Gastronomy of the Vodou Gods
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| Ezulie Danto |
Just a brief introduction to the Vodou religion. Unlike popular beliefs, the dieties eat and know how to consume food. The gods in the Haitian Vodou Religion eat with pleasure and their food varies according to their attributes and power.
Across the world Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism have been accepted and are featured as the foundation of groups of people in the world. Yet traditional African religion have been denied the same respect and as such myths have been created surrounding it and its pratices undermined. The Vodou religion has been stigmatize over the centuries and has been associated in popular colutre with satanism, zombies and voodoo dolls, stigmas that have been created by Hollywood that has had a negative impact on the Vodou religion.
The Vodou religion is a mix of West African traditional religion, Christianity and the Tainos religion. It started centuries ago with the massive deportation African to the Americas. These new immigrants brought with them a set of beliefs that slowly evolved into the religion we call Vodou today. Haitians all over the world practice their religion. Other form of the Vodou religion exist in the Dominican Republic, Cubas as Santeria, Cadomble and Umbanda in Brazil, New Orleans, South Carolina. there are 50 millions worshippers worldwide.
Vodou is quite the opposite of what it is protrayed as; it is a religion that is full of life, color, and spirit. Vodou characterizes the essence of the Haitian people. Vodou although it bears little ressemblance to its original pratice still maintain many African religious traits. religious belief and practices impact the way people live their everyday lives from what they eat or canno teat, the way they farm do everyday chores marry, treat illness, education and so on. The faithful believe that the work of the gods is present in all aspects of daily life, and that pleasing the gods will gain them health, wealth, and spiritual commitment.
Food for the Gods
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| Ezulie Freda |
AGOUE (day: Sunday and every day)
Food: Food boat. Mutton and lamb. Fruit: pineapple, orange, pear, plum, dates, mango, nectarine. Other: Cigar, mint tea, oriental pastries.
Drink: Champagne.
Color: Blue Green. Perfume: Florida, Pompeii.
Utensils blue and green scarf, candles of similar color.
Gem: Gold, Ruby.
BARON (day Saturday or all day)
Food: salted herring, sweet potato (white or purple skin), corn on the cobs, ground corn, herring, lamb or goat, tasso, smoked plantains, yams, pumpkin soup, pumkin soup, stew(sancocho) and Haitian dumplins
Drink: Bacardi white rum, white rum and hot peppers (seven or twenty-one), Tequila.
Color: Black or purple.
Needed: black or purple scarf, tobacco and pipe, cigar, coffee without sugar, cigarettes.
Gemstone: Black Onyx, Gold or Silver, Amethyst.
Drink: Bacardi white rum, white rum and hot peppers (seven or twenty-one), Tequila.
Color: Black or purple.
Needed: black or purple scarf, tobacco and pipe, cigar, coffee without sugar, cigarettes.
Gemstone: Black Onyx, Gold or Silver, Amethyst.
DAMBALLAH (day: Thursday)
Food: white rice, milk, egg, white pigeon, flour, honey, cake, candy (sugar and cream based) Haitian style. spiced codfish on rice and beans.
Drink: Vodka, Scotch Whisky, Bailey's, almond syrup.
Color: White
Perfume: Florida, Pompeii.
Gem: Gold, Emerald (green).
EZULIE DANTO (day: Tuesday and Saturday)
extremely powerful, complexe diety highly passionate, violent she represents motherhood and most importantly single mothers..
Food: sticky rice with black peas, banana weighing griot meat pork, sweet black coffee, cigarettes (no preference). Fruits: red grapes, orange, tangerine.
Drink: Cinzano, Tia Maria, Grand Marnier, sweet red wine, grenadine red.
Color: Royal blue or red.
Perfume: Florida, Dreams of gold.
Needed: royal blue scarf, blue or red candle, knife, a bouquet of pink flowers in red.
Gem: Silver.
FREDA (day Thursday)
Food: Fish, chicken, white pigeon, ripe, sweet plantain, pineapple.
Beverages: almond syrup, Amaretto, Anisette.
Color: Pink, blue, and white (sometimes identified as Immaculate Conception).
Perfume: Florida, Bien-etre (Cap Haitien), Reve d'or (Port-au-Prince).
Gem: Gold, diamond.
coquettish, soft spoken, non-violent she symbolizes love, promiscious she loves men and women equally.
GUEDE (Updated: Saturday)
Food: Mix base peas, corn grains, spicy and salted meat (Tiaka), smoked herring, roasted sweet potato and plantain, tobacco and pipe.
it is one of the diety that attracts most crowds. It is celebrated in november peole feel close to Gede because he is earthy and because eh portrays a phenomenon utterly natural and human: sexuality, fertility and life.
Drink: white rum, hot pepper, cinnamon and sugar cane.
Color: Black, white, purple and violet.
JEAN DANTO (day: Tuesday and Saturday)
Food: Napoleon, cakes, fruit tarts, pastries, plate of sweets and candies, Red soda, grenadine syrup.
