![Damballah La Flambeau](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Damballah_La_Flambeau.jpg)
( ), 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
Louisiana Voodoo (french: Vaudou louisianais, es, Vudú de Luisiana), also known as New Orleans Voodoo, is an African diasporic religion which originated in Louisiana, now in the southern United States. It arose through a process of syncreti ...
. Many of the lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerated in the traditional religions of West Africa, especially those of the
Fon and
Yoruba
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
.
In Haitian Vodou, the lwa serve as intermediaries between humanity and
Bondyé, a transcendent creator divinity. Vodouists believe that over a thousand lwa exist, the names of at least 232 of which are recorded. Each lwa has its own personality and is associated with specific colors and objects. Many of them are equated with specific
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
saints on the basis of similar characteristics or shared symbols. The lwa are divided into different groups, known as ''nanchon'' (nations), the most notable of which are the
Petwo and the
Rada
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Se ...
. According to Vodou belief, the lwa communicate with humans through dreams and
divination, and in turn are given offerings, including
sacrificed animals. Vodou teaches that during ceremonies, the lwa possess specific practitioners, who during the possession are considered the ''chwal'' (horse) of the lwa. Through possessing an individual, Vodouists believe, the lwa can communicate with other humans, offering advice, admonishment, or healing.
During the
Atlantic slave trade of the 16th to 19th centuries, thousands of enslaved West Africans were transported to the Americas, often bringing their traditional religions with them. In the French colony of
Saint-Domingue, which became the republic of
Haiti in the early 19th century, the diasporic religion of Vodou emerged amid the mixing of different West African traditional religions and the influence of the French colonists' Roman Catholicism. From at least the 19th century, Haitian migrants took their religion to
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, by that point part of the United States, where they contributed to the formation of Louisiana Voodoo, a religion that largely died out in the early 20th century. In the latter part of that century, Voodoo revivalist groups emerged in Louisiana, often incorporating both the lwa spirits of Haitian Vodou and the
oricha spirits of Cuban
SanterÃa into their practices.
Etymology
Modern linguists trace the etymology of ''lwa'' to a family of
Yoruba language
Yoruba (, ; Yor. '; Ajami: ) is a language spoken in West Africa, primarily in Southwestern and Central Nigeria. It is spoken by the ethnic Yoruba people. The number of Yoruba speakers is roughly 50 million, plus about 2 million second-languag ...
words which include ' (god) and ''babalawo'' (diviner or priest). The alternate spelling of the word, ''loa'', means "to bewitch" in the
Setswana
Tswana, also known by its native name , and previously spelled Sechuana in English, is a Bantu language spoken in Southern Africa by about 8.2 million people. It belongs to the Bantu language family within the Sotho-Tswana branch of Zon ...
language of
Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label= Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalaha ...
.
Setswana "loa"
/ref>
The term ''lwa'' is phonetically identical to both a French term for law, ''loi'', and a Haitian Creole term for law, ''lwa''. The early 20th-century writer Jean Price-Mars
Jean Price-Mars (15 October 1876 – 1 March 1969) was a Haitian doctor, teacher, politician, diplomat, writer, and ethnographer.[Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...](_blank)
. In the early 21st century, the historian Kate Ramsey agreed that the phonetic similarity between the terms for the law and the Vodou spirits may not be "mere linguistic coincidence" but could reflect the complex interactions of African and French colonial cultures in Haiti.
Several spelling for ''lwa'' have been used. Early 20th-century writers on Haitian religion, such as Price-Mars, usually spelled the term ''loi''. During that century, writers like the American anthropologist Melville Herskovits
Melville Jean Herskovits (September 10, 1895 – February 25, 1963) was an American anthropologist who helped to first establish African and African Diaspora studies in American academia. He is known for exploring the cultural continuity from A ...
favored the spelling ''loa'', although in 2008 the historian Jeffrey E. Anderson wrote that the spelling ''loa'' was typically found in older works on the topic, having fallen out of favor with scholarly writers. The spelling ''lwa'' has been favored by more recent scholarly writers including Anderson, Ramsey, the anthropologist Karen McCarthy Brown
Karen McCarthy Brown (August 12, 1942 – March 4, 2015) was an anthropologist specializing in the anthropology of religion. She is best known for her groundbreaking book ''Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn'', which made great strides in des ...
, the scholar of religious studies Leslie Desmangles Leslie G Desmangles is an author and college professor focusing his research on Haiti and religion.
Leslie G. Desmangles was born in Port-au-Prince (Haiti) on September 28, 1941. Professor Desmangles graduated from Eastern University in 1964 with ...
