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Agassou - The guardian of traditions and parental disciplines.

Agau - Loa of the Winds

Agwe (Ogg-way): spirit of the sea

Aida Wedo: rainbow spirit

Ayida-Weddo - Loa of fertility, rainbows and snakes. Wife of Dambala

Ayezan - (Aizan, Ayizan) This is the Legba's wife. She protects the markets, public places, doors, and barriers, and has a deep knowledge of the intricacies of the spirit world. When feeding her and/or her husband, a black or white goat or russet colored ox is offered up. Her favorite tree is the palm tree.

Ayida: The female counterpart of Dambalah. She is the mother Goddess. She is represented by the rainbow.

Azacca (Zaka) - The loa of agriculture.

Bade - Loa of the Winds

Baka: an evil spirit who takes the form of an animal

Baron Samedi: guardian of the grave. Loa of the Dead

Bosou Koblamin - A violent petro loa of Strength and Protection

Brise: He is a loa of the hills. Brise is thought to take on the form of an owl. Speckled hens are slaughtered in his honor.

Congo Savanne: A violent and cannabalistic petro loa.

Dambala (Da, Damballah-wedo): serpent spirit, Damballah is the eldest God and chief of the Loas

Erinle: spirit of the forests

Ezili (or Erzulie): female spirit of love

Ghede - He is the most benevolent of the Loa of the Dead, powerful in healing. He is a protector of children as well as being a great jester. He is the loa of death and resurrection.

Gran Boa - He is the protector of wildlife. He is the loa that must be called upon before one is ordained into the voudou priesthood.

Grande Brigitte - the female Guardian of Graves. Her sacred trees are the elm and the weeping willow

Heviosso: Thunder God

Kalfu - A Petro Loa of the "crossroads," the Gate between the Worlds. Kalfu controls the evil forces of the spirit world.

Krabinay: Krabinay loa are petro loa. Possessions induced by them are so violent that spectators are advised to keep their distance.

Legba (Papa Le Bas) - the Lwa of doorways and crossroads. The messenger of the gods

Linglessu: One of the loa free masons.

Linto: The child spirit

Loco: (Loko) The spirit of vegetation and guardian of sanctuaries. Loco is also a messenger loa and communication loa.

Marassa - The divine twins. The Marassa are a separate class of being that is quite apart from the loa. They are said to be the first children of God.

Marinette-Bwa-Chech: (Marinette of the dry arms) - The principal female Loa of the Petro rite, sometimes said to be the wife of Ti-Jean Petro. Considered to be very evil.

Mawu Lisa: spirit of creation

Obatala: He is a sky loa. He is responsible for childbirth as well as for birth defects.

Ogou Balanjo: spirit of healing

Ogun (or Ogu Bodagris): He started out as the God of Blacksmithing but in time he transformed into the Spirit of War. His favorite tree is the mango tree.

Osun: spirit of healing streams

Sango (or Shango): spirit of storms

Simbi: (Simba, Simbe, Simbi Andezo) He is the guardian Loa of the fountains and marshes.He is the Petro Loa of the coast.

Siren and Whale: These two loa are marine divinities, so closely linked that they are always worshipped together.

Sobo (Sobo Kessou): Loa of strength and reknown warrior spirit.

Sogbo - Loa of Lightning and protector of Flags.

Ti-Jean-Petro: This is a black magic or "petro" loa that is depicted as a dwarf with one foot.

Yemanja: female spirit of waters

Zaka (or Oko): spirit of agriculture ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Vodou Pantheon Encyclopedia From Adjasou to Zombie Adjasou (DL) Characterized by protruding eyes and a bad humor, lives under the mombin tree near a spring and is very fond of vermouth, rum, and cognac. Agassu (DL) Dahomean in origin and belonging to the Fon and Yaruba tribes. When a person is possessed by Agassu, his hands become crooked and stiffened, therefore resembling claws. In Dahomey, he is the result of a union between a panther and a woman. He is associated with water deities and sometimes takes the form of a crab. He is one of the mythical creatures who once gave assistance to the Ancestor. He is considered one of the loa masons. Agau (DL) Agau is a very violent god. Earth tremors and the frightening sounds are associated with storms are because of Agau. The trances induced by his mounting are so violent there have been deaths associated with his brutality. When one is mounted one attempts to imitate the sounds of thunder and tremors, if they are strong enough to utter sounds under the possession. The possessed person keeps repeating, "It is I who am the gunner of god; when I roar the earth trembles." It is said that when the earth tremors, Agau is angry. Those who are strong enough to keep him in their

bodies are puffing with all their strength and sputtering like seals. One has to be very strong to harbor this spirit. Ago (V.ENC) A ritual exclamation used in the sense of Amen.

Agoué (Aga-ou, Agoueh, Agwé) (V.ENC) The loa who represents the sea, is the patron of fishermen and sailors, and is the husband of Erzulie in the aspect of La Sirène. His symbol is the drawing of a boat. In sacrificial rituals to Agoué, champagne and other offerings are loaded on small, specially constructed rafts and set adrift at sea; if the boat sinks, the sacrifice has been accepted. (DL) He is invoked under the names "Shell of the Sea," "Eel," and "Tadpole of the Pond." Sovereign of the sea. One of the many lovers of Erzulie. Under his jurisdiction come not only all the flora and fauna of the sea, but all ships which sail on the sea. His symbols are tiny boats, brightly painted oars and shells, and sometimes small metal fishes. He likes military uniforms and gunfire. He is the protector of seafaring men. The service for Agwe is quite different from the others since it is on the sea itself. A conch shell is used to call him during a voodoo ritual. He must be greeted with wet sponges and towels when leaving the water because of the heat. A barque is prepared with all sort of Agwe's favorite foods, including champagne. This barque is then floated over where it is believed the sacred underwater world exists. If the barque sinks, then Agwe has accepted the sacrifice and will protect the water interests of those who have prepared the sacrifice. Were the barque to float back to shore, then the service has been refused and a different

manner of placating Agwe would have to be devised. The animals that are sacrificed to him are two white sheep. Depicted as a mulatto with fair skin and green eyes. Services take place near seas, rivers, or lakes. Must be careful that those possessed do not jump into the water. Any reference to signaling can only come as a pleasure to this god. Agwe's counterpart is La Sirine, the sirin of the seas. In connection with Christianity, Agwe has borrowed traits from St. Ulrich, who is often pictured with a fish in his hand. Aida-Wedo (Ayida Wèdo, Ayidohwédo) (V.ENC) The loa who represents with her husband Damballah-Wedo, fertility and new life, and who has special influence in the realms of conception and childbirth. Her symbol is the rainbow, and in the hounfort, the rainbow colors painted on the poteau-mitan represent her. Her color is white, and she is offered white chickens and eggs.

(DL) The female counterpart of Dumballah, his mate, is Ayida. She is the mother figure. She is the rainbow. Together they are the unitary forces of human sexuality. Her symbol is also a serpent. She is quite submissive and very delicate. Her co-wife is Erzullie. It is said that whoever "can grasp the diadem of Ayida will be assured weath". Also known as Ayida Wedo: her job is that of holding up the earth.

Aizan (Ayizan, Ayezan) (V.ENC) The loa who represents the marketplace and herbal healing. As an aspect of Legba, she is the protector of the hounfort

and guardian of religious ceremonies, who never possesses anyone during ritual; she is also the wife of Loco. Her symbol is the palm leaf, and her colors are white and silver.

(DL) This is Legba's wife. She protects the markets, public places, doors and barriers, and has a deep knowledge of the intricacies of the spirit world. Selects and instructs certain novice houngans. When feeding her or her husband, a black or white goat or russet colored ox is offered up. Her favorite tree is the palm tree. Ayezan is symbolized by mounds of earth sprinkled with oil and surrounded by fringes of palm. Ayezan is Dahomean in origin and represented by an old woman in personification. She is one of the oldest gods and is therefore entitled to first offerings at services. She often mounts people only after her husband appears at the scene. Her mounts are never severe; therefore, she can sometimes take quite a while to spot. She is the mate of Loco (Loko). As a Mambo, Ayezan is reputed to have many children (devotees); she cares for her children greatly; she has a good, loving heart. She punishes those who have made mistakes not because she is a sadistic woman but to correct their behavior in the future. She will punish those adults taking advantage of the young, the rich of the poor, the strong of the weak and the husband of the wife. She is believed to have the ability to purify her surroundings and to exorcise malevolent spirits from her devotees. Ancestors (V.ENC) The ancestors are always with the practitioners of vodou; wherever they go, whatever they do, they act with awareness of their ancestors' presence around them. The spirits of deceased family members offer protection, healing, and advice, and they bring messages through intuition and dreams. If you travel through

the countryside of Haiti, you will quickly see how important the peasants consider their ancestors to be. A family graveyard adjoins each house, and the tombs are as elaborate as the family can afford. Some resemble houses built above the ground, and the most elaborate contain small, completely furnished sitting rooms inside. Often, lit candles are placed before the tombs and prayers are said to the spirits of the family's ancestors. Visitors must pour a small libation of water before the tombs so that the ancestors will welcome the newcomer into the house. Angajan (V.ENC) See engagement Animal sacrifice (V.ENC) Unlike the gods of other religions, the vodou loa need to eat. And just as we do, they lose power when they aren't fed. If a community feeds the gods to keep them strong, then the gods will use that strength to support the community in times of hardship and trouble. Because of this, most rituals include a food offering of some kind, which can include animal sacrifices. To people who get their chicken for dinner from a supermarket already cleaned, packaged, and ready for the oven, an animal sacrifice may seem like a barbaric practice. But to a Haitian peasant, who frequently doesn't own a refrigerator and usually must kill his food shortly before eating it to keep it fresh, killing a chicken to feed a loa is no different than killing one to feed his family. In fact, the sacrifice has even more meaning because the peasant has given up something of real value - an animal that he was probably planning to eat (although the entire community actually eats the animal during the ritual). In sacrifice, the animal's life force becomes part of the loa. The animal's blood is collected in a calabash gourd and tasted so that the devotees can share in the loa's divine energy. The cooked meat; as well, is shared by both the devotees and the loa; nothing is wasted in vodou. Doves and chickens are the most common

sacrifices, although for important ceremonies, the community may offer a more expensive animal like a pig, goat or bull. Assen (SV) The assen is an iron object, a rod surmounted by a round plate fastened horizontally, which from a hermetic standpoint relates to the loas of fire and the forge who, beginning with the siderial action of the heavenly bodies, are at the base of Voodoo doctrine and revelation. By its magical principle which is the finest and the most highly developed, the assen serves, as a ritual object, to make an unfailing success of any intercession in the form of a prayer or a sacrificial offering. For this reason govis and candles are placed upon the assen, the ritual form of which may be anything from that of a stake or a simple cross to the most complex shapes, more complex in fact, than the cabalistic form of the parasol. Placed on the assen, the govis and candles have a remarkable power of intercession. Consequently, every sacrificial offering presented in a proper fashion upon the small iron plate atop the assen has a greater chance of being accepted by the mystères for whom it is intended. Asson (açon, ason) (V.ENC) In vodou, the symbol of the priestly office is the asson, a ritual rattle made from a hollow calabash gourd filled with stones, snake vertebrae (which represent Damballah-Wedo), and small bones and decorated with beads on the handle. The asson serves as the voice of invocation and controls the direction of the rituals. When a houngan is ritually raised to priestly authority, he is said to have been "given the asson." Azaca (Azaka, Azzaca, Zaka, Azacca)

