The Gatekeeper

Once an integral part of initiation rituals for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, this antique child’s coffin – complete with papier-mâché skeleton – isn’t just a piece of secret society history, it’s a haunted relic that calls itself “The Gatekeeper”. Due to the decades of association with death, ritual use, and initiation, the coffin – and whatever entity has become fond of it – has taken on the role of a mediator between the living and the dead.

During an initial investigation with the piece, The Gatekeeper introduced itself as a keeper of the crossroads, a duty often attributed to Papa Legba, a loa in Hatian Vodou who serves as the intermediary between the loa.. and us.

Donated by Jesse & Melissa Leimkuehler of Belvoir Winery