Color: pale yellow.
Gem: Silver.
Food: white rice, milk, egg, white pigeon, flour, honey, cake, candy (sugar and cream based) Haitian style. spiced codfish on rice and beans.
Drink: Vodka, Scotch Whisky, Bailey's, almond syrup.
Color: White
Perfume: Florida, Pompeii.
Gem: Gold, Emerald (green).
EZULIE DANTO (day: Tuesday and Saturday)
extremely powerful, complexe diety highly passionate, violent she represents motherhood and most importantly single mothers..
Food: sticky rice with black peas, banana weighing griot meat pork, sweet black coffee, cigarettes (no preference). Fruits: red grapes, orange, tangerine.
Drink: Cinzano, Tia Maria, Grand Marnier, sweet red wine, grenadine red.
Color: Royal blue or red.
Perfume: Florida, Dreams of gold.
Needed: royal blue scarf, blue or red candle, knife, a bouquet of pink flowers in red.
Gem: Silver.
FREDA (day Thursday)
Food: Fish, chicken, white pigeon, ripe, sweet plantain, pineapple.
Beverages: almond syrup, Amaretto, Anisette.
Color: Pink, blue, and white (sometimes identified as Immaculate Conception).
Perfume: Florida, Bien-etre (Cap Haitien), Reve d'or (Port-au-Prince).
Gem: Gold, diamond.
coquettish, soft spoken, non-violent she symbolizes love, promiscious she loves men and women equally.
GUEDE (Updated: Saturday)
Food: Mix base peas, corn grains, spicy and salted meat (Tiaka), smoked herring, roasted sweet potato and plantain, tobacco and pipe.
it is one of the diety that attracts most crowds. It is celebrated in november peole feel close to Gede because he is earthy and because eh portrays a phenomenon utterly natural and human: sexuality, fertility and life.
Drink: white rum, hot pepper, cinnamon and sugar cane.
Color: Black, white, purple and violet.
JEAN DANTO (day: Tuesday and Saturday)
Food: Napoleon, cakes, fruit tarts, pastries, plate of sweets and candies, Red soda, grenadine syrup.
Color: pale yellow.
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| Baron Samedi |
Gem: Silver.
LEGBA(day: Tuesday)
Food: rice and beans, black hen.
Drink: Clairin and syrup.
Color: black, white.
Gemstone: Black Stone.
Food: rice and beans, black hen.
Drink: Clairin and syrup.
Color: black, white.
Gemstone: Black Stone.
MARASSA/Twins(day: Friday)
Symbolises children as such recieve appropriate treatment
Food: cornmeal porridge, popcorn, cookies, candies, couscous (carrots, turnips, squash, tomato, cabbage, chickpeas, raisins, mutton, salted butter, rancid butter flavored with thyme), cooked in butter.
Symbolises children as such recieve appropriate treatment
Food: cornmeal porridge, popcorn, cookies, candies, couscous (carrots, turnips, squash, tomato, cabbage, chickpeas, raisins, mutton, salted butter, rancid butter flavored with thyme), cooked in butter.
OGOU (day: Wednesday and Friday)Food: pink or red fish pink like snapper(fried in tomato sauce), rice and beans, plantain and salad (lettuce and tomato). Blend of cashews, almonds, dates and pistachio. Conch, shrimp and seafood Drink: Rum especially Barbancourt (five stars).
Color: Red
Perfume: Florida, Opium.
Utensils: red scarf, red candle, machete, tobacco and pipe, cigar, sweet black coffee.
Gem: Garnet (red). grenat
SIMBY(day: Saturday)Food: rice and beans and chicken.
Drink: Liqueur St. Raphael, strong liquor (Petro rite).
Color: sky blue, white (Simbi Dlo, Rada Rite), red (Simbi Makaya rite Petro).
Gem: Gold, diamond.
ZAKA MEDE (day: Saturday)
Utensils: Absinthe, bag, pipe and tobacco. Bottle made of white rum, star anise, root "zodevan. In the bag or "Djakout" for Zaka, we must find: starch candy, pistachio, gingerbread Haitian style, coconut (coconut), white bread Haitian style, a handful of corn, rice and beans, cassava, sweet bread (Bobori), candies, pine wood, matches, and some black or white coins.
Color: Indigo blue.
Gemstone: Ruby, Sapphire.
represent the peasants and agriculture he never leaves without food and money.
GLOSSARY # 2
Aizan (Ayizan): Spirit of Mother Earth. It is celebrated by the feast of yams. Mambo in the invisible (symbol: the laurel Identified in St. Lucie.
Aizan, purificator of hounfort, before Papa Loko. Its color is white. His food is the porridge of corn flour (or akasan) and other sweets like ripe banana, pineapple, white pigeon and white rice.
Asson (or Acon): the diety Loko who gives asson.
Bokor: Priest of black magic or evil.