(V.ENC) In loa who represents agriculture and who protects crops. He is depicted as a coarse peasant carrying a straw bag called a macoute. His color is blue, he is given corn cakes and cornmeal as offerings and he often takes his food into a corner to eat in secret. (DL) This is the loa of agriculture, but is generally seen as the brother of Ghede. For this reason Ghede will often come to the ceremonies for Zaka and come when Zaka has mounted someone. Zaka is a gentle simple peasant, but greatly respected by the peasants since he is a very hard worker. He is addressed as "cousin." He is found wherever there is country. He is usually barefoot, carries a macoute sack, wears a straw hat, and has a pipe in his mouth. By nature he is suspicious, out for profit, fond of quibbling, and has a fear and hatred of town folk. His vocal stylization consists of the almost unintelligible sounds of a goat. He is known for his gossip he spreads and for his "girl chasing." He is young and like to play when not working. There are interesting similarities between the sophisticated Ghede and the more bumbling Azacca, as though a younger less sophisticated brother were imitating a more secure older brother. Like Ghede, Zaka loves his food. But, unlike Ghede, he is rude and voracious in his eating habits, often running away to hide with his food and eat it quickly. His favorite dishes to eat are the ones peasants feed on-boiled maize, bread soaked in oil and slices of small intestine with fatty membrane fried, unrefined sugar. His favorite drink is white rum and his tree is the avocado. Zaka controls the fields, and like the farmers themselves, he is very watchful of detail. He notes who is treating whom in what manner, who is flirting with whom, who says what to whom, etc. When he mounts someone he often spills out all the local gossip to the embarrassment and amusement of all. He does not forgive easily. It is rumored that Zaka often appears in concrete forms. In this concrete form, he assumes a limp and dresses in a ragged peasant outfit. Then he begs for rum or cassava melons. Those that refuse to give him anything are punished. Zaka

is a polygamist and considers all his children as investments. He stands for the incest taboo though, and will not break it no matter how rich he could become. Bade (DL) The loa of wind. He is the inseparable companion of Sogbo, god of lightning. He also shares his functions with Agau, another storm spirit. Bagi (V.ENC) Several separate chambers called bagi are found inside the larger hounforts, each room consecrated to a single loa. Smaller hounforts contain only one or two rooms that hold several altars, one for each of the major members of the vodou pantheon. Bakulu (Bakulu-baka) (DL) He drags chains behind him and is such a terrible spirit that no one dares to invoke him. His habitat is in the woods where offerings are taken to him. He himself possesses no one. Since no one wants to call on him, people simply take any offerings that go to him and leave them in the woods. Balance (V.ENC) In vodou, everything is balanced: there cannot be light without dark, good without evil, or white magic without black. That is why the dark loa, the Petro, are revered as the Rada - without the one, the other could not exist. That is also why so many load have both a good and a dark aspect; each one is necessary for the balance of all the cosmic forces. Baptême (batêm)

(V.ENC) A ritual ceremony in which objects used in the hounfort are baptized, or consecrated to the loa. Baron Cimetière (Baron Cimeterre, Baron Cimetié) (V.ENC) One of the family of Guédé, the loa who represents the cemetary. Baron-La-Croix (Baron Crois) (V.ENC) One of the family of Guédé, the loa who represents the cross. Baron Samedi (Baron Sanmdi) (V.ENC) The most powerful member of the Guédé family, and the loa who represents death. Baron Samedi controls passage between the world of the living and the world of the dead, and he provides information about the dead. His symbols are the cross, coffin, and phallus, and his color is black. When he possesses devotees, he tells lewd jokes, makes obscene gestures, wears dark glasses and a top hat, smokes cigarettes, eats voraciously, and drinks rum in which 21 hot peppers have been steeped. (DL) Baron Samedi represents the death side of Ghede (Guede). He talks through his nose, is cynical, jovial, and tells broad jokes. His language is full of the unexpected. His tools are the pick, the hoe, and the spade. He is the power behind the magic that kills. He controls the souls of those who have met death as a result of magic. When he appears (mounting someone at an invoking ceremony), he wears a pair of dark glasses, from which he knocks out the right lens: for with his right eye he watches those present, lest anyone steal his food. Barque d'Agoué (barque d'Agwé, bato Agoue)

(V.ENC) A specially constructed raft that is filled with offerings to Agoué and set adrift upon the sea. Barriè (bayé) (V.ENC) An entranceway or gate, particularly between the material world and the world of the loa. Baton (baton-Legba) (V.ENC) A long stick or crutch used by Legba. Battérie (batri) (V.ENC) The vodou orchestra, which usually consists of three drums and an ogan.

Battérie maconnique (batri maconik) (V.ENC) A rhythmic beat produced by clapping the hands and beating the drum that symbolizes rapping on the door to the world of the loa. Bizango (V.ENC) A secret society of black magicians that supposedly practices zombification. Black magic (V.ENC) All houngans and mambos are also black magicians. That is, they understand and know how to perform black magic, even if they do not literally practice it. A houngan must know evil in order

to combat it. In this way, the houngan balances the forces of the universe, a very important function in vodou belief. However, honest priests will have nothing to do with any practices designed to bring harm to others or to defraud people. Real vodou is always used for good ends, to promote the good health and good fortune of members of the community, to cure sickness and solve problems, and to commune with the spiritual world. Bokor (bocor, bòkò) (V.ENC) Houngans who actually practice black magic are called "those who serve the loa with both hands," or bokors. Unlike the open religious rituals practiced by a reputable vodou priest, the bokor works in secret, primarily to protect his recipes for various potions and poisons, but also to avoid the censure of the true devotees to vodou. The bokor has no hounfort and does not lead any société; rather, he sells his services to whoever is willing to pay. Bosou Koblamin (DL) Violent petro loa. Bosou is a violent loa capable of defeating his enemies. He is very popular during times of war. He protects his followers when they travel at night. Bosou's appearance is that of a man with three horns; each horn has a meaning-strength, wildness, and violence. Sometimes Bosou comes to the help of his followers but he is not a very reliable loa. When a serivce is held, Bosou appears by breaking chains that he is restrained. Immediately upon appearing he is given a pig, his favorite food. The ceremony in honor of Bosou always pleases a congregation because it allows them to eat. Usually a good number of people attend such a service. Boucan (boukan)

(V.ENC) The bonfire that is lit during a vodou ritual. Boula (bula) (V.ENC) The smallest of the three drums used in Rada ceremonies. Boule zen (boulez-zain) (V.ENC) After death, the houngan can burn the govi containing the dead person's soul, or ti-bon-ange, in a ritual called boule zen. This burning of the jars releases the spirit to the land of the dead. Brigitte (V.ENC) The loa who represents money and who has special influence over black magic and ill-gotten fortune. She is also the wife of Baron Samedi and is analogous to the Catholic St. Brigid. Brigitte lives in a tree in the cemetary and dresses in purple. Black chickens are sacrificed to her. Brise (DL) Brise is a loa of the hills. He is boss of the woods. Brise is very fierce in appearance. He is very black and has very large proportions. Brise is actually a gentle soul and likes children. Brise lives in the chardette tree and sometimes assumes the form of an owl. Bris is a protectorate. He is strong and demanding and accepts speckled hens as sacrifices. Brulé-zin (V.ENC) After the ordeal of the canzo initiation, the initiate has been resurrected into the religion of vodou and is ready to undergo the final test, the brulé-zin. Draped in a white sheet so that no part of the head or body is visible, the initiate takes a handful of boiling cornmeal that the houngan himself has seized directly from the pot. The initiate returns the hot cornmeal to the pot while his feet pass

directly over the flame beneath, but he isn't burned. The entire canzo initiation ritual has adequately prepared him for this final "trial by fire." Canzo (V.ENC) The first level of initiation is the grueling ritual called canzo, which serves as a rite of passage and symbolizes death and rebirth into the religion. Not every practitioner of vodou has to go through this ritual; usually only those devotees who are training to be become priests or who would like to take a larger part in the rituals do so. The canzo initiation requires a significant financial sacrifice, strict discipline, and the acceptance of moral obligation, so no one undertakes this ritual lightly. The ritual can take as long as a week to complete. First, the initiates take a purifying bath, start fasting, and drink a concoction made from the fruit corrosal, which is supposed to have a sedative effect. The initiates wear dried palm fronds as protection against evil spirits. They then lie down around the center-post, with their heads in the middle and their legs sticking out like the spokes of the wheel, while the houngan lectures them on what they are about to experience and their obligations once they are fully initiated in vodou. Afterward, they are locked in the djévo, where they receive the lave tête ceremony. Then, they undergo the final trial by fire. The following morning, the initiates reenter the real world dressed in white and wearing masks of palm leaves. They visit the sacred trees located around the hounfort and salute the spirits who reside inside them. They are then free to return to the peristyle, where a dance and celebration in their honor is held. Carrefour (V.ENC) Carrefour is the Petro equivalent of Legba. He represents the dark of night, and stands in balance to Legba, who represents the day. He controls the evil forces of the spirit world and allows

bad luck, misfortune, and injustice to enter the world. His symbol is the crossroads, and his color is black. Catholicism, influence on vodou (V.ENC) In Haiti, the African beliefs mingled with the Catholicism of the French colonization to form a syncretic religion, one that combined significant elements of each religion to create a harmonious whole. The white plantation owners forbade their slaves to practice their native religions on pain of torture and death, and they baptized all slaves as Catholics. Catholicism became superimposed on African rites and beliefs, which the slaves still practiced in secret or masked as harmless dances and parties. Practitioners of this new religion, vodou, considered the addition of the Catholic Saints to be an enhancement of their faith, and incorporated Catholic hymns, prayers, statues, candles and holy relics into their rituals. Tribal deities adopted the aspects of Catholic saints. The cross, already a powerful symbol in the tribal religions as the crossroads, where the spiritual and the material worlds meet each other, was adopted as the symbol of the powerful god Legba. However, it's important to note that the vodou gods did not literally become the Catholic Saints; rather they adopted the symbolic trappings of Catholicism and the Saints who they seemed to resemble most while retaining their original characteristics and personalities. Charms (V.ENC) Because vodou is such an archetypal religion, symbols carry great power. They are not magical; they are just evocative of the gods that they represent and the power that the god holds. Vodou practitioners may wear charms or amulets, fashioned by a houngan and generally used for protection from harm, that invoke the power of one of the loa and impose that power on the wearer. For instance, a protective charm may be inscribed with the cross that symbolizes Legba. Again the charm itself is not magical; it

simply represents the spirit who is conferring his power on the wearer through the symbol. Cheval (chwal, ch'wl) (V.ENC) Literally a "horse," this term refers to a person who has bee possessed, or "mounted," by a loa. Clairin (V.ENC) A raw white rum native to Haiti, a favorite drink of the Guédé. Confiance, mam'bo caille (SV) The apprentice houngan or mam'bo. Congo (DL) A handsome but apathetic loa. Content with any clothing and eats mixed foods with much pimiento, and is fond of mixed drinks. Congo Savanne (DL) A fierce petro loa. He is malevolent, fierce and strong. Savanne eats people. He grinds them up as we would grind up corn. His color is white. He is a loa not to be messed with. Connaissance (V.ENC) The complete body of knowledge of the loa, vodou rites, and herbal cures held by a houngan or mambo; some of this knowledge is passed down from one generation to the next, and some is intuitive or supernaturally revealed by the loa.

Corps cadavre (V.ENC) The corps cadavre is the physical body, flesh, and blood of the human body that decay after death, as opposed to the everlasting components of the soul. Coucher (V.ENC) Literally "to put to bed," this term refers to the point in the initiation ritual when initiates are enclosed in the djévo. Creole (V.ENC) This term refers to anything that is native to Haiti, including the language, people, plant life, and loa, as distinguished from objects that have African origin. Dahomey (Dahomé, Daromain) (V.ENC) The foundations of vodou are the tribal religions of West Africa, brought to Haiti in the seventeenth century by slaves captured primarily from the kingdom of Dahomey, which occupied parts of today's Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. The word is also incorporated into the names of loa who originated from there, such as Erzulie Fréda Dahomey, and designates dances that originated from that region. Damballah-Wedo (Dambala, Damballa, Danballah, Danbhalah Wèdo, Dumballah) (V.ENC) The symbolic father of the loa, Damballah-Wedo represents the ancestral knowledge that forms the foundation of vodou. With

his wife, Aida-Wedo, he also represents fertility and new life. His symbol is the snake and the asson, his color is white, and he is associated with the Christian figures Moses and Saint Patrick. White chickens and eggs are sacrificed to him. Those who are possessed by Damballah-Wedo slither instead of walk, hiss instead of talk, and climb trees. (SV) Da, in magic, represents the oldest of ancestors, a fact that gives him the right to have the "cosmic egg" as his ritual nutriment. Because of his very great age-the age of humanity-tradition holds that Danbhalah Houé-Do never speaks. He expresses himself, rather, by the hissing of a snake-the sound produced by those whom he possesses during ceremonies. Danbhalah corresponds to the asson and the bell with which the houn'gan, the highest member of the hierarchy, officiates. Since the "reptilian line of the wood" descends from the astral to possess its "white horses" with the personality of Danbhalah, this mystère appears always to "swim" in grace and to delight totally in metaphysical and hyperphysical pleasure while seeming at the same time to be lost in active and contemplative joy. This phenomenon is due to the three types of beatitudes recognized in theology: the active, the contemplative, and the joyful.