, and the Hispanic studies
Hispanism (sometimes referred to as Hispanic studies or Spanish studies) is the study of the literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking world, principally that of Spain and Hispanic America. It can also entail studying Spanish language and ...
scholars Margarite Fernández Olmos and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert
Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert (born 1953) is a Puerto Rican academic who specializes in research of the Caribbean. She holds the Sarah Tod Fitz Randolph Distinguished Professor Chair at Vassar College.
Early life and education
Lizabeth Paravisini w ...
.
Theology
Vodou teaches that there are over a thousand lwa. They are regarded as the intermediaries of Bondyé, the supreme creator deity in Vodou. Desmangles argued that by learning about the various lwas, practitioners come to understand the different facets of Bondyé. Much as Vodouists often identify Bondyé with the Christian God, the lwa are sometimes equated with the angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...
s of Christian cosmology. The lwa are also known as the ''mystères'', ''anges'', ''saints'', and ''les invisibles''.
The lwa can offer help, protection, and counsel to humans, in return for ritual service. They are thought of as having wisdom that is useful for humans, although they are not seen as moral exemplars which practitioners should imitate. Each lwa has its own personality, and is associated with specific colors, days of the week, and objects. The lwa can be either loyal or capricious in their dealings with their devotees; Vodouists believe that the lwa are easily offended, for instance if offered food that they dislike. When angered, the lwa are believed to remove their protection from their devotees, or to inflict misfortune, illness, or madness on an individual.
Although there are exceptions, most lwa names derive from the Fon and Yoruba language
Yoruba (, ; Yor. '; Ajami: ) is a language spoken in West Africa, primarily in Southwestern and Central Nigeria. It is spoken by the ethnic Yoruba people. The number of Yoruba speakers is roughly 50 million, plus about 2 million second-languag ...
s. New lwa are nevertheless added to those brought from Africa; practitioners believe that some Vodou priests and priestesses became lwa after death, or that certain talisman
A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...
s become lwa. Vodouists often refer to the lwa residing in "Guinea", but this is not intended as a precise geographical location. Many lwa are also understood to live under the water, at the bottom of the sea or in rivers. Vodouists believe that the lwa communicate with humans through dreams and through the possession of human beings.
During rituals, the lwa are summoned through designs known as ''veve
A ''veve'' (also spelled ''vèvè'' or ''vevè'') is a religious symbol commonly used in different branches of Vodun throughout the African diaspora, such as Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo. The ''veve'' acts as a "beacon" for the '' loa'', ...
''. These are sketched out on the floor of the ceremonial space using cornmeal, ash, coffee grounds, or powdered eggshells.
The lwa are associated with specific Roman Catholic saints. For instance, Azaka, the lwa of agriculture, is associated with Saint Isidore the farmer. Similarly, because he is understood as the "key" to the spirit world, Papa Legba is typically associated with Saint Peter
) (Simeon, Simon)
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire
, death_date = Between AD 64–68
, death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire
, parents = John (or Jonah; Jona)
, occupat ...
, who is visually depicted holding keys in traditional Roman Catholic imagery. The lwa of love and luxury, Ezili Freda, is associated with Mater Dolorosa
Our Lady of Sorrows ( la, Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows ( la, Mater Dolorosa, link=no), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names ...
. Damballa, who is a serpent, is often equated with Saint Patrick, who is traditionally depicted in a scene with snakes; alternatively he is often associated with Moses. The Marasa, or sacred twins, are typically equated with the twin saints Cosmos and Damian.
Nanchon
In Haitian Vodou, the lwa are divided into ''nanchon'' or "nations". This classificatory system derives from the way in which enslaved West Africans were divided into "nations" upon their arrival in Haiti, usually based on their African port of departure rather than their ethno-cultural identity. The nanchons are nevertheless not groupings based in the geographical origins of specific lwas. The term ''fanmi'' (family) is sometimes used synonymously with "nation" or alternatively as a sub-division of the latter category. It is often claimed that there are 17 nanchon, although few Haitians could name all of them. Each is deemed to have its own characteristic ethos.
Among the more commonly known nanchon are the Wangol, Ginen, Kongo, Nago (or Anago), Ibo, Rada, and Petwo. Of these, the Rada and the Petwo are the largest and most dominant. The Rada derive their name from Arada
Arada may refer to:
Geography
* Arada, Chad, a town and subprefecture in the department of Biltine in eastern Chad
* Arada (Addis Ababa), one of the 10 subcities of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia
* Arada, Honduras, a municipality in the Ho ...
