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Agassou is a loa who guards the old traditions of Dahomey in the West African Vodun religion and the rada loa of Haitian Vodou.
Damballa, also spelled Damballah, Dambala, Dambalah, among other variations, is one of the most important of all loa, spirits in Haitian Voodoo and other African diaspora religious traditions such as Obeah. He is traditionally portrayed as a great white or black serpent, but may also be depicted as a rainbow. Damballa originated in the city of Wedo in modern-day Benin.
Baron Samedi, also written Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi or Bawon Sanmdi, is one of the lwa of Haitian Vodou. He is a lwa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix and Baron Criminel.
Papa Legba is a lwa in Haitian Vodou, Dominican Vodou, Winti and Louisiana Voodoo, who serves as the intermediary between God and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives permission to speak with the spirits of Guineé, and is believed to speak all human languages. In Haiti, he is the great elocutioner. Legba facilitates communication, speech, and understanding. He is commonly associated with dogs. Papa Legba is invoked at the beginning of every ceremony. Papa Legba has his origins in the historic West African kingdom of Dahomey, located within present-day Benin.
Dinclinsin is a loa depicted as a white colonial slave owner, feared for his temper and cruelty in Haitian Vodou. He often carries a whip and is recognizable by his habit of putting whatever is given to him in his pockets. One of his favorite tricks is being able to pour rum into his pockets without getting them wet.
Erzulie is a family of loa, or spirits, in Vodou.
Grand Bois is an elemental, nature-oriented loa closely associated with trees, plants, and herbs in Haitian Vodou. Offerings to him include leaves and herbs, honey, and spiced rum. As a petro loa and loa of the wilderness, he can be fierce and unpredictable in some aspects.
Kalfu is one of the petro aspects of Papa Legba, a lwa in Haitian Vodou. He is often envisioned as a young man or as a enigmatic spirit; his color is black or red and he favors rum infused with gunpowder. He is often syncretized with the Shadow
L'inglesou is a Vodou loa (spirit) who supposedly lives in the wild areas of Haiti and kills anyone who offends him.
Dutty Boukman was an early leader of the Haitian Revolution. Born in Senegambia, he was enslaved to Jamaica. He eventually ended up in Haiti, where he became a leader of the Maroons and a vodou houngan (priest).
Bois Caïman was the site of the first major meeting of enslaved blacks during which the first major slave insurrection of the Haitian Revolution was planned.
Homosexuality in Haitian Vodou is religiously acceptable and homosexuals are allowed to participate in all religious activities. However, in West African countries with major conservative Christian and Islamic views on LGBTQ people, the attitudes towards them may be less tolerant if not openly hostile and these influences are reflected in African diaspora religions following Atlantic slave trade which includes Haitian Vodou.
Zaka is the loa of the harvest in Haitian Vodou mythology. Another way to reference this loa is through the name "Azaka Médé".
A bokor (male) or caplata (female) is a Vodou priest or priestess for hire in Haiti who is said to serve the loa, "'with both hands', practicing for both good and evil." Their practice includes the creation of zombies and of ouangas.
Congo is a handsome but apathetic loa in Vodou. In the Congo Savanne aspect, he is a fierce petro loa. He is a powerful man-eating loa whose patron color is white.
Guédé-Linto also spelled as Guédé Linto, Guede Linto, Ghede Linto, is a Vodou loa that performs miracles.
Baron Criminel is a powerful spirit or loa in the Haitian Vodou religion. He is envisioned as the first murderer who has been condemned to death, and is invoked to pronounce swift judgment. Baron Criminel is syncretized with Saint Martin de Porres, perhaps because his feast day is November 3, the day after Fête Guede or Fête Ghede. His colors are black, purple, white and deep blood red.
Christian-Vodou can be seen as a syncretism of different cultures and religions. Primarily focused on Haitian Vodou and Catholic Christianity, the two have been merging together in a way since around the 18th century, when a majority of Haiti was part of the Atlantic slave trade.
Dominican Vudú, or Dominican Voodoo, popularly known as Las 21 Divisiones, is a heavily Catholicized syncretic religion of African-Caribbean origin which developed in the erstwhile Spanish colony of Santo Domingo on the island of Hispaniola.
Tchaka or Chaka is a Haitian stew made from hominy, beans, pumpkin (joumou), and meat. It is used as an offering to the loa in Haitian Vodou. The nutritious soup is also associated with festivities and family time.
References
- 1 2 Simpson, George Eaton (Oct–Dec 1942). "Loup Garou and Loa Tales from Northern Haiti". Journal of American Folklore. 55 (218): 219–227. doi:10.2307/535864 . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
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