Africa
Alusi: spirits that are worshiped in
the Igbo religion
Loa: spirits of Haitian Voodoo and
Louisiana Voodoo. Intermediaries between Bondye (Supreme Creator) and humanity
Nkisi: objects used in the Congo
Basin
Orisha: Yoruba people, Orisha are
sent by divinities for the guidance of creation and humanity.
Winti: Akan and Fon slaves and
Christianity merge of religions
Loa:
Nations:
Rada – (creation, orderly, beneficial,
water spirits)
Petro – (destruction, aggressive,
warlike, New World)
Ghede – (spirits of the dead, loud,
rude fun family, eating glass and hot peppers)
Kongo – Marinette, Simbi (water
serpents, plants, poisons)
Nago – Ogoun –Loa of craftsmen,
metalwork
Voodoo practitioners believe in
reincarnation.
Deities:
Bondye: The creator god in the Voodoo
religion and the loa answer to him. The loa serve as intermediaries between man
and Bondye.
Papa Legba: Sun god Loa
associated with the crossroads and serves as an intermediary between man and
the spirit world. In some places, he is seen as a fertility god, portrayed with
a large erect phallus. In other customs, he is a trickster, or he may be a
protector of children. He is associated with red and black, portrayed as an old
man with a straw hat accompanied by a dog. He is always the first god to be
invoked in ceremonies.
Kalfu: moon god and ruler of the night.
Patron deity of sorcerers, and those who practice black magic. He rules bad
luck, destruction, and injustices. His favorite drink is rum laced with
gunpowder. He is often seen as a darker version of Papa Legba.
Maman Brigitte: Loa associated with death and the
underworld. She is the consort of Baron Samedi and is often represented by a
black rooster. She is also considered a goddess of justice. Rum and hot peppers
are her favorite diet.
Maman
Brigitte is portrayed as a light-skinned woman with red hair, it is said that
she could be descended from Brigid, the Celtic goddess of the hearth fires and
domestic life.
Baron Samedi: Husband of Maman Brigitte, Baron
Samedi is the god of death and is both respected and feared as the keeper of
cemeteries. He often appears skeletal, wearing a top hat and formal tails and
dark glasses. He is also a god of resurrection; only he can welcome a soul to
the realm of the dead.
He is known
for lewd behavior, swearing, and mating with other women. He is connected to
powerful acts of magic and is the leader of the Guede, the family of loa who
work with the dead.
Erzulie: goddess of beauty and love, epitome
of femininity and womanhood. She represents the cosmic womb in which divinity
and humanity are conceived. Erzulie often grieves that which she cannot obtain,
and sometimes leaves a ceremony weeping. She is sometimes represented as a
black Madonna and other times as an upper class woman in fine clothing and jewelry.
Her three
husbands are the war god Ogun, the sea god Agwe and Damballah. Erzulie feels
sadness due to the broken hearts of humans.
Loco: The god of wild vegetation, herbs and
fruits for killing or healing. He is also the patron deity of doctors and
Voodoo priests. His wife is the market goddess Ayzian (also deity of Voodoo
priestesses).
Shango: God of fire, judge, fighter,
symbolized by double-axe or ram’s horn.
Ogun: War god Loa associated with blacksmiths, warriors, and justice.
Practitioners call upon Ogun for matters related to war and conflict and likes offerings
of male roosters and dogs. He is symbolized by an iron knife or machete and has
a fondness for pretty women and rum.
Ogun stood
as Ghede Nibo’s godfather and adopted him.
Oya: goddess of wind, fire, sea, nature
and sudden change.
Damballah: The creator of gods and humanity who
helped Bondye make the cosmos and is represented by a giant serpent. His coils
shaped the heavens and earth and he is the keeper of knowledge, wisdom, and
healing magic. Damballah looks after the crippled, albinos, and children. Erzulie
is his consort. He loves silver. His son, Simbi
is a white snake god who brings rain.
Ayida: The goddess of the rainbow and primary
wife to creator Damballah. The pair manifest as intertwined serpents. Ayida
also serves as a fertility goddess. Her favorite offerings are white food. Ayizan, her daughter, is goddess of the
marketplace and of initiation into the sacred truths, making her the head Mambo
(Voodoo priestess.)
Oshun: One of the Orishas, Oshun is a goddess
connected to rivers and water. She is associated with wealth, pleasure, love,
beauty, and sexuality. Oshun’s colors are orange and golden yellow, green and
coral.
Yemaya: motherly goddess of the sea
Obatala: Goddess of the heavens,
personification of creative energy: old with white hair
Agwe: The god of the sea and patron deity
of sailors and fishermen. Agwe taught humans how to fish and build boats. He is
one of the husbands of the love goddess Erzulie. Agwe is green-eyed and dresses
like a naval officer.
Zaca: The god of agriculture and the
harvest. He dresses in denims and a straw hat. Zaca smokes a pipe, drinks from
bottles of rum and wields a machete.
Marassa: Mawa and Lisa: divine twins: male and female energy,
personify sun and moon
References
© Edward Wozniak and Balladeer’s Blog 2014. https://glitternight.com/2014/08/13/the-top-eleven-deities-in-voodoo-mythology/
No comments:
Post a Comment