(DL) Known as the serpent god, he is one of the most popular. Dumballah is the father figure. He is benevolent, innocent, a loving father. He doesn't communicate well, as though his wisdom were too aloof for us. Dumballah is the snake. He plunges into a basin of water which is built for him, or climbs up into a tree. Being both snake and aquatic deity, he haunts rivers, springs, and marshes. Again, as the snake he is rather uncommunicative, but a loving quiet presence. Dumballah does not communicate exact messages,

but seems to radiate a comforting presence which sort of sends a general spirit of optimism into all people present. Because of this, he is often sought after during ceremonies. When Dumballah mounts someone the special offering to him is the egg, which he crushes with his teeth. Dumballah is the serpent god, also lightning. He and his wife Aida-Wedo, are often shown as two snakes who look as if they were diving into the sink and by a rainbow. He is the bringer of rain; this is a necessity for good crops. People possessed by him dart their tongues in and out, slither along the ground, and climb trees, or roof beams, falling like a boa. He is known to whistle because he has no speech. His special day is Thursday, and his favorite tree is the bougainvillea. White is his color. He is in charge of white metal (silver) and must be fed white food and drink. He grants riches and allows treasures to be discovered. Dumballah sustains the world and prevents it from disintegrating. Dumballah and his wife Ayida represent human sexuality. He is sometimes referred to as Da. Dumballah is often spoken of as a serpent. In the voodoo culture, the serpent is a symbol of fertility. He is one of the oldest of the ancestors and is so sacred that he doesn't speak, but expresses himself through hissing sounds, just like that of a serpent. In the voodoo religion Dumballah is closely associated with the Catholic's St. Patrick. He is Dahomean in origin. His favorite foods are eggs, cornmeal, melons, rice, bananas, and grapes. The usual offerings to him is a hen and a cock. It is believed that if respects are paid to him by a married couple, he will keep them happy. Death, conception of (V.ENC) In vodou belief, death is not thought of as a cessation of life. Rather, in death, activities are simply changed from one condition to another. The body, the shell for the life force, simply decays while the n'âme that animated the body returns to the ground as earth energy. The soul, the gros-bon-ange returns to the high solar regions from where its cosmic energy was drawn; there,

it joins the other loa and as itself transformed into a loa. The ti-bonange is transformed into an esprit and revered as family ancestor. Débâtement (V.ENC) The period of physical movement, often very intense and violent, that reflects the struggle between the soul and a loa over possession of the body of a devotee; this conflict subsides once the loa has taken full possession of the body. Dessounin (desounen, désounin) (V.ENC) The process of separating the gros-bon-ange from the body after death is called dessounin, and it occurs before or soon after the Catholic burial of the body. During this ceremony, the guardian loa of that person is also separated from the soul. The houngan often becomes possessed by the loa, who makes pronouncements about the future of the société. Powered by the loa, the priest is reborn, as the divine essence of life that belonged to the dead person becomes part of the houngan, passing through on the way to the cosmic plane where the loa live. Only a fully initiated and experienced houngan should take the spirit from the dead in this way, as it is risky and dangerous procedure. The malevolent spirits of the dead may do harm to an ill-prepared priest. Dinclinsin (SV) Dinclinsin is another European mystère. Legend has it that both Dinclinsin and Mademoiselle Charlotte came to Haiti with the colonists. Once the cult had become established on Haitian soil, he began to appear in the Voodoo ceremonies of the African slaves in the same way as the other mystères, by "possessing" a ritual "horse." Dinclinsin became a loa of the Rada rite. He is greatly feared because of his extreme severity. He apparently also "walks," like Charlotte, in the Pêthro rite as well, since he is not averse to

rum, tafia, or clairin. However, he does not drink, but rather pours the liquor into his pockets. His special trick is to pour the liquor into his pockets without getting his clothes wet. (DL) Dinclusin & Charlotte. These two loa are among the French "mysteries". People mounted by these gods talk perfect French and seem to be unable to speak Creole normally or properly. Charlotte often demands upon the most defined forms of ritualistic protocol. Dinclusin can be recognized by his habit of pocketing everything given to him. Djévo (V.ENC) During the canzo ritual, the initiates are ushered into a chamber inside the hounfort called the djévo, where they may be locked in for as long as a week. This room represents a tomb where the initiate dies and is reborn into vodou. What goes on inside the djévo is supposed to be kept secret, but that is where the lave tête ritual takes place. Dossa or dossu (dossou) (V.ENC) The first female or male child (respectively) born after twins, who is believed to have supernatural powers. Drapeaux (V.ENC) Ceremonial flags that are brightly colored and sewn with sequins in the design of vévés; La Place and his assistants carry them during rituals. Drumming (V.ENC) Drumming is crucial to any vodou ritual, because it sets the rhythm for the dance, and abrupt changes in tempo can bring on possession by the loa. Three drums are used in Rada rituals, and they are treated as sacred objects. The largest drum is called the

maman, the next largest the seconde, and the smallest the boula. Sometimes, an instrument called an ogan, which looks like a large flattened bell, is struck to announce the basic rhythm that the three drums will play. In Petro ceremonies, only two drums are used, both smaller than the "mother" drum of the Rada ritual. The drumming in Petro rituals is more off-beat and faster than in Rada ceremonies, in keeping with the tension, rage, and violence of slavery days that gave birth to the Petro cult. Engagement (V.ENC) Certain Petro loa are partners in black magic and will perform harmful services in exchange for a huge price. This pact between the loa and a bokor is called an engagement. Erzulie (Ezili) (V.ENC) Representing love, beauty, purity, the ideal female, and the moon, Erzulie is the most beloved of the loa and wife of Ogoun, Legba, and Agoué. She can influence romance and marriage, good fortune, and artistic creation. Her symbol is the heart, her colors are pink and blue, and she is also represented by a model boat hanging from the ceiling of the peristyle. Her Catholic equivalent is the Virgin Mary. As offerings, she is given desserts, sweet drinks, champagne, perfumes, flowers, candles and white doves. Devotees possessed by Erzulie wear feminine clothes, dance, and flirt conquettishly, but this behavior is always followed by weeping for lost loves and unfulfilled dreams before Erzulie leaves the material plane. (SV) The female energy of Legba is Erzulie, the Virgin of Voodoo initiates, commonly called Maîtresse Erzulie. She personifies another species of serpent, short and coiled upon itself, which feeds upon bananas and which lives chiefly in the water. Erzulie is the most attractive mystère of Voodoo. She is precisely the Voodoo heart, which she shares with Legba, and which is also his attribute.

She is the mystère of eloquence-the mystère of the word, which she shares as an attribute along with Legba. She is the mystère of jealousy, vengeance, and discord, and on the other hand, the mystère of love, perpetual help, good will, health, beauty, and fortune.

(DL) She has tremendous power and is feared as much as she is loved. Also, she has several different roles: goddess of the word, love, help, goodwill, health, beauty and fortune, as well as goddess of jealousy, vengeance, and discord. She is usually known as a serpent coiled upon itself lives on water and bananas. Voodoo has a most special place for Erzulie, the loa of beauty, the loa who is so uniquely human since she is the differentiating force between human and all other creation. She is the ability to conceptualize, the ability to dream, the artistic ability to create. She is the loa of ideality. She is the female prototype of voodoo who represents the moon. She is the most beautiful and sensuous lady in the voodoo pantheon. She is respected and wealthy; wears her hair long; is very jealous and requires her lovers to dedicate a room for her ritual lovemaking. Erzulie is not a loa of elemental forces, but THE loa of ideal dreams, hopes and aspirations. As such she is the most loved loa of all. She is pale in appearance; almost white, even though she is Dahomean in origin. She is known as the earth mother, the goddess of love. She is depicted as a trembling woman who inhabits the water. She has no specific function, but is approachable in a confidential manner. In every sanctuary there is a room, or corner of a room, dedicated to her. Erzulie is fabulously rich, and, when she mounts someone the first act is always to accomplish her elaborate toilette. The very best of things which the houngan or mambo have are reserved for Erzulie. She will bathe, using soap still in a fresh wrapper if possible. She will dress in silks

with fresh flowers and other signs of her femininity and specialness. Her sacred days Tuesday and Thursday. She wears red and blue dresses and jewels. As soon as someone is possessed by her, they are washed and dressed in finery. She is a high class mulatto who walks with a sacy sway to her hips. She is a "woman of the world" and is fond of sugary drinks. She is compared to Aphrodite. She is pleasure-loving, extravagant and likes to give and get presents. She fond of men but mistrust women as rivals. She is a woman of etiquette, and when she pretends to speak French, she purposely talks in a high pitched voice. She is a master of coquetry. She may simply visit with her servants, or she may eat or drink with great delicacy. She loves to dance and is the most graceful of all the loa. She is quite special to men and will dance with them, kiss and caress them, even in an often embarrassing manner. Yet she is closely associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary and her symbol is the heart, usually one broken with an arrow in much the same way as a dominant Catholic portrait of Mary has it. Erzulie wears three wedding bands since she has been (or is) wedded to Dumballah, Ogoun and Agwe. She has often flirted with Zaka, but she has completely dismissed his more coarse brother Ghede as unworthy (since he is black and she is mulatto). However, Erzulie is always in charge and may take any servitor present as her lover for the day if she chooses. However, the visit of Erzulie is never fully satisfying. In the end she always begins to weep. The world is just too much for her. At first people try to comfort her with more delicate food or drink or other gifts, but her tears continue to flow. It is this tearful and sad side of her that allows the women to accept her in her haughty ways. She is, in the end, one who suffers the burden of the world's sorrows. Despite her flirtations and loving ways, Erzulie is a virgin. She is the complete converse of the crude sexuality of Papa Ghede. She may not be a virgin in the physical sense, but in the sense that her love transcends the earth, it is a love of higher forces. She belongs to the family of sea spirits, but has become

completely divorced form her origins as to be now almost exclusively a personification of feminine grace and beauty. Erzulie Dantor (V.ENC) The Petro aspect of Erzulie represents jealousy, vengeance, and discord, and she is often cruel toward women's desires. Her symbol is a heart pierced by a dagger, her colors are red and black, and her sacrifice is a black pig. Possession by the Petro Erzulies is marked by uncontrollable tantrums.

Colours: Blue, Red, multicoloured Symbols: Dagger, kerchiefs of navy blue and golden yellow, silver chain necklaces, bowl of blood with knives, black dolls, blue paket kongo Offerings: bottle of Barbancourt rum and another of Creme de Cacao, grilled pork with lots of pepper, strong cigarettes, yellow yam, cakes with blue and gold icing. Erzuile Fréda Dahomey (V.ENC) An aspect of Erzulie as a white woman who lives in luxurious surroundings. Erzulie Jan Petro (DL) Violent spirit loa belonging to the Petro tradition. Jan Petro is called upon to take responsibility for the temple where spells are on display; although she is a neutral entity, when not called upon it is the duty of the devotees to make them behave peacefully or violently, depending on their motivation for dealing with the spirits. Jan Petro as protector of temples is very powerful; when people

come to the temple they soon find out. Jan Petro likes fresh air and water; she is a sea spirit. She likes perfume and lotion-any temple dedicated to her usually smells like lotion, for it is thrown on things she possesses. Esprit (espri) (V.ENC) The ritually raised spirit or soul of a dead person. Farine (farin) (V.ENC) The flour or cornmeal used to trace the vévés of the Rada loa. Farine guinée (farin ginen) (V.ENC) The powdered charcoal ash used to trace the vévés of the Petro loa. Garde (V.ENC) A protective charm used to ward off black magic.

Ginen (Guinée) (V.ENC) This term refers to Africa, the land where the loa originated. Given the asson (V.ENC) Refers to when a houngan or mambo is raised to priestly authority. Govi

(V.ENC) A sacred clay vessel in which the loa or spirits of dead ancestors are housed. Grand Bois (Ganga-Bois, Grans Bwa, Gran Boa) (V.ENC) The loa who represents the forest.

