Marinette is a
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 ...
of power and violence in
Haitian Vodou
Haitian Vodou is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism. There is ...
.
In her
petro form, she is called ''Marinette Bras Cheche'' (Marinette of the Dry Arms) or ''Marinette Pied Cheche'' (Marinette of the Dry Feet), suggesting that she is
skeletal
A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of an animal. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside ...
.
[Torres, Rafael Agustí. "Loas y Vèvès del Vudú", pp. 32-33 (in Spanish)]
She is believed to be the
mambo
Mambo most often refers to:
*Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form
*Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music
Mambo may also refer to:
Music
*Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particular ...
who sacrificed the black pig at the culmination of the start of the first
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution (french: révolution haïtienne ; ht, revolisyon ayisyen) was a successful insurrection by slave revolt, self-liberated slaves against French colonial rule in Saint-Domingue, now the sovereign state of Haiti. The revolt ...
. While she is feared and tends to ride those she
possesses violently, she can also be seen as one who frees her people from bondage.
Marinette is represented by a
screech owl
Screech owls are typical owls (Strigidae) belonging to the genus ''Megascops'' with 23 living species. For most of the 20th century, this genus was merged with the Old World scops owls in ''Otus'', but nowadays it is again considered separate ...
and is often seen as the protector of
werewolves
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (; ; uk, Вовкулака, Vovkulaka), is an individual that can shapeshift into a wolf (or, especially in modern film, a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature), either purposely or ...
. Her
Catholic
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 ...
counterpart is the
Anima Sola (
Forsaken Soul) who can either free one from bondage or drag you back. Her colors are black and deep blood red. Her offerings are black
pig
The pig (''Sus domesticus''), often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when distinguishing from other members of the genus '' Sus'', is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is variously considered a subspecies of ''Sus s ...
s and black
rooster
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
s plucked alive.
Marinette is not cruel. She only gets cruel in possession, when people burn animals or humans. She likes salvia, black pepper, lavender, and sweets.
In popular culture
*Marinette is a main character in Rem Oscuro's book ''I am the Dark''.
*FLÏRT, a band from Hamburg, Germany, refers to Marinette in the song "Marinette of the Dry Feet".
*Marinette is the main antagonist in the DC Comics Series Ragman - Cry of the Dead.
*Marinette appears in the DC/Vertigo Comics series House of Whispers which takes place in the Sandman universe.
*Marinette, or Her Lady of the Dry Arms, appears in "The Bruja" by Michael Molisani.
*Marinette is one of the districts on asteroid Legba in
Eclipse Phase
''Eclipse Phase'' is a science fiction horror role-playing game with transhumanist themes. Originally published by Catalyst Game Labs, ''Eclipse Phase'' is now published by the game's creators, Posthuman Studios, and is released under a Crea ...
RPG setting.
References
Haitian Vodou goddesses
{{Deity-stub