Reported flags of a reported king in La Gonave, Haiti from Bruno Fuligni's "L'Etat c'est moi", 1997 [fuL97]

"Faustin II of La Gonave.

Historical context : There was a treaty of protectorate between USA and Haiti signed in 1915. That's the reason why the United States established a police station in Anse-à-Galets, island of La Gonave, 40 miles West of Port-au-Prince. Faustin Wirkus was born 1897 in Pennsylvania from Polish parents. He engaged himself at 17 in the Marine Corps (French text says : "fusiliers marins"), discovered therefore Haiti in 1915, became later sergeant in Cuba, came back to the USA, and served at Haiti from 1919. In 1925, he asked to get the commandment of the station of La Gonave (12.000 inhabitants, organized in ten "Congo societies" Each society has its own banner and queen, and there is a supreme queen, Ti Memenne). When the queen learned that Wirkus' first name was Faustin, she was impressed, and her "hougan" (witch) declared that Wirkus was the reincarnation of Faustin I, the emperor of Haiti. So, the American sergeant became king of La Gonave. It is reported that two young women came and raised two flags in front of the door : one was plain yellow and the other one star-spangled blue - each star stood for a Congo society. (well, that makes 10 stars...). Queen Ti Memenne said : "Here are your flags, King! They are symbols of your authority : these women are the keepers of the flags, and they will stand behind you bearing your flags, they will walk with you during processions". (the whole ceremony is then described in the book).

The writer William Seabrook, who visited Haiti at that time, told that story in a book. Later, the president of Haiti heard of it, and decided it was not possible to accept that there is a king in the Republic of Haiti. "Faustin II" was therefore forced to leave in 1929, in order to remedy to the "bad consequences of staying too long in far away military stations".