(DL) Lives in the deep forest where the vegetation is wild. He is the protector of wildlife, and doesn't like to be seen. He eats fruits and vegetables all day in the woods and when called in a ceremony, he is usually not hungry but the people always have food for him anyway. He is the loa that must be called upon before one is ordained into voodoo priesthood.

Grand Maître (Gran Mèt) (V.ENC) Vodou belief recognizes an original supreme being, called the Grand Maître or le Bon Dieu, who made the world and who is analogous to the Christian God. However, the Grand Maître is too remote for personal worship. Gros-bon-ange (gwo-bon-anj) (V.ENC) Gros-bon-ange literally means, "great good angel." At conception, part of the cosmic life force passes into the human being to become the gros-bon-ange. All living things share this force, connecting all of us in a great web of energy. The gros-bonange keeps the body alive and sentient, and after death, passes

back into the reservoir of energy in the cosmos. Without the grosbon-ange, a person loses his or her life force; it's possible, according to vodou belief, to separate a person's gros-bon-ange from the body and store it in a bottle or jar, where the energy can be directed to other purposes. The gros-bon-ange also separates from a person when he is possessed, although it isn't clear where this important part of the soul goes during those times. The most important effect of the death ritual is to send the gros-bon-ange to the cosmic community of ancestral spirits, where family members can revere it as a loa, and where it can offer advice and help to surviving family members. If this isn't accomplished, the gros-bonange can become trapped on earth, bringing misfortune and disease to those family members who ignored its needs.

Guédé (Gede, Ghede, Paga Ghede) (V.ENC) Guédé is actually a group of loa that is made up of the many spirits of the dead and is separate from the Rada and Petro groups. These loa represent death, sexuality, and buffoonery. They are also healers of the sick and protectors of children. Their colors are black and purple, and they frequently possess devotees, when they wear elaborate costumes with large hats, dark glasses, and walking sticks, or when they cross-dress. (DL) Ghede is the eternal figure in black, controlling the eternal crossroads at which everyone must someday cross over. His symbol is the cross upon the tomb. Known as the spirit of death, other spirits fear him and try to avoid him. Of especial interest is the testimony of Ghede; for when this god mounts his carriers, they are bereft of any sense of self, behave and speak compulsively, and recover knowing nothing of what they did or said. Loa of death,

sexuality, and keeper of the cemeteries. He is enamored of women, makes constant use of obscene words and songs, and performs obscene dances. When someone is mounted by Guede they put on a black undertaker's coat, a black top hat and stuff cotton in their ears and noses, this to symbolize a dead person. After they are dressed up they must then perform the banda dance, an erotic dance in which one imitates the movements of copulation. The Guedes live in cemeteries and visit Catholic churches at night. On November 2 the faithful visit cemeteries and light candles in honor of Baron Samedi. Papa Guede is a much loved loa because his appearance always brings laughter and joy, singing and dancing; he is usually the last to appear at a ceremony. He is the loa of death and resurrection; is known as a total clown; loves cigarettes; is often seen smoking two at a time. He is neither good nor evil, but he is amused by humans and that's why he jokes around so much. Ghede is sort of to the underworld what Legba is to life-he who controls access. Ghede controls access to everything in the afterlife. We are reminded by him that our understanding of death and life is limited and that both are beyond our comprehension. Ghede is also god of eroticism. Eroticism is beyond good and evil since it is inevitable. Ghede is neither delighted by eroticism, and certainly not shamed by it. If anything, Ghede is amused by the universal presence of eroticism and humans' constant need to pretend that it is other than what it is. It is believed that his obscenity in sexual matters is an affirmation of life in the midst of death. Saturday is his day and his color is black. His favorite foods are salt herring, hot peppers, roasted corn, and roasted bananas, and he is known for stealing food and hiding it, and then demanding more. Black goats and chickens are the animal sacrifices made to him during the rituals. When Ghede mounts someone he often singles out people who pretend to be aloof form eroticism. He ridicules them, embarrasses them, exposes them (in more ways than one). He is especially hard on whites since they often have the puritanical sexual attitudes of western culture. Ghede has a ravenous appetite

for food and drink and doesn't mind manifesting them when he mounts someone. Another of Ghede's great powers is as the protector of children. Ghede generally does not like to see children die. They need a full life. Thus he is the loa to go to when seeking help for a sick child. Lastly, since Ghede is the lord of death, he is also the last resort for healing since he must decide whether to accept the sick person into the dead or allow them to recover. Healing (V.ENC) One of the houngan's chief occupations is as healer, a very important role in peasant villages that typically make do without the benefits of modern health care. But you shouldn't confuse the houngan with the stereotypical notion of a witch doctor. Rather, the houngan is more akin to a folk healer, drawing on a considerable knowledge of herbal remedies often have a strong psychosomatic value as well as a purely medicinal one, which seems to bring about miraculous cures. Nevertheless, members of the société with serious illnesses are referred to a medical doctor by the houngan. Hoholi (V.ENC) Sesame seeds that are placed in a coffin to prevent a bokor from disturbing the corpse. Hoodoo (V.ENC) In New Orleans in particular, a new form of AfricanAmerican vodou has spawned. This offshoot of vodou is sometimes called "hoodoo," a term that refers to the African-American tradition of folk magic. This form of vodou emphasizes magic rather religion, and the initiatory traditions of the original religion have largely disappeared. However, as more Haitians have emigrated to New Orleans, they have brought the religious aspects of vodou back together with the African-American folk magic traditions.

Hounfort (houmfor, hunfor, oum'phor, ounfò) (V.ENC) The temple where rituals are performed and where the members of the société gather together. Only one houngan or mambo presides over each hounfort. The hounfort must contain many basic elements for rituals to be held there properly. A square house, the hounfort proper, is located adjacent to the peristyle and contains the altars to the loa. (SV) The temple of voodoo. It closely resembles the design used by Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle as described in Exodus. It consists of a large area, covered or uncovered, called peristyle, in the middle of which is a center-post called a poteau-mitan. Adjoining the peristyle on one side is a square house that is the oum'phor proper. In the square house that is the oum'phor proper, there may be one or more chambers. One room, called the djévo, is where Voodoo candidates are examined and initiated. In a large oum'phor of several chambers, each may be reserved for the worship of a single Voodoo god, each having its own separate altar dedicated to that god. Houngan (hungan, ougan) (V.ENC) The houngan is the priest of vodou, its religious leader. The houngan acts as a community leader as well as a spiritual leader, and he serves many functions within the société. His maintains absolute authority over the community, because he is the only person who is fully trained to interact with gods and to interpret the complex body of belief that makes up vodou. Houngans are highly revered members of the community, someone who can be relied upon to offer sound advice, with all the force of the spirit world

behind it. Virtually nothing is done in the community without first consulting the houngan. The houngan has many means by which to contact the gods, including dreams, ritual invocation, and fortunetelling using cards, palm-reading, or figure drawings. Each société's spiritual leader also has the power to alter the vodou ceremonies of his community, tailoring them to the particular gods that are revered by that community, which explains why vodou practices can vary so dramatically even in villages that are right next-door to each other. As well as priest, the houngan acts as confessor, confidential adviser, financial adviser, and prophet for the people in his community. Generally, the houngan inherits his office from a parent. The current priest trains future priests from a young age, and the new houngan is not fully initiated until he reaches his early thirties, usually at the age thirty-one. Houngénikon (hounguenicon, ougenikon) (V.ENC) The houngan or mambo has one female assistant, who is next on the priestly hierarchy-the houngénikon. She leads the chorus that chants during the ritual. She also supervises the sacrificial food offerings made to the gods. Hounsi (hounci, housih, hunsi, ounzi) (V.ENC) Once initiated, a vodou devotee becomes a full-fledged hounsi, outranked only by the houngan and his immediate assistants. The hounsi can now takes a more active part in the rituals-as a member of the chorus of chanters, for instance. They are also more likely to be possessed by one of the gods during the rituals. As the initiate receives more training and instruction, he or she may eventually become La Place or the houngénikon, and so continue on the long journey toward eventually becoming a houngan or mambo. The term hounsi means "bride of the spirit" in

the Fon language of Dahomey (although a hounsi can be either male or female). Hounsi bossale (bosal, ouzi bosal) (V.ENC) An initiate who is not fully trained and so is given more mundane duties during the ritual; also means "wild" or "untamed." Hounsi canzo (ounzi kanzo) (V.ENC) The chorus of fully initiated female members of the société. Performing under the direction of the houngénikon, they sing to the gods in the astral plane and so call them down to earth. Hounsi cuisinière (V.ENC) The sacrificial cook during a ritual. Housi ventailleur (V.ENC) The initiate who obtains the sacrificial animals for a ritual. Hountor (huntor) (V.ENC) The spirit of the ritual drums. Hountorguier (V.ENC) One of the three male drummers. Human sacrifice (V.ENC) Many people mistakenly believe that vodou requires the practice of human sacrifice or cannibalism. Vodou first got this

reputation in the mid-1800s, when Sir Spenser St. John, an English consul who despised blacks, spread the rumor that the Haitian people as a whole practiced the sacrifice of children. As with all sensationalist rumors, this one was quickly picked up and repeated, particularly by yellow journalists. However, no one has ever found any convincing evidence that human sacrifice was ever practiced in vodou ritual. Sometimes, when a person's death is brought about through the means of black magic or by an evil spirit, that spirit is said to have "eaten" the person. You shouldn't take this to mean that the person was literally cannibalized; rather, it means that the evil spirit consumed the person's life force. Ibo Lele (DL) He is independent and hateful; proud of himself and ambitious. He likes to be exclusively served and doesn't like to associate with the other loa. He relies heavily on the people for his food, but the people are never certain what kind of food he is likely to eat. Initiation (V.ENC) In vodou, there are a series of initiation rituals, each one taking place as a devotee gains a higher level of knowledge of vodou traditions and standing in the community. Initiation rituals can only take place in Haiti. Installé (V.ENC) The ritual introduction of a loa to a new hounfort; this term also sometimes refers to possession, when the loa installs himself in a devotee. Invoking the loa

(V.ENC) At the climax of the ritual, the houngan calls the loa. To invoke the loa, the priest strikes the vévés with his asson, which obliges the loa to descend to earth. . Jean Petro (DL) Jean Petro is a deformation of Don Pedro, the name of the Spanish slave. Jean Petro is the spirit-leader of a group of strong and violent spirits called petro. The difference between the good loa (rada) and the evil loa (petro) is still far and wide. Voodoo services are rarely held for petro loa; however, they still do occur but most services are for family and rada loa. Some say that Jean Petro was brought about by Don Pedro who was a Negro slave of Spanish origin. He acquired much influence by being denounced as the instigator of some alarming plots to overthrow the government. Because of this he symbolizes resistance, force, uprisings, and a sort of black power ideology. Kalfu (Carrefour, Kalfou) (DL) Legba is twined with his Petro opposite. Kalfu too controls the crossroads. Actually, were it not for him the world would be a more rational, a better place. But, not unlike Pandora in Greek religion and myth, Kalfu controls the evil forces of the spirit world. He allows the crossing of bad luck, deliberate destruction, misfortune, injustice. Kalfu controls the in-between points of the crossroads, the off- center points. Legba controls the positive spirits of the day. Kalfu controls the malevolent spirits of the night. Yet Kalfu can control these evil spirits too. He is strong and tall, muscular. People do not speak in his presence. When he mounts a person everyone at the service stops speaking because he allows evil loa to come to the ceremony. He claims that most of the important loa know him and he collaborates with them. Kalfu says that some people claim he is a demon but he denies this. He is a respected loa and he is not

liked much. He is the grand master of charms and sorceries and is closely associated with black magic. Ceremonies are often held at crossroads. The origin of darkness. The moon is his symbol. He can be placated, but is a very violent and dangerous loa. He has knowledge of the human condition and develops ways to help individuals cope with their problems. He has experience dealing with all kinds of people. Kalfu is a magician and likes to use tree leaves in his magic. He has the ability to change people into animals and then control their minds. Krabinay (DL) Krabinay loa are petro loa. They dress all in red and do high impressive jumps. People are warned away from Krabinay. However, they are very tough and can offer a great deal of assistance to a houngan. These loa behave in a truly devilish way. Possessions induced by them are so violent that spectators are advised to keep their distance. They take pleasure in cynicism. However, they undertake treatment of desperate cases. Despite their admission of creation by God they avoid mentioning his name. Ku-bha-sah (V.ENC) The sword, which symbolizes Ogoun, carried by La Place during rituals. La Flambeau (V.ENC) Literally "the torch," this title is added to the names of certain Rada loa when an especially fiery aspect of their power is invoked. La Place (laplas)