, a city in the Dahomey kingdom of West Africa. The Rada lwa are usually regarded as ''dous'' or ''doux'', meaning that they are sweet-tempered. The Petwo lwa are conversely seen as ''lwa chaud'' (''lwa cho''), indicating that they can be forceful or violent and are associated with fire; they are generally regarded as being socially transgressive and subversive. The Rada lwa are seen as being 'cool'; the Petwo lwa as 'hot'.
The Rada lwa are generally regarded as righteous, whereas their Petwo counterparts are thought of as being more morally ambiguous, associated with issues like money. At the same time, the Rada lwa are regarded as being less effective or powerful than those of the Petwo nation. The Petwo lwa derive from various backgrounds, including Creole, Kongo, and Dahomeyan.
In various cases, certain lwa can be absorbed from one nanchon into another; various Kongo and Ibo lwa have been incorporated into the Petwo nanchon. Many lwa exist ''andezo'' or ''en deux eaux'', meaning that they are "in two waters" and are served in both Rada and Petwo rituals. Various lwas are understood to have direct counterparts in different nanchon; several Rada lwas for instance have Petwo counterparts whose names bear epithets like ''Flangbo'' (afire), ''Je-Rouge'' (Red-Eye), or ''Zarenyen'' (spider). One example is the Rada lwa Ezili, who is associated with love, but who has a Petwo parallel known as Ezili Je-Rouge, who is regarded as dangerous and prone to causing harm. Another is the Rada lwa Legba
Papa Legba is a lwa in Haitian Vodou, Winti and Louisiana Voodoo, who serves as the intermediary between the lwa and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the spirits of Guineé, and is be ...
, who directs human destiny, and who is paralleled in the Petwo pantheon by Kafou Legba, a trickster who causes accidents that alter a person's destiny.
The Gede (also ''Ghede'' or ''Guede'') family of lwa are associated with the realm of the dead. The head of the family is Baron Samedi
Baron Samedi ( en, Baron Saturday), also written Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi or Bawon Sanmdi, is one of the lwa of Haitian Vodou. He is a lwa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix and Ba ...
("Baron Saturday"). His consort is Grand Brigitte; she has authority over cemeteries and is regarded as the mother of many of the other Gede. When the Gede are believed to have arrived at a Vodou ceremony they are usually greeted with joy because they bring merriment. Those possessed by the Gede at these ceremonies are known for making sexual innuendos; the Gede's symbol is an erect penis, while the ''banda'' dance associated with them involves sexual-style thrusting.
Ritual
Offerings and animal sacrifice
Feeding the lwa is of great importance in Vodou, with rites often termed ''mangers-lwa'' ("feeding the lwa"). Offering food and drink to the lwa is the most common ritual within the religion, conducted both communally and in the home. An ''oungan'' (priest) or ''manbo'' (priestess) will also organize an annual feast for their congregation in which animal sacrifices to various lwa will be made. The choice of food and drink offered varies depending on the lwa in question, with different lwa believed to favour different foodstuffs. Damballa for instance requires white foods, especially eggs. Foods offered to Legba, whether meat, tubers, or vegetables, need to be grilled on a fire. The lwa of the Ogu and Nago nations prefer raw rum or clairin
Clairin (, , ht, Kleren) is a distilled alcoholic spirit made from sugarcane produced in Haiti, that undergoes the same distillation process as rhum.
There are between 500 and 600 micro-distilleries in Haiti, compared to fewer than 50 in total ...
as an offering.
A ''mange sèc'' (dry meal) is an offering of grains, fruit, and vegetables that often precedes a simple ceremony; it takes its name from the absence of blood. Species used for sacrifice include chickens, goats, and bulls, with pigs often favored for petwo lwa. The animal may be washed, dressed in the color of the specific lwa, and marked with food or water. Often, the animal's throat will be cut and the blood collected in a calabash. Chickens are often killed by the pulling off of their heads; their limbs may be broken beforehand. The organs are removed and placed on the altar or vèvè. The flesh will be cooked and placed on the altar, subsequently often being buried.
Maya Deren wrote that: "The intent and emphasis of sacrifice is not upon the death of the animal, it is upon the transfusion of its life to the lwa; for the understanding is that flesh and blood are of the essence of life and vigor, and these will restore the divine energy of the god." Because Agwé is believed to reside in the sea, rituals devoted to him often take place beside a large body of water such as a lake, river, or sea. His devotees sometimes sail out to Trois Ilets, drumming and singing, where they throw a white sheep overboard as a sacrifice to him.
