Baron Cimetière
neutralGuardian of graves, threshold
Baron Cimetière is the lwa who guards the cemetery in Haitian Vodou, third of the Barons with Samdi and La Croix. His charge is precise: he guards the place itself, the graves and the gate, and no one comes to work there or take anything away without first greeting him. Every Haitian cemetery has its Baron, and tradition holds that it is the first man buried there: the guardian of the place thus comes from the place, which gives each cemetery an identity of its own. His servants leave their offerings at the cross that stands near the entrance, the kwa Bawon. His role sheds light on a point often misunderstood: in Vodou, the cemetery is not a place abandoned to the dead but an administered space, with its rules and its guardian. Breaking the rules is not an abstract impiety, it is a lack of respect towards someone who is there.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
Bound to one of the five elements of the cosmic balance. Its power springs from the energy proper to its tradition, and from no other.
Sacred Mask
A mask carved of ancient energy, a symbol of the cosmic force proper to its pantheon.
Era
1700 to 1900: Cycle of the Joyful Death
Words of the Spirit
“No one passes the gate without greeting the one who holds it.”
Frequently asked questions
Who is Baron Cimetière?
Baron Cimetière is the lwa who guards the cemetery, third of the Barons of Haitian Vodou. He guards the place itself, the graves and the gate, and no one comes to work there without first greeting him.
Does every cemetery have its Baron?
Haitian tradition holds that it does: the Baron of a cemetery is the first man buried there. The guardian thus comes from the place, which gives each cemetery an identity of its own.
Related spirits
Further reading
Sources and references
- Alfred Métraux, Le Vaudou haïtien (1958)
- Leslie G. Desmangles, The Faces of the Gods: Vodou and Roman Catholicism in Haiti (1992)
- Laënnec Hurbon, Les Mystères du vaudou (1993)