(V.ENC) The houngan or mambo has one male assistant who has been almost fully trained for the priesthood and will one day undergo initiation as a houngan assistant. This male assistant is called La Place. He is the grand marshal of the ritual and directs the overall movement of the ceremony. In the ritual, he carries a sword called the ku-bha-sah, which he uses to cut away the material world, leaving the faithful open to the spirits who reside in the cosmic plane. La Place also orchestrates the flag-waving and drumming that takes place during the ritual. La Sirène (La Sirènn) (V.ENC) An aspect of Erzulie who represents the sea and is the wife of Agoué; she is symbolized by a mermaid. Lambi (V.ENC) A conch shell often used as a horn in vodou ceremonies, particularly those connected with the loa of the sea. Langage (langaj, langay) (V.ENC) The sacred but unintelligible language that originated in Africa and supposedly imitates Damballah-Wedo's hissing; it is often spoken during possession and is similar to the phenomenon of speaking in tongues. Lave tête (V.ENC) One important event that is known to take place during the canzo ritual is the lave tête ceremony, in which the initiate is consecrated to one particular god who acts as guardian of that person; this god is said to "sit on the head" of the initiate. Generally, an initiate's guardian spirit is the one that first possessed

him; if none of the immortal spirits has ever possessed the initiate, the houngan chooses the most appropriate spirit for that person. After the lave tête ceremoney, sequined flags and govis are carried inside the djévo, vévés are drawn on the floor, and doves and chickens are sacrificed. The initiates lie down on mats close to the sign of their particular guardian spirit. At this point, each initiate is inevitably possessed by hi guardian god. Now, the initiate, with the god animating his body, is finally free to eat after the long fast, and often gorges himself on the meat of the animal sacrifice. Legba (Legba Ati-bon, Papa Legba) (V.ENC) Legba is the most powerful of all the loa. He represents the sun and is the guardian of the gate between the material world and the spiritual plan where the loa reside. All rituals, no matter what their purposes, open with an invocation to Legba, the loa of the gate. Without Legba's permission, no other loa may cross from the astral plane to the material one. Because no loa can pass to the material world without Legba's permissions, only he can permit communication between practitioners of vodou and the loa. The houngan invokes Legba by sprinkling rum on the ground in his honor, tracing his vévé on the ground, and chanting. Due to his wisdom and vast knowledge of the past and future, Legba is often consulted in times of crisis. Legba's symbol is the cross, his color is black, and he is represented in the hounfort by the poteau-mitan and by a sacred tree near the hounfort. He is often associated with the Christian figures, Saint Peter and Christ. His sacrifice is animal bones and marrow, particularly of roosters and goats. (DL) Old man who guards the crossroads. He is the origin of life, so he must be saluted each time a service or any other activity with the loa will begin. Legba controls the crossing over from one world to the other. He is the contact between the worlds of the spirit and of flesh. He can deliver messages of gods in human language and

interpret their will. He is the god of destiny and is also the intermediary between human beings and divine gods. Legba is one of the most important loa in Haitian voodoo. He is the first loa to be called in a service, so that he can open the gates to the spirit world and let them communicate with other loa. No loa dares show itself without Legba's permission. Whoever has offended him finds himself unable to address his loa and is deprived of their protection. He is the origin and the male prototype of voodoo. Voodooists believe that if Legba grants their wishes, they can contact the forces of the universe. He is guardian of voodoo temples, courtyards, plantations, and crossroads. He protects the home. If you are going on a trip, it is believed that you pray to Legba for protection from harm and a safe return home. As "Master of Crossroads" he is the god of every parting of the way-a favorite haunt of evil spirits and propitious to magic devices; and it is at crossroads that he receives the homage of sorcerers and presides over their incantations and spells. He is also the guardian of the poto mitan-the center post-a post in the center of the peristyle regarded as a thoroughfare of the spirits. The poto-mitan is an extremely sacred object. Legba walks in his bare feet because he is in constant contact with the earth. He is a small crooked lovable old man. Small pipe with little tobacco, a little food in his macoute sack. Sours on his body. His pitiful appearance has earned him the nickname of Legba of the Broken Foot but conceals the terrific strength which becomes apparent in the violence of possession induced by him. Because of his politeness and caring nature he is greeted as Papa Legba. He is a much loved loa. His favorite foods are vegetables, meat and tubules grilled on a fire. These foods will be offered to him so that he will open the gates. His symbol is the sun and all that is good. His sacred day is Tuesday. His favorite tree is the medicinier-bebi. When he mounts someone the person's limbs are twisted and horrible to see. The crutch is the symbol of Legba. The outward appearance of Legba hides a very powerful interior. Legba is the symbol of the sun, of daylight of things positive. Legba

controls the cardinal points of the crossroads. The interpreter to the gods can deliver the messages of the gods in human language and interpret their will. He is the god of destiny, honored first at every ceremony, receiving first offerings. He is represented by a wooden or iron phallus mounted in a little mound of earth in front of every house. Legba is also known to hold the "key of the spiritual world," and for this reason is identified with the Christian St. Peter. Legba's colors are green, rose and red. Les Invisibles (V.ENC) A generic term that refers to all of the spirits, including the loa and the souls of the dead. Linglessu (DL) This is one of the loa free masons. When feeding this loa, all meat prepared for him must be liberally salted. He prefers the ends of the tongue, ears, front teeth and the end of a tail of a goat. When this loa mounts somebody, it is violent and his voice is highly distorted. Linto (DL) The child spirit of the Ghede family. He induces childish behavior in those he rides. They walk clumsily, much like a baby who hardly knows how to use his legs. They babble and cry for food. The company Linto is in teases him but only in good humor. Loa (lwa) (V.ENC) Although I refer to the loa as gods for simplicity's sake, they are actually not deities at all, but the immortal spirits of the ancestors or archetypal representations of the natural world and of

moral principles, such as love, death, war and the ocean. They are analogous to the Catholic saints or to angles in Christianity. The entire vodou pantheon of loa is enormous, encompassing thousands of spirits. Many of these loa are simply aspects of one major god, since on loa may have many different names, appearances, symbols, and personalities that represent a slightly different form of that god's fundamental nature. The pantheon can also expand to include new loa in the form of local deities, ancestral spirits, and even presidents and kings. In fact, the original African gods who the loa evolved form were the spirits of actual human beings. Just as a child looks to his parents for guidance, the living looked to their wiser ancestors who had already passed into the spiritual world for advice and help. Some of these spirits were stronger than others, able to give better advice and accomplish better cures of illnesses and curses. If a family's ancestor seemed especially wise and helpful, it soon began to receive offerings from others outside the family and was thus elevated to the status of a local god. The more people who worshipped the god, the stronger he became, until he was brought into the major pantheon of tribal gods. Captured slaves then brought their beliefs in these gods with them to Haiti where they were incorporated into what would eventually become vodou's pantheon of powerful spirits. The word "loa" means "mystery" in the Yoruba language of West Africa, and so the loa are often also called the mystères. Vodou devotees "serve the loa," forming very close personal relationships with these lesser deities. Each loa has his or own well-defined characteristics, including specific food offerings, colors, numbers, sacred days, chants, mannerisms, and ritual objects. Thus, a practitioner of vodou can serve one of the loa by wearing clothes of the loa's colors, making offerings of the loa's preferred foods, and observing the days that are sacred to the loa. The loa, in turn, manifest their will through dreams, unusual incidents, and spirit possession, which occurs during vodou rituals. The loa are very active in the world and often literally "possess" devotees during ritual. Rituals are practiced primarily to make

offerings to, or "feed," the loa and to entreat them for aid or fortune. Loco (Loco Atisou, Loco Attiso, Loko, Loko Ati-sou) (V.ENC) Loco is the aspect of Legba that is the master of the hounfort, and he represents medicine and the healing arts. He is often invoked to help with healing and to protect against black magic. (DL) The spirit of vegetation and the guardian of sanctuaries. Mainly associated with trees. He gives healing properties to leaves; the god of healing and patron of the herbs doctors who always invoke him before undertaking a treatment. Offerings are place din straw bags which are then hung in its branches. He is only recognizable by the pipe smoked by his servant and the stick which he carries in his hand. His favorite colors are red and white. Animals that are most likely to be offered to this god are black or white goats or russet colored oxen. Portrayed in the form of a butterfly, Loco has extensive knowledge of pharmaceutical uses of herbs. It is said that houngans and mambos receive their knowledge from Loco. He is known for his good judgment; often during conflicts he is called in to be judge. He is known for his intolerance of injustice. It has been said that he transforms into the wind and listens to people without them knowing he is there. Loco has many wives and girlfriends who are young and good-looking all over the country wherever there is vegetation. He is the personification of the trees he is so closely associated with. Loco is compared to an invisible houngan with authority over all the sanctuaries in Haiti. The worship of Loco is much like the worship of trees-mainly the Ceiba. The Ceiba tree is the Antillean silk-cotton tree and the tallest species in Haiti. Offerings to it are put in straw bags and hung from the branches. It is hard to distinguish Loco when he has mounted someone since he is the personification of plants. Loco is also a messenger loa and

communication loa, but his main duties are the vegetation in the woods and forests. He also watches over the agricultural tools the peasants use in their every day activities. The voodoo physician priests worship him, getting their knowledge from him. Macoute (macoutte, makout) (V.ENC) A straw sack carried by country peasants and associated with Azaca, the loa of agriculture. Mademoiselle Charlotte (SV) A loa who manifests herself with the personality traits of a white woman. She is therefore regarded as a European or Caucasian loa who "works " in the Voodoo pantheon. However, she appears during the course of Voodoo ceremonies only rarely, possibly because of her non-African origin. An extremely fastidious spirit, Mademoiselle Charlotte loves the strict observance in her honor of all the niceties of ritual protocol. She prefers to speak French. Whenever Charlotte appears, she astonishes people as much as certain mystères who enable their "mounts" to speak fluent Spanish or English. She is "served" in much the same way as Maîtresse Erzulie. She enjoys sweet rose-tinted, blue-, white-, or cream-colored beverages; water sweetened with syrup; all kinds of non-alcoholic liqueurs; although she never refuses a good drink of clairin, a fact that suggests she "walks" not only in the Rada rite but sometimes in the Pêthro rite as well. Her favorite color is rose. She is passionately fond of acassan, a delicious, mushy drink consisting of boiled cornmeal sweetened with cane juice of the kind Haitians call gros sirop batterie. This juice, however, must be exceedingly clear and highly refined; otherwise she will replace it with plain white sugar. She prefers the meat of young chickens as her ritual food offering, but the meat must be extremely tender. Mademoiselle Charlotte is a voudoun whose services are difficult to

obtain. She refuses to "work" for just anyone at all, but only for people to whom she takes a fancy. Magic in vodou (V.ENC) Voudou is primarily a religion, and while selling love potions and protective charms may be a lucrative side business for a houngan, the priest's primary occupation is still as spiritual leader of his community. So, although so many people associate magic with vodou, its role in the actual practice of the religion is in reality very small. Maît-tête (mèt tèt) (V.ENC) Literally "master of the head," this term refers to the primary loa who a devotee serves and the one who acts as that devotee's guardian. Maman (manman) (V.ENC) The largest of the three drums used in Rada rituals. Mambo (V.ENC) A fully initiated priestess of vodou who is equal in every respect to her male counterpart, the houngan. (To keep things simple, I'll refer to the houngan alone, with the understanding a mamo may also fulfill any of his duties.) See Houngan Mami Wata

