Grand Bois (meaning ''great wood'', also Grans Bwa, Bran Bwa, Ganga-Bois; ht, Gran Bwa) is an elemental, nature-oriented
loa
( ), also called loa or loi, are spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerat ...
closely associated with trees, plants, and herbs in
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
an
Vodou. Offerings to him include leaves and herbs, honey, and spiced rum. As a petro loa and loa of the wilderness, he can be fierce and unpredictable in some aspects.
[Torres, Rafael Agustí. "Loas y Vèvès del Vudú", pp. 19-20 (in Spanish)]
Grand Bois,
Maître Carrefour (Master Crossroads), and
Baron Cimetière
Baron Cimetière is one of the Gede, a spirit of the dead, along with Baron Samedi and Baron La Croix
Baron La Croix ( ht, Bawon Lakwa), is one of the Gede, a lwa of the dead and sexuality,Torres, Rafael Agustí. "Loas y Vèvès del Vudú", ...
(Baron Cemetery) form the triad of magicians. They represent the journey of life: ''Grand Bois'' represents the rich earth that you spring from and the dark woods you stumble through, ''Maitre Carrefour'' represents the various roads and paths you choose to travel on, and ''Baron Cimitère'' represents the end of the trip.
Grand Bois is represented by
Saint Sebastian
Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Dioclet ...
as his Catholic counterpart. His colors are commonly shades of green (sometimes including red in some houses).
See also
*
Leshy
References
Haitian Vodou gods
Nature gods
Saint Sebastian
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