The food is typically offered when it is cool; it remains there for a while before humans can then eat it. The food is often placed within a ''kwi'', a calabash shell bowl. Once selected, the food is placed on special calabash
Calabash (; ''Lagenaria siceraria''), also known as bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, New Guinea bean, Tasmania bean, and opo squash, is a vine grown for its fruit. It can be either harvested young to be consumed ...
es known as ''assiettes de Guinée'' which are located on the altar. Offerings not consumed by the celebrants are then often buried or left at a crossroads. Libations might be poured into the ground. Vodouists believe that the lwa then consume the essence of the food. Certain foods are also offered in the belief that they are intrinsically virtuous, such as grilled maize, peanuts, and cassava. These are sometimes sprinkled over animals that are about to be sacrificed or piled upon the ''vèvè'' designs on the floor of the ''peristil''.
Possession
Possession by the lwa constitutes an important element of Vodou. It lies the heart of many of its rituals; these typically take place in a temple called an '' ounfò'', specifically in a room termed the ''peristil'' or ''peristyle''.
The person being possessed is referred to as the ''chwal'' or ''chual'' (horse); the act of possession is called "mounting a horse". Vodou teaches that a lwa can possess an individual regardless of gender; both male and female lwa can possess either men or women. Although children are often present at these ceremonies, they are rarely possessed as it is considered too dangerous. While the specific drums and songs used are designed to encourage a specific lwa to possess someone, sometimes an unexpected lwa appears and takes possession instead. In some instances a succession of lwa possess the same individual, one after the other.
The trance of possession is known as the ''crise de lwa''. Vodouists believe that during this process, the lwa enters the head of the chwal and displaces their ''gwo bon anj'', which is one of the two halves of a person's soul. This displacement is believed to cause the chwal to tremble and convulse; Maya Deren described a look of "anguish, ordeal and blind terror" on the faces of those as they became possessed. Because their consciousness has been removed from their head during the possession, Vodouists believe that the chwal will have no memory of what occurs during the incident. The length of the possession varies, often lasting a few hours but sometimes several days. It may end with the chwal collapsing in a semi-conscious state; they are typically left physically exhausted. Some individuals attending the dance will put a certain item, often wax, in their hair or headgear to prevent possession.
Once the lwa possesses an individual, the congregation greet it with a burst of song and dance. The chwal will typically bow before the officiating priest or priestess and prostrate before the ''poto mitan'', a central pillar within the temple. The chwal is often escorted into an adjacent room where they are dressed in clothing associated with the possessing lwa. Alternatively, the clothes are brought out and they are dressed in the peristil itself. Once the chwal has been dressed, congregants kiss the floor before them. These costumes and props help the chwal take on the appearance of the lwa. Many ounfo have a large wooden phallus on hand which is used by those possessed by Ghede lwa during their dances.
The chwal takes on the behaviour and expressions of the possessing lwa; their performance can be very theatrical. Those believing themselves possessed by the serpent Damballa, for instance, often slither on the floor, dart out their tongue, and climb the posts of the peristil. Those possessed by Zaka, lwa of agriculture, will dress as a peasant in a straw hat with a clay pipe and will often speak in a rustic accent. The chwal will often then join in with the dances, dancing with anyone whom they wish to, or sometimes eating and drinking. Sometimes the lwa, through the chwal, will engage in financial transactions with members of the congregation, for instance by selling them food that has been given as an offering or lending them money.
Possession facilitates direct communication between the lwa and its followers; through the chwal, the lwa communicates with their devotees, offering counsel, chastisement, blessings, warnings about the future, and healing. Lwa possession has a healing function, with the possessed individual expected to reveal possible cures to the ailments of those assembled. Clothing that the chwal touches is regarded as bringing luck. The lwa may also offer advice to the individual they are possessing; because the latter is not believed to retain any memory of the events, it is expected that other members of the congregation will pass along the lwa's message. In some instances, practitioners have reported being possessed at other times of ordinary life, such as when someone is in the middle of the market, or when they are asleep.
History
During the closing decades of the 20th century, attempts were made to revive Louisiana Voodoo
Louisiana Voodoo (french: Vaudou louisianais, es, Vudú de Luisiana), also known as New Orleans Voodoo, is an African diasporic religion which originated in Louisiana, now in the southern United States. It arose through a process of syncreti ...