Mami Wata is the goddess of the sea and often is depicted as a mermaid. Mami Wata heals, brings wealth, power and love. For a more detailed breakdown of Mami Wata, go here. Mangé loa (manje lwa) (V.ENC) The most frequently performed ritual in vodou is one that invokes a particular loa to offer food to him, including animal sacrifices, and to solicit his presence on earth. This ceremony is called mangé loa, "feeding the gods." Food offerings are always placed on a vévé when made inside the hounfort and on a crossroads when made outside. Ritual feeding of the loa nourishes, enlivens, and fortifies the divine spirits and helps the devotees taking part in the ritual to make contact with a particular god. Each loa has special "favorite" foods; the more the ritual offerings are adapted to a particular loa's tastes, the greater the power made available by the ritual. Tasting the offerings increases the power the loa brings, including the blood of animal sacrifice and part of the flour or cornmeal used to make vévés. Libations of favorite drinksparticularly the expensive Barbancourt rum or the much cheaper clairin, a raw white rum made from sugarcane-are made by pouring the liquid three times on the ground. Mangé Morts (V.ENC) The feast for the Dead, a death ritual that is usually held when a houngan, mambo, or hounsi has died. Mangé sec (manje sek) (V.ENC) A ceremony where food offerings, but not animal sacrifices, are made to the loa. Marassa (Marasa, Marassah)

(V.ENC) The sacred twins who are saluted in every ritual. (DL) Twins who died in their early childhood and are innocent and capricious. They are thought to be orphans with no discipline in terms of good eating habits. They eat from twin plates and they eat all of what they are offered at once, always coming very hungry to the ceremonies. They must be fed until they are content and then they will listen to people. They have a reputation for doing harm to those who have forgotten to provide food or who have not kept their promises, but also refuse to take responsibility for any wrong doing or illnesses. Marinette (V.ENC) A powerful and violent female loa of the Petro cult. Marinewtte-Bwa-Chech (DL) Literally "Marinette of the dry arms." This is a petro loa or an evil spirit. Worship of her is not spread all over Haiti but is growing rapidly in southern parts. Her ceremonies are held under a tent and lit with a huge fire in which salt and petrol are thrown. She is most dreaded; a she-devil; the sworn servant of evil. She is respected by werewolves, who hold service in her honor. She is an agent of the underhand dealings of Kita who is, herself, an outstanding loa sorceress. The screeching owl is the emblem of Marinette. When she mounts someone they behave as an owl, hooking their fingers, lowering their heads and scratching. After mounting people, she talks of eating people and confesses hideous crimes. At the end the houngan and the possessed alike jump in the fire and stamp it out. For sacrifice she is offered chickens that have been plucked alive, goats and sows. However, no one can touch these animals while preparing them; they must also be buried. Marinette is the mistress

of Petro-e-rouge and wife to Ti-Jean-pied-sec. She wanders the woods and goes to her secret place where the offerings she shares with no one are left. Monter la tête (monter) (V.ENC) Literally "to mount one's head," this term refers to the act of possession by a loa. A possessed devotee is called a cheval, which means horse; when a loa takes possession, the spirit "mounts" the head of the devotee. Morts (V.ENC) The dead. Mystères (mistè) (V.ENC) The loa; also refers to certain ceremonies. N'âme (nanm) (V.ENC) The spirit of the flesh that allows the body to function while alive and passes as energy into the soil after death. Nanchon (V.ENC) The loa are divided into several groups, called nations or nanchons, each corresponding to the place where the gods in that nation originated. Thus, the loa of the Congo nation originated in the Congo African tribe, while those of the Ibo nation originated with the Ibo tribe. The two major groups of loa, which have largely obsorbed the loa of the other nations, are the Rada and the Petro. Many of the major loa belong to both groups; they have an aspect

that represents the Rada nation and one that represents the Petro nation. Obatala (DL) Obatala is a sky loa. He is the loa responsible for forming children in the womb. Thus, Obatala is responsible for birth defects. He is also called king of the white cloth, and all his followers wear white. Obatala's favorite food is edible snails. Ogan (V.ENC) A musical instrument related to the flattened bells of Africa that is often used in vodou rituals. Ogantier (V.ENC) The musician who plays the ogan. Ogoun (Ogou, Ogu, Ogorin) (V.ENC) Ogoun is a powerful warrior god who represents all aspects of power, strength, and masculinity, including war, fire, lightning, politics, and metalworking. His color is red, his symbol is the sword, and in the hounfort, he is represented by a perpetual fire with an iron bar stuck in the middle and in ritual by the ku-bha-sah. His Catholic equivalent is St. Jacques. His sacrifices are red roosters and rum poured on the ground and set afire. Those possessed by Ogoun wear red clothing, carry a sword or machete, and smoke cigars. (SV) The "swordstroke of Ogou" means that the Ogou mystères (loas of fire) or "stellar powers, creators of the intellect" are descended from heaven through a fissure shaped like the female sex organ represented by the planet Venus (Erzulie, in Voodoo).

These are the mystères who are "forgers," like the aelohim which descend from the Jewish Aziluth, or like the "Lords of Flame" in Indian mythology. The Ogous in the Voodoo tradition bear the "fire of heaven" or the "luminous fire of Venus" shaped in the forge to represent a short serpent which traverses the planetary earth and sows fire. "Ogou's swordstroke" means also the act of kissing the top of the flagpoles during the course of the ritual Voodoo salutations performed by the flagbearers. (DL) Ogoun is the traditional warrior figure in Dahomean religion. He is quite similar to Zeus in Greek religion/mythology. As such Ogoun is mighty, powerful, triumphal. In more recent time Ogoun has taken on a new face which is not quite related to his African roots. This is the crafty and powerful political leader. However, this political warrior is much more of an image where struggle is in modern Haiti. Originally, he was the god of blacksmithing; however, now that blacksmithing has become obsolete, he has become the warrior loa. He can give strength through prophecy and magic. It is Ogoun (Ogu) who is said to have planted the idea and led and given power to the slaves to the 1804 revolt and freedom. He is called now to help people obtain a government more responsible to their needs. He is of the Nago loa family. This loa loves the noise of battle itself and this is most likely why he is the voodoo religion's master of lightning and storm. By Nago tradition Shango has these loa duties. Ogu-badagri by voodoo hymn "throws" lightning and thunder. His symbol in the humfo is a sabre stuck in the earth in front of the altar. His past follows him in that "Ogu's forge" is the name given to an iron rod stuck in a brazier which represents him. Ogoun comes to mount people in various aspects of his character, but the people are quite familiar with each of them. Some of these aspects are: Ogoun the wounded warrior. Here he even assumes a Christ-figure pose which the people know well from their Christian associations. As Ogoun Feraille he gives strength to the servitors by slapping them on the thighs or back. As Ogoun Badagris he may lift

a person up and carry him or her around to indicate his special attention and patronage. But in all aspects of Ogoun there is the dominant theme of power and militancy. He represents a veteran of the "time of bayonets." His possessions can sometimes be violent. Those mounted by him are known to wash their hands in flaming rum without suffering from it later. They are never given water; they are more like "teased" with water. They dress up in red dolman and French kepi and wave a saber or machete, chew a cigar and demand rum in an old phrase "Gren mwe fret" (my testicles are cold). At times, the loa Ogu interprets Dumballah's messages. If he is properly persuaded, he will protect his petitioners from bullets and weapon wounds. He is covered with iron and immune to fire and bullets. To make him more comfortable the congregation serves him white rum. Ogou's symbol is a piece of iron, which he uses to fight his enemies. He is a respected loa. Ogoun is the deity of fire and "metallurgical elements" and red is his color. Therefore, he likes animals that are red to be offered to him; for example, red or russet pigs or roosters. He likes to be saluted with rum, not with the more traditional water. Often this rum is poured on the ground then lit and the flames pervade the peristyle. The sword, or much more commonly, the machete is his weapon and he often does strange feats of poking himself with it, or even sticking the handle in the ground, then mounting the blade without piercing his skin. The members of this family are great drinkers, but alcohol has no effect on them. Ogoun is identified with St. Jacques, the warrior general, and is often in the guise of a revolutionary war general. He likes cigars and rum. He has a passion for fire and likes the women. He's the spirit of fire and water. His favorite tree is the mango tree. His favorite day is Wednesday. Ogoun Baba (V.ENC) The aspect of Ogoun who represents a military general.

Ogoun Badagris (V.ENC) The aspect of Ogoun who represents the phallus. Ogou Bhathalah (SV) Ogou Bhathalah is part of the army of Ogou loas considered in the African tradition as the fathers of alchemy. Bhathalah personifies the "discipline of chaos" because it is he who directs, with the magic wand, the cosmic traffic. Bhathalah "disentangles the roads" by placing himself like a traffic officer, at the magic crossroads. Ogoun Fer (V.ENC) The aspect of Ogoun who represents stability, order and authority, particularly in a political sense. (SV) In Voodoo, Luci-Fer, whose name is also Ogou-Fer, is Venus the morning star. It is called "Bayacou star" because it accompanies the sun each morning to explain the "earthly necessities" or "needs." Ogoun Feraille (V.ENC) The aspect of Ogoun who is the patron of blacksmiths and metalworkers. Ogoun Shango (V.ENC) The aspect of Ogoun who is the loa of lightning and who is descended form a powerful Nigerian god. Ogoun Tonnerre

(V.ENC) The aspect of Ogoun who represents thunder. Ouanga (V.ENC) A magical charm used by a bokor in malevolent sorcery. Paquets Congo (V.ENC) A small packet constructed by a houngan that offers protection to its bearer. Pé (V.ENC) An altar or altar stone called the pé is located at the center of each chamber inside the hounfort; ritual tools and other items are placed on this platform, which is the height of a man's chest. A jumbled, chaotic assortment of objects that have symbolic meaning within the beliefs of vodou covers the pé, including candles, food, money, amulets and ritual necklaces, ceremonial rattles, pictures of Catholic saints, bottles of rum, bells, flags, drums and sacred stones. Govis, or clay pots that contain the souls of revered ancestors, also sit on the altar. The altar represents the door between this world and the spiritual world where the immortal spirits reside, and so performing a ritual at the altar can call its god from the spiritual world. The houngan may invoke the loa by leaning upon the pé and calling the loa down into its clay jar or govi. The priest uses traditional chants to attract the loa in this form of invocation. He can then consult the loa residing inside the govi, asking for advice on matters of importance to the community or requesting that the god to reveal the future. Peristyle (peristil)

(V.ENC) The peristyle is a roofed but otherwise open space where the public ceremonies take place. It has a floor of beaten earth, and a low wall, four to five feet high, borders it so that curious spectators who aren't a part of the société can watch the ceremonies from outside without making themselves too conspicuous. A perpetual fire burns in the center of the yard, with an iron bar in the middle of the fire representing the forge of the powerful warrior god Ogoun. A model ship hangs from the roof of the peristyle, symbolizing Erzuile, the vodou goddess of love and the moon. (SV) The peristyle is the partly enclosed and usually roofed courtyard adjacent to the holy of holies of the oum'phor. It is the place where the elaborate mass ceremonies and rituals of Voodoo are performed, and it also is the place where the sick usually are treated. Petite Pierre (DL) Petite Pierre is a gluttonous and quarrelsome spirit who tries to pick fights with the audience. Petro (Pethro) (V.ENC) The Petro are the dark gods, the balance to the benevolent forces of the Rada. By "dark," I don't mean that the Petro loa are evil; just as no person is wholly good or evil, neither is any god. Rather, they are necessary for balance, to perform the acts that the Rada loa cannot accomplish. Petro rites originated in Haiti where conditions were very different than in the homeland of Dahomey, although the roots of the Petro rites, dances and loa can be traced back to the Congo and Ibo tribes of Africa. The Petro rituals and gods also show the influence of the natives of Haiti, the Carib Amerindians, and an Amerindian may have actually founded the

cult, a houngan named Don Pédro. The Petro cult developed because the stability and traditional patterns of the African tribes were disrupted and violated by the brutality of slavery. The gods could no longer take a defensive, passive role; rather, action was needed. As a result, the Petro loa, the patron spirits of aggression and action, were born. The Petro cult gave escaped slaves the organization and moral rage to lead the revolt that freed all the slaves of Haiti in 1804, the only successful slave revolution to have taken place in the New World. The Petro loa are more powerful, quick, and magical than the Rada gods. They are also more violent, demanding, fierce, and practical, and they emphasize death, vengeance, and aggressiveness toward adversaries. They can make quick cures of illnesses and perform powerful acts that the Rada loa are not capable of. However, they will only work for someone if the devotee makes a promise of service to them, which often requires an expensive sacrifice, and the god will take revenge if that promise isn't kept. Petro rituals are characterized by red ceremonial clothing, off-beat syncopated drumming, and frenzied dancing. As sacrificial offerings, they demand hogs, goats, sheep, cows and bulls; the most common sacrifice to the Petro loa is a pig. A Petro ritual is never held in a hounfort where Rada ceremonies are performed. Although the Petro loa are important to vodou, the gods who are invoked in the overwhelming majority of all ceremonies are the members of the Rada pantheon. Many of these loa do have one or more Petro aspects, as each loa has many faces representing a different but related natural force or archetypal principle. (DL) Petro comes from a new nation of spirits forged directly in the steel and blood of the colonial era. They reflect all the rage, violence and delirium that threw off shackles of slavery. The drums, dancing, and rhythm are offbeat sharp, and unforgiving, like the crack of a rawhide whip. The Bizango is an extreme form of the Petro and is sometimes described as the wild Petro. Bizango occurs by night, in darkness that is the province of the djab, the devil.

