MAMAN BRIGITTE – This foul-mouthed goddesss is one of the most powerful of the thirty Ghede, or death-gods. Despite his power Legba is depicted as an old man walking with a crutch or cane for support. Legba is considered the “good” counterpart to his dark twin Kalfu. By extension he is viewed as the god of all gates and crossroads. He holds the key and guards the doorway and the roads between the two worlds. It is through Legba that loa move back and forth from the realm of the gods in Guinee to the mortal world to possess worshippers. He speaks all human languages and is always the first god or loa to be invoked in Voodoo ceremonies. LEGBA – The sun god and intermediary between the gods and humanity. Nibo’s anus produced cinammon but he is most celebrated for his role as one of the death-gods, or Ghede. He had the child baptized with the god Ogun serving as godfather. Loco took the stone home where it turned into a child. One myth involves Loco’s discovery of the god Nibo as a stone wrapped in swaddling cloth. By extension he is also the patron deity of doctors and of Houngans (Voodoo priests). LOCO – The god of wild vegetation with all its gifts, from fruits to herbs for healing and poisons for killing. His holy day is Haitian Labor Day on May 1st. In addition Zaca smokes a pipe, drinks from bottles of rum and wields a machete. He dresses in denims and a straw hat just like the rural Haitians do. Zaca is the friendliest and most approachable of the gods and may be addressed as “Cousin Zaca” if spotted in the fields. ZACA – The god of agriculture and the harvest, making him the patron deity of farmers and fieldworkers. He is often seen as a dark version of Legba. Kalfu’s favorite drink is rum laced with gunpowder. Those possesssed by Kalfu display dark eyes and shed black tears. He also has lordship over charms, bad luck, destruction and all manner of injustices. He is the patron deity of sorcerors, especially those who practice black magic. KALFU – The moon god and ruler of the night. Black pigs and black roosters are sacrificed to her. Owls are her familiars and she is the protectress of werewolves. Marinette is depicted as an emaciated woman who afflicts those she possesses with violent, angry fits. She can bequeath freedom or a return to bondage. After dying as a martyr to the cause Marinette rose to godhood as the patron deity of liberation AND slavery, oddly enough. MARINETTE – Demigoddess who in her mortal life was the Mambo who sacrificed a black pig at the start of the First Haitian Revolution. Her daughter is Ayizan, the goddess of the marketplace and of initiation into the sacred truths, making her the head Mambo (Voodoo priestess). Her favorite color is white as reflected in her favorite offerings: white chickens, white eggs, rice, milk and cotton. Ayida also serves as a fertility goddess. The pair often manifest in the skies over Haiti as intertwined serpents. Let me point out that I will use “Voodoo” as the catch-all name, even though to purists Vodou is the Haitian version and Voodoo is the form of Vodou practiced first in New Orleans and then throughout America.ĪYIDA – The goddess of the rainbow and the primary wife of the creator deity Damballah. Haiti is the central location of the Voodoo belief system but naturally it has spread throughout the world as have other faiths. Voodoo mythology is a fascinating hybrid of Yoruban, Dahomey, Fon and Christian mythology intermixed with touches from Caribbean belief systems.
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