, often by individuals drawing heavily on Haitian Vodou and Cuban SanterÃa in doing so. Among those drawing on both Vodou lwa and SanterÃa oricha to create a new Voodoo was the African American Miriam Chamani, who established the Voodoo Spiritual Temple in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1990. Another initiate of Haitian Vodou, the Ukrainian-Jewish American Sallie Ann Glassman, launched an alternative group, La Source Ancienne, in the city's Bywater neighborhood. A further Haitian Vodou initiate, the Louisiana Creole Ava Kay Jones, also began promoting a form of Louisiana Voodoo.
List
Vodouisants will sometimes comment that there are over a thousand lwas, most of whom are not known to humans. Of these, the names of at least 232 have been recorded. The large number of lwas found in Vodou contrasts with the Cuban religion of SanterÃa, where only 15 orichas (spirits) have gained prominence among its followers.
* Adjassou-Linguetor
* Adjinakou
* Adya Houn'tò
* Agaou
* Agassou
Agassou (also Ati-A-Sou) is a loa who guards the old traditions of Dahomey in the West African Vodun religion and the rada loa of Haitian Vodou.
Agassou: Royal Leopard King of Africa
Agassou is the product of a divine mating—his mother was ...
* Agwé
* Anaisa Pye
Anaisa Pye (alternatively, Anaisa Pie, Anaisa Pie Danto, or Anaisa La Chiquita) is a popular loa within religion in the Dominican Republic. She is considered the patron saint of love, money, and general happiness within the religion in the Domin ...
* Anmino
* Ayida-Weddo
Ayida-Weddo is a loa of fertility, rainbows, wind, water, fire, and snakes in Vodou, especially in Benin and Haiti. Ayida-Weddo is known as the "Rainbow Serpent". Variants of Ayida-Weddo's name include Aida-Weddo, Ayida-Wedo, Aido Quedo, and A ...
* Ayizan
Ayizan (also Grande Ai-Zan, Aizan, or Ayizan Velekete) is the loa of the marketplace and commerce in Vodou, especially in Haiti.
Background
She is a racine, or root loa, associated with Vodoun rites of initiation (called kanzo). Just as her h ...
* Azaka-Tonnerre
Azaka-Tonnerre (also Azaca or Azacca) is a loa of thunder in Vodou, especially in Haiti. He is in the same "family" as Azaka Medeh, the loa of harvest
Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cut ...
* Bacalou
* Badessy
Bedessy is a minor loa who holds the domain of the sky in Vodou and particularly in Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispan ...
* Baron Samedi
Baron Samedi ( en, Baron Saturday), also written Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi or Bawon Sanmdi, is one of the lwa of Haitian Vodou. He is a lwa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix and Ba ...
* Baron Criminel
* Belie Belcan
* Bossou Ashadeh
* Boum'ba Maza
* Brize
* Bugid Y Aiba
* Captain Debas
* Captain Zombi
* Clermeil
* Congo
* Damballa
Damballa, also spelled Damballah, Dambala, Dambalah, among other variations ( ht, Danbala), is one of the most important of all loa, spirits in Haitian Voodoo and other African diaspora religious traditions such as Obeah. He is traditionally ...
* Dan Petro
* Dan Wédo
* Demeplait
* Dereyale
* Diable Tonnere
* Diejuste Diejuste is a kind-hearted, benevolent loa in Haitian Haitian Vodou, Vodou.
References
Haitian Vodou gods
{{Deity-stub ...
* Dinclinsin
* Erzulie
Erzulie (sometimes spelled Erzili or Èzili) is a family of loa, or spirits, in Vodou.
Overview
The Erzulie is a family of loa that are often associated with water (fluidity), femininity, and feminine bodies. They are one of the only group o ...
* Filomez
Filomez is a loa that belongs to the Rada loa, Rada nation. She is a water spirit that is served with pastel colors such as blue, pink, and sometimes even green. In some Vodou houses, she is the younger sister of Erzulie Freda. In others, she is n ...
* Gede
* Gede Doub
* Gede L'Orage
* Gede-Linto
* Gede Nibo
Gede Nibo ( ht, Gede Nibo) is a lwa who is leader of the spirits of the dead in Haitian Vodou. Formerly human, Gede Nibo was a handsome young man who was killed violently. After death, he was adopted as a lwa by Baron Samedi and Maman Brigitte. He ...
* Grand Bois
* Jean Zombi
* Joseph Danger
* Joumalonge
* Kalfu
Kalfu (literally '' crossroads)'' is one of the petro aspects of Papa Legba, a lwa in Haitian Vodou. He is often envisioned as a young man or as a demon; his color is red and he favors rum infused with gunpowder. He is often syncretized with ...