Pierre-loa (V.ENC) Smooth river stones, often called "thunderstones," that are inhabited by the loa and are often placed on the pé. Possession (V.ENC) In vodou, true communion with the divine comes through possession, or "the hand of divine grace." Possession occurs when a loa temporarily displaces the soul of a devotee and becomes the animating force of the body. Because possession is the way that the loa make their instructions and desires known and how they exercise their authority, it is common phenomenon in vodou, and it is thus considered perfectly normal by practitioners of the religion. In fact, devotees deem it an honor when an especially powerful god selects them for possession. Through possession, every vodou devotee not only has direct contact with the spirit world, but actually receives it into his body. Often, the possessing loa is the one invoked at the ritual, although other loa who haven't been called, particularly Guédé, often show up unexpectedly. When a loa possesses a person, for the length of time that the god controls the body, the actions and attitudes expressed are those of the loa and not of the person who is being possessed. A child possessed by an old loa may seem frail and decrepit, while the elderly when possessed by a young loa may dance and cavort without regard to their disabilities. Even facial expressions change to resemble the loa. That's why when a male loa possesses a female devotee, the pronoun "he" is used to describe the devotee, and vice versa. A loa may choose to possess a devotee for many possible reasons. He could possess someone to protect that person from danger or to confer a special power that enable the person to successfully accomplish a difficult task; for example, an ocean spirit may possess someone who has been shipwrecked and doesn't know how

to swim, enabling the person to get safely to shore. The loa may mount a devotee to cure and illness or to prevent suffering. Loa use their horses to give advice, proscribe a remedy for a problem, or to treat an ailment. They also speak through the mouths of the possessed to point out a forbidden ritual, to warn of danger, or to punish devotees who have angered them in some way. Finally, they often take possession to preside over a vodou ceremony or to receive a sacrificial offering. When a person is possessed, the loa enters the person's body as if with a blow at the nape of the neck or in the legs. The person being mounted struggles against the shakes, the muscles are flexed, and there are often spasms in the spine. Suddenly, the person stops fighting and the loa takes full possession, manifesting the characteristics peculiar to that loa. The houngan can look at a possessed devotee and say which loa rides inside him. The priest acts as an intermediary to summon the loa and to help the loa depart when his business is finished. A loa who mounts a devotee is also required to salute the houngan before going about his business. Possessed devotees exhibit the characteristics of the loa who has taken control, often dressing in strange clothing or cross-dressing. The loa can request his own special emblems, such as costumes, kerhiefs, beverages, or cigarettes; each loa's accessories are kept on-hand in the hounfort in case the loa chooses to possess someone. The symbolic nature of these objects helps the loa to perform his magic more easily. The possessing loa also smokes, drinks alcohol, and eats, partaking of the physical pleasures that the spirit cannot normally access. While possessed, a horse often speaks in ancient African tongues called language, which only other loa can understand, tells the future, and even performs magical acts. He can feel no pain, and can, for instance walk on hot coals, grasp a red-hot iron bar without pain, or eat fire. The person also exhibits great strength and energy while possessed, followed by exhaustion when the loa leaves. When the loa leaves his horse, the possessed person immediately drops any objects he's holding and slumps to the ground. After possession,

devotees fall into a state characterized by complete indifference to the loa's actions during the possession. They are physically exhausted by the loa's powerful presence inside them, especially if one of the major members of the vodou pantheon mounted them. They can't remember what they said or did while the loa possessed them, and so they can't be held accountable for their actions while the loa controlled them. Poteau-mitan (poteau-Legba, poto Legba, potomitan) (V.ENC) The poteau-mitan, or center-post, is located in the center of the peristyle. The houngan salutes this center-post at the beginning of every ritual, and the rest of the ritual revolves around it. A flattopped base made of cement at the foot of the center-post called the socle serves as a place for food offerings to the gods. In conjunction with the socle, the center-post forms a cross, the symbol of the most powerful of all the vodou gods, Legba. Usually, a whip hangs on the side of the post, representing penitence. The post is painted in bright rainbow colors in horizontal or spiral bands that represent Aida-Wedo, the matriarchal leader of the vodou pantheon. In vodou belief, the top of the post is considered to be the center of the sky and the bottom the center of hell. Thus, the spirits can travel down the post from where they live among the stars, enter the hounfort, and take part in the rituals. Pots-de-tête (SV) Jars containing by magic part of the spirits of the people who worship at the oum'phor. Rada (V.ENC) The Rada are the benevolent, gentle loa who originated in Africa and who represent the warmth and emotional stability of the

home continent. The Rada nation got its name from the city of Arada, located on the coast of Dahomey, where many slaves where abducted. Rada rites follow traditional African patterns and emphasize the positive, gentle aspects of the gods. Most of the Rada loa were imported from Dahomey in West Africa, and they reflect their place of origin. Dahomey was a well-organized, stable monarcy founded on agriculture and cooperative work systems. In that setting, the gods played protective role, guarding the stability of the nation against whatever outside forces might threaten it. Therefore, the Rada gods were essentially benevolent, passive, and paternal. Rada rituals are characterized by the all-white clothing of the devotees and by dignified, stately drumming and dancing, which is always on the beat. At Rada ceremonies, a large fire with an iron bar stuck in the flames, representing the loa Ogoun, perpetually burns. The Rada loa never demand a larger sacrificial offering than chickens or pigeons, although sometimes goats and bulls are sacrificed to them. They will perform services for their devotees without causing any harmful consequences to the person asking the favor, but their services are by definition not very powerful. The majority of vodou ceremonies are of the Rada type. (DL) The loa that represents the emotional stability and warmth of Africa, the hearth of the nation. Rada derived almost directly from the Dahomean deity is highly religious in nature; rite is never celebrated without the performance of Mahi dances and without honoring and invocation of Nago gods. The Rada drumming and dancing is on beat whereas the Petro is offbeat. Rada stands for light and the normal affairs of humanity. Raide (V.ENC) This term means strong or stern and is used to characterize Petro loa.

Range (V.ENC) A ritual in which an object is charged with the power of a loa. Regler (V.ENC) To have command or authority over the loa, or to restrain the loa; generally, only a houngan or mambo attains this level of authority. Reine silence (V.ENC) The person in charge of maintaining order during rituals. Reler (V.ENC) To invoke, when used in vodou songs. Renvoyer (V.ENC) To ritually send away a loa. Reposoir (repozwa) (V.ENC) Trees in the yard and around the peristyle are sanctuaries, or sacred reposoirs, where some of the ancestor spirits and vodou gods live permanently. One tree in particular is consecrated to Legba, the most important god in the vodou pantheon. These trees are honored as divinities and are decorated with the colors of the god who lives there. A pedestal at the base of each tree holds a lit candle and food offerings for its inhabitant. Often, ritual dances are held around these trees. Heaps of stones or other objects around

the hounfort can also serve as reposoirs, as long as the object is consecrated to the use of the god who inhabits it. Retirer d'en bas de l'eau (V.ENC) After death, the ti-bon-ange must be taken care of in a special ritual presided over by Baron Samedi. A year and a day after death, the houngan performs a ritual to ensure that the ti-bon-ange is put to rest. If this isn't done, the ti-bon-ange may wander the earth and bring illness and disaster on others, particularly the remaining family members who have the responsibility of caring for the souls of their deceased ancestors. This ritual is called retirer d'en bas de l'eau, "taking the dead out of the water." Because the ritual costs so much, many families may pool their money to hold mass ritual once a year, and the souls of family members who died during the past year may all be raised at the same time. During the ritual, the soul - now called an esprit, meaning simply "spirit" - is raised by the houngan through a vessel of water covered by a white sheet and placed in a special govi. The voice of the dead may speak from the govi or the esprit may briefly possess someone attending the ceremony to express love for family members or even bitterness at being neglected, if they put off holding the ritual for too long. The houngan then places the govi inside the hounfort, where the family can continue to feed the spirit inside the jar and treat it like a divine being. Saint (Sen) (V.ENC) A Saint of the Catholic Church; sometimes used as a synonym for loa. Salutations in the ritual

(V.ENC) After the invocation to Legba, the priest presents water to the four cardinal points. He also makes salutations to Legba, to the Christian Trinity, and to the vodou Trinity of Mystères (spirits), Marassas (twins), and Morts (dead). He pours water in front of the poteau-mitan, tracing a line from the entrance of the peristyle back to the center-post. This post is sacred to Legba and provides an entranceway for the loa to enter the peristyle. Finally, the houngan pours water three times before each drum. After the libations, La Place and two hounsis, or vodou initiates, perform salutations with sequined ceremonial flags and the sacred sword to the four cardinal points, the center post, and the drums. They salute the houngan and any visiting dignitaries, and then they light candles inside the circle around the center-post. Seconde (V.ENC) The middle-sized drum used in Rada rituals. Servi loa (service, servir) (V.ENC) Literally "to serve the loa," this term is used by vodou devotees to refer to their faith. The most important thing to understand about vodou is that practitioners think of their religion in practical terms. They don't believe in vodou; rather they serve the gods that represent the major forces of the natural world, and so devotees of vodou are called serviteurs. In return, the serviteurs expect the gods to go to work for them, healing illnesses, imparting advice, and providing help in times of need. Because practitioners of vodou are largely poor, they need the gods to help them get through the trials of everyday life. Devotees believe that all things serve the loa and so be definition are expressions and extensions of the spiritual. What is sacred in vodou is not a particular person or place, but rather the moment when the divine is invoked. In vodou, divinity is found in the act of ritual itself, in chanting and drumming

and dancing to call the immortal spirits down from the cosmic plane where they live. It is this act of service, and not any magical object or spell that infuses the practitioners of vodou with divine power. Servir a deux mains (V.ENC) Literally "to serve with both hands," this term refers to someone who serves both the Rada and the Petro loa and practices black magic. Serviteur (sèvitè, servitor) (V.ENC) A vodou devotee. Signaler (siyale) (V.ENC) The ritual movement performed by the houngan to the four cardinal points at the beginning of the ritual in recognition of the loa. Simbi (Sim'bi d'l'Eau, Simba, Simbe, Simbi Andezo) (V.ENC) The loa who represents fresh waters and rainfall and who oversees the making of protective and destructive charms. His symbol is the water snake, his color is green, and his sacrifice is the speckled cock. (DL) Simbi is guardian of the fountains and marshes and cannot do without the freshness of water. Voodoo rituals are held near springs. Several of their songs mention these sorts of places. He is a very knowledgeable loa because he spends a lot of time learning about the nature of illnesses of supernatural origin and how to treat them. He is either with you or against you by protecting those who have good relations with him and turning his back on those who do

not. As part of Ogou's army he is the chief of the coast guard and goes wherever he pleases. He is the petro loa of the coast; one of the respected members of the petro family. He belongs to rada because of his nature. Sometimes neglected by their devotees and gnawed by hunger, he tends to be cruel. He lives in springs and rivers. He cannot stand being away from water, children who go to fetch water at springs run the risk-particularly if they are fairskinned-of being kidnapped to work for him under the water for a few years, gifting them with second sight for their trouble. Siren and Whale (DL) These two loa are marine divinities, so closely linked that they are always worshipped together and celebrated in the same songs. Some people say the Whale is the mother of the Siren, others that he is her husband; others say they are used for one and the same deity. Popular opinion says the Siren is married to Agwe. When Siren turns up in a sanctuary, the person possessed by her appears simply in the role of a young coquette most careful of her looks, and speaking in French, often offending the peasant serviteurs. Both the Siren and the Whale are often viewed as "upper class." Snakes (V.ENC) Snakes are important in vodou as the symbol and servant of Damballah-Wedo, and so sometimes a snake will live in the hounfort or in one of the sacred trees nearby. However, practitioners of vodou do not worship snakes. Sobo (Sobo Kessou) (DL) Loa of strength. Sobo is a very powerful loa and well known for his bravery as a warrior. When he possesses someone, that person must dress up like a general in the army. When he addresses the

