic art. Anton Szandor LaVey's Black House was, without the hype, a decaying pre-1906 San Francisco Painted Lady, with no more distinction than having weathered the earthquake/fire. In New England, it would have been just another house in a bad neighborhood, that awaited either landmark status, or to be torn down. Kids have privileged status in Satanism: since they're viewed as quasi-animals, uncorrupted by the World, their needs are met -- the same as with cats, who are thought of as being the ultimate survivors and individualists, brother beasts, and worthy of emulation. Herd animals are tasty, and often eaten, whether goat, sheep, deer, swine or kine. As for virgins, or the Chosen One...well, I suppose someone might have volunteered, but not in our group. I was about twenty, which to some people meant I was pliable...

I can tender only what truths I know..