List of spirit beings in voodoo
List of spirit beings in voodoo
A loa is a spirit in voodoo with great power and almost unlimited possibilities. The loa are said to be able to grant almost any wish to those who adore them. Each has a specific aspect which is called a nachon (nation) in the Creole language . Beneficent Loa are assigned to the Rada -Nachon, destructive ones to the Petro -Nachon and those concerned with life and death to the Ghede -Nachon. Bondyè is the only god in voodoo.
For many Loa, the symbol corresponds to the appearance. The individual loa also differ from one another by their representational and sometimes colored symbolism, preferred offerings and individual areas of responsibility . Not all criteria are listed for all loa, since in voodoo there is no normative tradition or binding teaching hierarchy. In these cases the relevant table positions remain empty.
Deities of voodoo
| God | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Bondye | as the only , distant, benevolent god creator and lord of all nachons and loa in Caribbean voodoo. He is the deity in New World Voodoo. |
| Mawu-Lisa | as the only , distant, benevolent deity, creator and mistress of all nachons and loa. She is the bisexual deity in the African Vodun. |
The deities are neither called upon directly nor given sacrifices; the respective responsible Loa mediate directly between the material and the beyond.
Significant loa
| Loa | Nachon | symbol | colour | Victim | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjasou | Rada | bulging eyes, sullen demeanor | Cognac, vermouth, rum | lives in the Mombin fruit tree | |
| Agassou | Rada | claw-like hands | Protector of the Fon and Yoruba | ||
| Agau | Petro | Thunder, tremor | Earthquakes and storms | ||
| Agwe | Rada, Petro | Conch shell | Blue, white, sea green, brown | two white sheep | Sea, seafaring |
| Ayida | Rada | Rainbow, snake | Blue White | White chickens, eggs, rice, milk, cotton | supreme benevolent loa alongside Damballah ; specifically responsible for human sexuality |
| Ayizan | Rada | Mound of earth splashed with oil, surrounded by palm fronds | White, silver, gold | Taps; also non-alcoholic drinks | Guardian spirit of markets, public places, doors and barriers (within the material world); Initiation of new believers |
| Azacca | Ghede | Tobacco pipe, burlap sack, straw hat | Green, blue, red | white rum and manioc schnapps , rural dishes: boiled corn, oil-soaked bread, fried offal, raw sugar | physical work, love for young girls; also protective spirit of the rural population and of food |
| Bakulu | Petro | Chains | any sacrifice to appease the loa; left in the forest | evil forest spirit; is not called | |
| Bath | Rada, Petro | wind | |||
| Badessy | Sky (planetary) | ||||
| Baron Samedi | Ghede | Grave cross | violet | Cigarettes and rum | Protector of the dead |
| Bosou Koblamin | Petro | triple horned head | Pigs | Guardian spirit in war, especially at night | |
| breeze | Rada | owl | spotted hens | Protector of the hills and forests, loves children | |
| Congo | Petro | Mixed drinks and meals with allspice ; dress | handsome but apathetic loa | ||
| Congo savanna | Petro | White | Cannibalism ; should not be called | ||
| Damballah | Rada | Snake | White | Eggs | highest benevolent loa next to Ayida |
| Dinclusin and Chalotte | Loa couple; joint responsibility for the precise execution of rituals and the languages of Haiti | ||||
| Erzulie | Rada as Erzulie Freda, Petro as Erzulie Dantor or Erzulie Jan Petro | Heart pierced with sword | Pink in Rada, golden yellow and navy blue in Petro | Jewels, perfume, sweet cakes, liquors | Romantic love (in the Rada), protection from domestic violence and the patroness of New Orleans (in the Petro). Also protective spirit of homosexuality |
| Filomez | Rada | broom | Light blue, green, yellow and white | Bouquets of flowers | Eliminator of all misfortunes. Is interreligiously equated with the Catholic saint Philomena of Rome and associated with water. |
| Ghede | see Baron Samedi | ||||
| Gran Boa | Rada | different dishes | Protector of the game | ||
| Grande Ezili | Walking stick | ||||
| Gran Simba | Petro | golden crowned snake | Copper red, lime green | Head of the Simbi (water spirits) | |
| Ibo Lele | Petro | different dishes | Independent, hateful, proud and ambitious loa to be sacrificed to alone | ||
| Jean Petro | Petro | supreme destructive loa; is the resistance to the bondage associated | |||
| Kalfu | Petro | moon | red | gunpowder mixed rum | regulates the access of the petro-loa to the material world |
| Krabinay | Petro | red | a group of diabolical, courageous and cynical loa, but also helpers in hopeless situations | ||
| Legba | Rada | Walking stick | Red, green, pink | Cereals and luxury foods | opens the entrance to the material world for the other Rada-Loa |
| Lemba | Iron bar | ||||
| Linglessu | Petro | distorted voice | salted goat meat (especially the tip of the tongue, ears, front teeth, and tip of the tail) | is compared with the masonry associated | |
| Linto | Ghede | childish behaviour | Protector of children | ||
| Loco | Rada | Servant with tobacco pipe | Tree bark, living flowers (to be sacrificed by planting) | physical health, patron of doctors and healers, also protective spirit of forests and medicinal plants | |
| Maman Brigitte | Ghede | white woman with red hair in black dress | violet | black chickens | Guardian of the cemeteries |
| Marasa | Petro | Twins who died as small children | any food | Avengers for promises not kept | |
| Marinette | Petro | Screech owl | red | black pigs and goats, staked roosters | Violence of all kinds; the most feared loa |
| Obatala | Rada, Petro | White clothing | White | edible snails | prenatal development of children, positive or negative. In the belief of the Yoruba, however, the highest spirit being |
| Ogoun | Petro | Saber rammed into the earth | orange | red pigs and roosters; rum | War, political power; Patron of the forge |
| Simbi Andezo | Rada in fresh water, Petro in sea water | Snake | green | Rainwater, snakeskin, candles, ribbons | Loa associated with the water, which is also said to impart clairvoyance |
| Siren and Whale | Always a common adored couple of loa, connected to the sea, task and place in the spiritual world within the voodoo disputed | ||||
| Sobo Kessou | Rada | White, lime green | Lamb and goat meat | Physical strength loa; also protective spirit against supernatural diseases | |
| Soybo | Petro | polished stones | Loa of lightning, also protector of flags | ||
| Taureau-trois-graines | Petro | Bull with three testicles | grass | destructive anger; at the same time the patron saint of the city of Jacmel in southeast Haiti | |
| Ti-Jean-Petro | Petro | Appear as a one-legged, red-eyed man or as a skeleton | yellow | black magic |
Individual evidence
Unless otherwise stated or documented in the articles on the individual loa: Jan Chatland, Descriptions of Various Loa of Voodoo . Webster University , Spring 1990.
Further sources:
- ↑ Houngansydney: Kouzen Zaka . 5th October 2014
- ↑ Irene Monroe: The Roots of Voodoo's Acceptance of Gays . Huffington Post , November 2, 2011
- ↑ Sydney Noel: Filomez . 5th October 2014
- ↑ Sosyete de Marche: Gran Simba ( Memento of December 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) February 29, 2020
- ^ Sydney Noel: Ti Jean Petro . 5th October 2014