This installment of the Purgatory Case Files Research Reports is brought to you by fellow Wormhole Whisperer Purgatory I.S.S.
The article should bring you up to date with Baron Samedi and what has been going on in the Purgatory Case Files, especially since we think it will be important for episode 2×10 of Wynonna Earp. Let’s get right into it.
Who is the Baron?
The Baron Samedi is a voodoo Loa of death and resurrection. It is rumored he appears at the crossroads of life and death. Should he accept your death, he digs your grave. But he rejects your death – you will be cured. There is a price. The price depends on his mood.
He is known to love cigars, drinking, and raunchy behavior. But, as a master of death and life, he is protective of children. People might recognize his “veve” or symbol of invocation from Josh Miller’s scribblings:
How he met Teddy Rooselvelt
In a letter to Wyatt Earp around 1883 – Teddy Roosevelt confesses to Wyatt that he has been dabbling in the occult and that he fears this led to the death of his wife and mother (letter can be found on secret BBD website). Here the Wormhole Whisperers raise a small objection that Teddy’s wife and mother actually died in 1884. Does the time difference mean anything? We aren’t entirely sure and it is outside the scope of this article. Suffice to say his mother and wife die in 1883 and in another letter in 1883 – Wyatt is congratulating Teddy on his new marriage. But given the subsequent letter published on untoldroosevelt.com, it seems pretty clear Baron Samedi made himself known to Teddy Roosevelt in 1883 and essentially told him the deaths were his fault for dabbling in the occult.
How he met John Schrank
Poor John Schrank had a rough time of things. He lost his parents at a young age, then lost his girlfriend in 1904 and he admittedly started looking into occult and black magic. Along his travels he summons Baron Samedi and claims to learn the secret to resurrection (reference Josh’s scribblings). He asks the Baron to bring his loved one back and the Baron asks a price – kill Teddy Roosevelt. Which he failed to do in 1912.
Why so angry at Teddy Roosevelt?
The recently released documents of Teddy Roosevelt show he and his daughter Alice went to Haiti in 1911. It should be noted here that Alice was quite the actual troublemaker in her day – including dabbling in the occult. She even got banned from the Taft White House for burying a voodoo likeness of Taft’s wife on the White House lawn. Alice became very ill and the Baron showed up to taunt Teddy and tell him he was going to take another of his loved ones.Teddy steals the one thing Baron needs to travel freely through the realms. Now he can only travel to this realm when summoned. Now by stealing the object of travel – did Teddy then ban the Baron back to the realm of the dead thereby preventing him from taking Alice? Feel like this could be foreshadowing of how one might save a loved one about to be taken by the Baron. In case anyone knows of someone that might be facing this predicament. So after stealing the Baron’s ability to come and go as he pleases – the Baron is furious with Teddy and wants him dead.
What did Roosevelt steal?
The latest PCF update (August 11) shows two pictures of Roosevelt with a top hat.
The pictures were in an encrypted BBD file decoded by Jeremy. This is not the first time that Roosevelt’s hat has been called to attention. The gateway to the secret BBD website was Roosevelt’s hat on an encrypted PDF file. One of the passwords to said website is BBD-1883-WYATT-TR-HAT-46695. Therefore, Roosevelt’s top-hat is very significant to the origins of Black Badge.
We also know that Baron Samedi talked to Officer Haught at a bar. Her description of him touched most key points (well dressed, dark skin, carrying a cane), but there is no mention of his top-hat.
All facts combined, it is safe to assume that Ted Roosevelt stole Baron Samedi’s top-hat, and with it his ability to freely travel between realms.
We also know that Ted Roosevelt personally took Samedi’s hat to Wyatt Earp to keep safe in the Ghost River Triangle. Where is this hat now?
It could have been made to look like something else. Perhaps a 1952 Purgatory Fair plate? Or sitting in a crate in the basement of Shorty’s? If it is a top hat – those collapse and absolutely could be baked into some pottery then sealed with the seal of the Order for extra protection.
Josh Miller
Cut to recent days and Josh Miller, grandson of John Schrank and Lydia Laurent, decides to use the information Lydia gave him to summon the Baron and have his Anne resurrected. However Josh fails miserably and ends up releasing the Baron into the Ghost River Triangle. Helpful hints, Josh – don’t touch the goo. Don’t try to control a demon.
Facts and Theories
- The Baron can sense people close to death. He knows Nicole, knows a lot about her. Is this because she is about to be near death? Part of her backstory? Is he a huge WayHaught fan? Regardless it is pretty clear he is going to use her near death to strike a bargain with the Earp/BBD clan. Find my object or I dig Nicole’s grave (cue “feral” looking Nicole and Waverly)
- The stolen item was taken to the GRT so Wyatt could guard it. This is mentioned in the untoldroosevelt.com letters and I find it interesting that Wyatt calls himself a gatekeeper. Falls into the mythos of Peacemaker/Earp heir acting as judge of who/what goes to heaven or hell. Wonder if Wyatt’s gun ever turned blue.
- What is the item? Top four choices: sunglasses (maybe obsidian for dark magic?), top hat, cane, necklace. Most likely choice would be something that is always on his person: so necklace and top hat fit that bill. Wynonna has a necklace of unknown origins but there is a key with greek lettering on it – seems outside the Loa mythos. Top hat? Haven’t really seen one of those but it could have been made to look like something else. Perhaps a 1952 Purgatory Fair plate? Or sitting in a crate in the basement of Shorty’s? If it is a top hat – those collapse and absolutely could be baked into some pottery then sealed with the seal of the Order for extra protection. Another theory is that it is the cane. Possibly made from some obsidian or has obsidian on the top. Where could one hide a cane? How about with the blacksmith that is already doing protection duties by hiding a skull from Constance Clootie?
- Mattie the Blacksmith Why is she here? Could be the ritual she did making Waverly the keeper of the bones (which recall did not go as expected) linked her spirit to Waverly? As Waves struggles with what to do the Blacksmith’s spirit comes to offer guidance and advice. Possibly to her warehouse where the stolen item is hidden. Another theory is that Mattie is there to give advice to Waverly on how to trick a demon.
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In the picture with Roosevelt and Cleveland, there seems to be a face behind the window. Who is that? And why is that face not visible in this other picture?
We hope you got an idea what the Earp Squad is up against with Baron Samedi. Enjoy next weeks episode. Your Wormhole Whisperers.
not an equivalent for it in the Phoenician alphabet, or in any alphabet that we managed to get our hands on. There is also not an equivalent angel rune or demon rune for it. The closest we found were Nordic runes and a similar symbol in an ancient Berber nomadic north African language that has its origin in the Phoenician, but still, not a 100% identical match.
Purgatory Feminist 