congregation during a mounting it is like a general addressing his troops. Sobo is considered an important figure in voodoo mythology. He is the symbol of strength, the ideal of voodoo priests who want to be respected figures in their communities. Because of the strength he procures for his followers, Sobo's presence is continually requested to bring security and protection to the congregation. He who is with Sobo is protected against wild spirits. Sobo is said to have healing power and is often called upon to cure illnesses of the supernatural origin to his devotees. He dines upon goat meat and mutton, and often lives under trees. His servitors wear kerchiefs of white and lemon, his favorite colors. Société (socyete) (V.ENC) Practitioners of vodou come together in a neighborhood community, called a société. The société centers around a temple where rituals are performed and offerings are made to the immortal spirits that are revered in that community. The société is always led by a single priest or priestess, who possesses a wide range of knowledge in religious and practical matters, ranging from telling the future to communicating with the gods to healing the sick with herbal medicines. Vodou sociétés are very close-knit and provide a central organizing structure to small villages in Haiti. A highly malleable religion, vodou rituals and other practices can very hugely from community to community inside Haiti itself. The structure of the vodou société, the role of the priest or priestess in the community, and the elements of the ceremonies have many basic elements in common. But in vodou, it's perfectly acceptable for a community's traditions, which are passed down from generation to generation, to deviate from the traditions of other communities. Socle

(V.ENC) The cement base at the foot of the poteau-mitan where offerings to the loa are placed. Sogbo (Soybo) (DL) He is the god of lightning and the protector of flags. Sogbo is the brother of the three-horned Bosu. Sogbo is always accompanied by his companion Bade, who is the loa of the winds. These loa share functions with Agau, who is also a storm loa. When possessed by Sogbo, one hurls down polished stones which are piously collected and used as symbols of the loa. Despite their divine origins, thunderstones are not uncommon in Haiti. The spirit hurls a lightning bolt to the earth, striking a rock outcropping and casting the stone to the valley floor. There it must lie for a year and a day before the houngan may touch it. Sorcière (V.ENC) A female bokor, or sorceress. Soul, components of (V.ENC) According to vodou belief, a human being's soul is made up of five basic components: the corps cadavre, or mortal flesh; the n'âme, or spirit of the flesh; the z'étoile, or star of destiny; and the gros-bon-ange and the ti-bon-ange, the two major parts of the soul. Tambour (V.ENC) A drum. Taureau-trois-graines

(DL) His name means bull with three testicles. This loa is a product of the fanciful imagination of the people in Haiti and is considered a Creole loa. He is the great loa of the Jacmel region. His appearances are terrible; people possessed by him are seized with destructive rage and create havoc all around unless appeased by the offer of a handful of grass. This they munch at once. During trance, they bellow ceaselessly. Ti-bon-ange (ti-bon-anj) (V.ENC) The ti-bon-ange makes up the other half of a person's soul, with the gros-bon-ange. Meaning "little good angel," it is the source of the person's personality. The ti-bon-ange represents the accumulation of a person's knowledge and experience, and it is responsible for determining an individual's characteristics, personality, and will. Ti-Jean-Petro (DL) This is a black magic or "petro" loa that is depicted as a dwarf with one foot. Even though Ti-Jean-Petro has a French name, his roots can be traced back to Africa. He is easily comparable to a spirit that roamed through the bush. This spirit, too, was depicted as having only one leg. This loa often protects and assists black magic sorcerers. Ti-Jean-Petro also is recognized under the names of Petro-e-rouge, Ti-Jean-pied-fin, Prince Zandor, and Ti-JeanZandor. He has a violent and passionate nature that becomes apparent when he mounts people. Tonelle (V.ENC) A primitive peristyle that is merely an open-sided roof held up by poles.

Traitement (V.ENC) An herbal cure administered by a houngan or mambo. Trianglier (V.ENC) The musician who plays the triangle. Twins (V.ENC) As in many West African rituals, twins in vodou are considered to have special powers and are revered because they represent balance and two halves of the same whole. Verser (V.ENC) The ritual pouring of liquid, such as water or liquor, on the ground for the loa. Vévé (vever) (V.ENC) Vévés are elaborate designs that symbolize the gods and ancestral spirits. They are painted permanently on the walls of the hounfort, as well as drawn in cornmeal, flour, gunpowder, powdered red brick, chalk, charcoal, or ashes just before a ceremony or invocation of a god. Usually drawn around the poteau-mitan, on the altar, or on top of a place of sacrifice, the vévé acts like a magnet, obliging the spirit who it represents to descend to earth and appear at the ritual. These vévés symbolize the loa who is being honored in the ceremony, and serve as both a place to put offerings and a magical symbol that calls the loa down to the material plane. These vévés incorporate the symbols of the particular god that they represent: a cross for Legba; a heart for the goddess of love, Erzulie; a snake for the patriarchal leader, Damballah-Wedo; a coffin

for Baron Samedi, the spirit of death; and so on. They radiate out from the center-post in a wider circle. Despite the elaborate care and skill with which they are drawn, they vévés are generally destroyed by the end of the ceremony, blown away or swept apart by dancing feet. (SV) The vèvès are designs traced upon the ground of the peristyle or the oum'phor, or upon all sorts of objects, even ritual food. In the course of Voodoo ceremonies, the reproduction of the astral forces represented by the vèvès obliges the loas (who are representations of heavenly bodies, start, and planets) to descend to earth. Depending upon the rite, the vèvè is traced with what flour, corn meal, Guinea-flour (wood ashes), powdered leaves, red brick powder, rice powder (face powder), and even gunpowder, powdered charcoal, bark or roots. As a rule, the milder rites such as the Rada, a solar rite, require white or yellow wheat. Tradition, though not always respected, demands that corn meal be used for the intermediate or less mild rites, whereas red brick powder or red dust or ashes belong to the fire rites whose cabalistic agents can, if need be, serve upon the points-chauds (hot points)-not that these rites are fundamentally or necessarily evil, but rather because they have a greater tendency to burn when they are improperly or imprudently employed. The powder of leaves, if the leaves are of the soothing variety, can be used for the mystères of the pointsfrettes (cold points). If the powder is made of noxious leaves or merely of the "stinging" variety, it can "walk with" the so0called "Bois-Piquant" (pungent-wood) loas, the loas of the fiery rites: the Pethro and the Zandor. Gunpowder serves to precipitate magically the mystères. Face powder, scarcely used in Haiti, if at all, for vèvès, is traditionally employed for the brilliant mystères that "walk on the resplendent points" of the Sun: Erzulie Za-Gaza, the mystère Joltière Viscière, and Legba Brillant Soleil. For face powder symbolizes the purification, at a very high degree, of the ceremonial and sacrificial material.

Vodouisant (V.ENC) An uninitiated vodou devotee who attends ceremonies, receives advice and medical treatments from a houngan, and takes part in other vodou-related activities. Voodoo dolls (V.ENC) The voodoo doll is a product of this belief in the power of symbols. These dolls are generally crudely fashioned form wax and incorporate hair or nail clippings from the person who the doll is supposed to represent. Obviously, the doll represents that person, and the hair or nails just ties the doll and the person closer together. The idea is that if you inflict harm upon the doll, the person will experience similar harm. And if the person is hurt, it's probably because he believes so strongly in the power of the symbolic doll that he manifests psychosomatic symptoms, rather than from any real magical effects. Despite the fact that voodoo dolls are almost universally associated with vodou, actual practitioners in Haiti rarely use them, and they are not at all important to the fundamental practices of the religion. Indeed, they primarily seem to serve as souvenirs sold to tourists in voodoo shops in New Orleans. Wedo (Ouedo) (V.ENC) This term refers to the African city of Ouhdeh in Dahomey and is used to designate any loa who originated there, such as Damballah-Wedo and Aida-Wedo. Yemaya (Santeria)

Yemaya is known as the Mother of Waters, and also as "the mother of the fishes" (and the fish symbol, used as a symbol of Christ to this day, is associated with her also). She is said to dress in seven skirts of blue and white. Yemaya is often associated with Isis, a goddess to whom the Blessed Virgin Mary has often been compared. Mary has also been called the Star of the Sea (Stella Maris). Yemaya has been depicted as the wellspring and fountain of life. She is also depicted as a mermaid (La Sirene), and is associated not only with the ocean, but also with the moon and lunar mysteries. Zen (zain, zin) (V.ENC) The ritual pots used to cook food for the loa. Ze rouge (V.ENC) Literally "with red eyes," this term is used to describe an attribute of some Petro loa, such as Erzulie ze Rouge. Z'étoile (V.ENC) The z'étoile decides a person's destiny and resides in the heaves, apart from the body. It is not of great importance to vodou belief. Zombi astral (V.ENC) A zombi astral is created when a black magician captures the ti-bon-ange of a person during that period when the soul hovers over the body after death. In contrast to a zombie, which is a body without a soul, a zombi astral is a soul without a body. The zombi astral is confined to a glass jar or bottle and performs deeds at the

command of the bokor, never allowed to join the land of the dead or achieve a final rest. Zombie (zombi, zombi cadavre) (V.ENC) According to vodou belief, a zombie is a dead body that has no soul, and it is always created by a black magician, a bokor. The bokor perofrms a ritual that causes a person to die. Then, within a short period of time, the bokor calls the person back to life as a soulless body. A significant number of researchers believe that this process of "zombification" is an actual practice, achieved not through magic and ritual, but rather through a combination of powerful drugs and poisons. This potion is so toxic that it merely has to be absorbed through the skin to have an effect. No one knows exactly what the components of the potion are, and the bokors guard the recipe zealously, but it is thought to contain substances from various toxic animals and plants, including the gland secretions of a particular frog, the bouga toad, which are 50100 times more potent than digitalis and also contain a hallucinogen. Other ingredients supposedly include millipedes and tarantulas, the skins of poisonous tree frogs, seeds and leaves from poisonous plants, human remains (for effect), and four types of puffer fish, which contain tetrodotoxin, one of the most poisonous substances in the world. After administration, the victim becomes completely paralyzed and falls into a coma. To all intents and purposes, he seems to be dead. Sometimes, the victim remains conscious and witnesses his own funeral and burial, but is powerless to stop it. The bokor raises the victim after a day or two and administers a hallucinogenic concoction called the "zombie's cucumber" that revives the victim. When the person is revived, he is so brain-damaged that he cannot remember his name or his family; he has lost the power of speech, and his senses are dull. The human personality is entirely absent. Zombies are thus easy to control and are used by bokors as slaves for farm labor and

construction work. Family members can take steps to ensure that the body and soul of the deceased loved one are not misused by a bokor. Often, family members set up a watch in the cemetery for thirty-six hours after the burial, after which time, the deceased can no longer become a zombie of any kind. One way to keep someone from becoming a zombie is to kill the body a second time by stabbing it in the heart or decapitating it. Hoholi, or special sesame seeds placed in the coffin, also prevent the machinations of a bokor. If the hair or fingernails have been after death, however, that is a sure sign that a bokor has tampered with the body. Contrary to what is portrayed in popular movies, the bodies of zombies don't continue to decay, and they don't try to eat human brains. In fact, practitioners of vodou don't fear being harmed by a zombie so much as they are afraid of being made into one. Giving a zombie salt supposedly restores its powers of speech and taste and activates a homing instinct that sends it back to its grave and out of the bokor's influence. But as widespread as stories about zombies are, there are few reliable, documented cases of actual zombies. Unlike in the Night of the Living Dead movies, Haiti is not crawling with reanimated, soulless bodies. The horror and shock value of the zombie story probably chiefly contributed to it being to widely spread, and if bokors ever did once turn people into zombies in Haiti, the practice has probably stopped by now.