Kalfu

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Kalfu or [Met] Kalfou , French Carrefour or more precisely Maître Carrefour , German meaning master [of] the crossroads , is the Creole name of a destructive loa (spirit) in Haitian voodoo .

meaning

Kalfu is a loa from the Nachon Petro or destructive spirit. Its charitable counterpart is the Rada-Loa Legba . Kalfu allows or forbids other destructive loa to enter the material world and cause misfortune, wrong judgment and injustice. He is associated with witchcraft , curses and black magic and occasionally viewed as a demon , which he denies himself. He is supposed to control the spirits of the night as Legba controls the spirits of the day.

At the same time, he enjoys great respect in voodoo, although he is hardly loved, and is considered capable of offering people individual solutions to problems. He is considered to be enchanting and is said to use foliage leaves in his magic. Kalfu is also said to be able to transform people into animals and to control thoughts . He is portrayed as a tall, muscular man and is considered violent , but should be able to be appeased. In its function it resembles Pandora in Greek mythology . He is often equated with Satan from the Roman Catholic tradition .

cult

Its symbol is the moon . Its ceremonies are preferably held at crossroads. These symbolize the transfer of the Loa from the spiritual to the material world. In Kalfu's presence there should be no speaking when he takes possession of a person. The color assigned to it is red ; as a special sacrifice he is said to prefer rum mixed with gunpowder .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. a b c Jan Chatland: Kalfu and Legba , Descriptions of Various Loa of Voodoo. Webster University , Spring 1990
  2. ^ A b Michael R. Hall: Historical Dictionary of Haiti , entry "Kalfu" on p. 147. Google Books . January 12, 2012, ISBN 978-0810878105