(''Maître Carrefour'', ''Mait' Carrefour'', ''Mèt Kalfou'', ''Kafou'')
* Klemezin Klemay
* Lemba Lemba may refer to:
* ''Lemba'' (grasshopper), a genus of insect in the subfamily Caryandinae
* Lemba people, an African ethnic group in Southern Africa
;Places
* Lemba, Kinshasa, a commune in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Lembá ...
* L'inglesou
* La Sirène
Mami Wata (Mammy Water), or La Sirene, is a water spirit venerated in West, Central, and Southern Africa and in the African diaspora in the Americas. Mami Wata spirits are usually female but are sometimes male., p. 1.
Attributes
Appearance
T ...
* Limba
* Loco
Loco or El Loco may refer to:
Places United States
* Loco, Georgia, an unincorporated community
* Loco, Oklahoma, a village
* Loco, Texas, an unincorporated community
* Loco Mountain (Labinero, Montana), a mountain peak of the Crazy Mountains ...
* Lovana
* Mademoiselle Charlotte
* Maîtresse Délai
* Maîtresse Hounon'gon
* Maman Brigitte
Maman Brigitte (English: ''Mother Brigitte'') sometimes also written as Manman Brigitte and also known by Gran Brigitte, Grann Brigitte, Manman, Manman Brigit, and Maman Brijit is a death loa (or ''lwa'') and the consort of Baron Samedi in Hait ...
* Marassa
* Marinette
* Maroule
* Mombu
Mombu is a loa who stutters and causes heavy rains in Voodoo.
References
Voodoo gods
Rain deities
{{Deity-stub ...
* Manze Marie
* Mounanchou
* Nago Shango
* Ogoun
Ogun or Ogoun (Yoruba: Ògún, Portuguese: Ogum, Gu; also spelled Oggun or Ogou; known as Ogún or Ogum in Latin America) is a spirit that appears in several African religions. He attempted to seize the throne after the demise of Obatala, who ...
* Papa Legba
Papa Legba is a lwa in Haitian Vodou, Winti and Louisiana Voodoo, who serves as the intermediary between the lwa and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the spirits of Guineé, and is bel ...
* Pie
* Silibo
* Simbi
A Simbi (also Cymbee, Sim'bi, pl. Bisimbi) is a water spirit in traditional Kongo spirituality. In Haitian Vodoun context, they are a large and diverse family of serpents known as loa.
Hoodoo
In Central Africa's Kongo region, "...bisimbi in ...
* Sobo
Sobo may refer to:
Places
* Sobo, La Brea, Trinidad and Tobago
* Mount Sobo, Japan
* SoBo or South Mumbai
Other
* Sobo (deity)
* Sobo language (disambiguation)
* Alexandra Sobo
Alexandra Sobo (born ) is a Romanian female volleyball player, pl ...
* Sousson-Pannan
* Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤠(Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤠...
* Ti Kita
TI, ti, and variants may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Ti/Si, the seventh syllable in the solfège technique
* The International (Dota 2), The International (''Dota 2''), an annual esports tournament for the video game, ''Dota 2''
* ''Twil ...
* Ti Jean Quinto
* Ti Malice
Ti Malice is a trickster character and nemesis of Tonton (Uncle) Bouki in Haitian mythology, Haitian folklore. While Ti Malice (Wild Cards), Ti Malice is smart and guileful, Uncle Bouki is hardworking but is also very greedy. It is the manipulation ...
* Ti Jean Petro
* Trois Carrefours (''Kalfou Twa'')
* Wawe
WAWE (94.3 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Christian worship music format, licensed to Glendale Heights, Illinois, United States. The station serves the Chicago Metropolitan Area and is owned by the Educational Media Foundation, broadcasti ...
See also
* Haitian mythology
Haitian Vodou is a syncretic mixture of Roman Catholic rituals developed during the French colonial period, based on traditional African beliefs, with roots in Dahomey, Kongo and Yoruba traditions, and folkloric influence from the indigenou ...
* Kami
are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the Shinto religion. They can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, or beings and the qualities that these beings express; they can also be the sp ...
* Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gae ...
References
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Citations
Sources
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Further reading
Primary sources
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External links
Descriptions of Various Loa of Voodoo, Spring 1990, by Jan Chatland
( Webster.edu)
{{Afro-American Religions
Caribbean mythology
Haitian Vodou
Caribbean legendary creatures
Types of deities