Haitian vodou and vodun: lwa and spirits
54 spirits documented in the Kunda Codex
Vodun was born among the Fon and Ewe peoples of the Bight of Benin, where every force of the world has its spirit. Carried to Saint-Domingue by the slave trade, it became Haitian vodou, where the lwa mediate between humans and Bondye: Papa Legba opens the roads, Baron Samdi rules the dead, Erzulie embodies love. The entries below document these spirits from Benin to the Caribbean.
SpiritallyMAWU-LISA
Moon (Mawu) / Sun (Lisa), order
Spirit of the Earth
SpiritallyNANA BULUKU
Primordial ancestress, creator / Nana Baluku
Ancestral Spirit
EarthallySAKPATA
Earth, disease, healing
Spirit of the Earth
SpiritallyGU
Iron, craft, war
Warrior Spirit
SpiritallyBARON SAMDI
Death, sex, laughter
Spirit of the Dead
WaterallyERZULIE FREDA
Love, beauty, luxury
Spirit of the Waters
SpiritallyERZULIE DANTOR
Maternal protection, wrath
Protective Spirit
SpiritallyAYIDA-WEDDO
Rainbow, fertility / Ayida Wedo
Creator Spirit
WaterallyAGWÉ
Sea, navigation
Spirit of the Waters
WaterallyLA SIRÈNE
Waters, seduction, wealth
Spirit of the Waters
FireallyMAMAN BRIGITTE
Purifying fire, justice, protection of graves
Spirit of Fire
SoulallyDAMBALLA WEDO
Primordial serpent, creation, wisdom
Creator Spirit
SoulneutralGUÉDÉ NIBO
Death, youth, exuberance, spirit of the young dead
Spirit of the Dead
FireallyOGOUN FERAY
War, iron, resistance, courage
Warrior Spirit
EarthallyAGÉ
God
Deity
WaterallyAVRIKITI
God
Deity
SpiritallyAYABA
Goddess
Goddess
AirneutralDJI
Spirit
Spirit
SpiritallyEGBERUN
God
Deity
SoulallyFA
God
Deity
AirallyHEYVOSO
God
Deity
SoulallyHONSI
Hero
Hero Spirit
SoulallyHONSU
Hero
Hero Spirit
SpiritallyIFA
Goddess
Goddess
EarthneutralIJIMERE
Spirit
Spirit
SpiritallyLOKO
God
Deity
SpiritallyMAWU
Goddess
Goddess
SpiritallyMINONA
Hero
Hero Spirit
SpiritneutralNGOLIMENO
Spirit
Spirit
SpiritallySAGBATE
God
Deity
SpiritallySHAKPATA
God
Deity
WaterallySOGBO
God
Deity
SoulallyZINSU
Goddess
Goddess
SoulallyZINSI
Goddess
Goddess
SpiritantagonistADZE
The Vampiric Firefly
Vampiric Spirit
EarthallyAYIZAN
Initiation, markets, dignity
Ancestral Spirit
EarthallyPAPA LOKO
Vegetation, healing, guardian of temples
Healing Spirit
WaterallyMARASSA
Divine twins, childhood, abundance
Ancestral Spirit
AirallySOBO
Thunder, storm, discipline
Warrior Spirit
AirallyBADÈ
Wind, breath, messages
Creator Spirit
WaterallyAGASSOU
Leopard, Dahomean memory, springs
Ancestral Spirit
EarthallyGRAN BWA
Forest, plants, initiation
Healing Spirit
AirneutralMÈT KALFOU
Night crossroads, thresholds, tipping point
Creator Spirit
WaterallySIMBI
Fresh waters, magic, messages
Spirit of the Waters
FireneutralTI-JEAN PETRO
Fire, trees, cunning
Warrior Spirit
FireneutralERZULIE GE-ROUGE
Anger, mourning, wounded love
Protective Spirit
EarthneutralBOSSOU TWA KÒN
Bull, raw strength, fertility
Warrior Spirit
FireneutralMARINETTE
Revolt, night, birds of prey
Protective Spirit
FireneutralDANBALA LA FLAMBO
Serpent of fire, Petro force
Creator Spirit
SoulneutralBARON LA CROIX
Death, elegance, philosophy
Spirit of the Dead
EarthneutralBARON CIMETIÈRE
Guardian of graves, threshold
Spirit of the Dead
SoulneutralBRAV GEDE
First of the dead, memory of the departed
Spirit of the Dead
EarthallyAZAKA MEDEH
Agriculture, peasantry, labour
Ancestral Spirit
FireallyOGOU BADAGRI
Strategy, command, iron
Warrior Spirit
Frequently asked questions
What are the lwa of Haitian Vodou?
The lwa are the spirits of Haitian Vodou. They act as intermediaries between humans and Bondye, the distant creator: Papa Legba opens the roads, Baron Samdi rules the dead, Erzulie embodies love, Damballa the wisdom of the primordial serpent. Vodou was born from the vodun of the Fon and Ewe peoples of the Bight of Benin, carried to Saint-Domingue by the slave trade.
What is the difference between Rada and Petro lwa?
They are two rites, two families of spirits. The Rada rite is inherited from Dahomey: Erzulie Freda, lwa of love and beauty, and Damballa Wedo, the primordial serpent served in white, belong to it. Erzulie Dantor, her sister, is honoured in the Petro rite: a fierce mother with a knife, she protects women and children at any price.
Which lwa is saluted first in a Vodou ceremony?
Papa Legba, the lwa of the crossroads and keeper of the doors. He is the first spirit saluted in every ceremony, because he opens the barrier between the world of humans and that of the lwa. He is inherited from the vodun Legba of Benin.
Who is the lwa of death in Haitian Vodou?
Baron Samdi is the lwa of death and the head of the Gede family. Guardian of the cemeteries, he watches over the souls of the dead and welcomes each one at the threshold of the other world.