Shaman: magician or sorcerer. But any magician or sorcerer can not be a shaman. According to Mircea Eliade, the shaman is "a specialist of the human soul." He knows "how life manifests itself, home to the future men, before their incarnation, how they are embodied in the womb. He confronts the mystery of birth, may affect her choice souls, and facilitate their introduction into the world. "
Condiments: Offerings are designed to perform the "Djakout" where "macoute" of a diety.
Dismemberment: Place where members of one family conduct rituals for domestic dieties.
Djakout: Bag of straw or sisal woven filled with "condiments" for the deities(loa) to which it is intended.
Djevo (guévo): Vault of Initiation. Ogou places the Initiated in Djevo.
Hougan "Djega" Self formerly known as "confidence-kay," which at one point leaves the house hougan to mount its own affairs.
Hougan tchatcha Hougan who, after his initiation, received the sacred rattle instead of asson.
Kay-loa: House of the spirits. This is the hounfort.
Lakou: A place of pilgrimage, vodou healing.
Aizan, purificator of hounfort, before Papa Loko. Its color is white. His food is the porridge of corn flour (or akasan) and other sweets like ripe banana, pineapple, white pigeon and white rice.
Bokor: Priest of black magic or evil.
Shaman: magician or sorcerer. But any magician or sorcerer can not be a shaman. According to Mircea Eliade, the shaman is "a specialist of the human soul." He knows "how life manifests itself, home to the future men, before their incarnation, how they are embodied in the womb. He confronts the mystery of birth, may affect her choice souls, and facilitate their introduction into the world. "
Condiments: Offerings are designed to perform the "Djakout" where "macoute" of a diety.
Dismemberment: Place where members of one family conduct rituals for domestic dieties.
Djakout: Bag of straw or sisal woven filled with "condiments" for the deities(loa) to which it is intended.
Djevo (guévo): Vault of Initiation. Ogou places the Initiated in Djevo.
Scarf: Piece of cloth used in ceremonies to invoke the spirits. As attributes and according to the rite, its color varies. It's the equivalent of a long handkerchief. White, Damballah; red Ogou Feraille; Black Baron Criminal, royal blue, Erzulie Dantor; Red Agaoua; Yellow, Legba, Blue Sky, Simbi, Rose, Erzulie Freda, Purple, Brave Guede, Blue Green, Agoué , Blue Indigo, Cousin Zaka Médé.
Djakout: voodoo priest not "assogué.
Hougan tchatcha Hougan who, after his initiation, received the sacred rattle instead of asson.
Kay-loa: House of the spirits. This is the hounfort.
Lakou: A place of pilgrimage, vodou healing.
Diety/Loa: natural forces. warrior diety (loa) drinks alcohol. Diety of peace consume calming food.. Ogou Achada, Badagri, Balendjo, Legba Nago, the four identified in Saint-Jacques Le Majeur, by region. Ogou Batallah at St. Philip Ogou Feray (Feraille) Ogou Chango and St. George.
Damballah, Agoué and Simbi, dieties of all rivers, and water source.
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| Ezulie Danto |
Atibon Legba, Legba Met Potay (Portal Master), Met Kafou Legba (Crossroad master), Legba Nago, identified respectively in Saint-Antoine, Saint Pierre, Saint-Lazare, Saint-Jacques Majeur.
Residential diety (or domestic): Loa (angel or spirit) that is found nowhere else.
Loko Atissou: Deity-Hougan, healer and initiator (symbol: asson), god of the newly initiated, identified with St. Gabriel. He gives the asson. a healer diety whose color is yellow. Although he serves in the Rada rite, he is given to drink alcohol. Beef to eat. In regard to the color of his "handkerchief", all depends on the regions. His attributes are sometimes yellow or red. During the various ceremonies we attended, we saw the use of two colors. It seems that the color used change the "degree" or level in which the spirit is invoked.
Ogou (Nago): There are many Ogou: Ogou Cancannican (Nago Petro), Ogou Bhacouleh (Nago Rada) Ogou Bhathalah (mixed) Ogou Thunder (Nago Petro), Ogou Balisère, Ogou Palama, Ogou Ashadeh, Ogou Iron Ogou Bha-lin-dyo (Nago wet) Ogou Shango (Nago Petro), Ogou Bha da gri Ossangne, Ogou Yamsan.
Points: Degrees. Sleep "on degrees" to learn to work, to place the spirits for eight to nine days.
Prayer "djo": Litany prayers or diety invocation of the vodou Pantheon.
Blood: Blood contains the soul, or at least one of the souls, and it is harmful to spread. Because "the soul of all flesh is its blood, which is in it." (The Bible, Leviticus, 17, v. 10-14).
Fraternity: derogatory association initiated to black magic or evil (eg Zobop, Toll-hairs, Grand Drap Bizango, Makaya, Makanda, etc..).
Vèvè: Writing symbolic of spirits in the form of design or pattern.
Zaka (Azaka Médé): He is the cousin Zaka, the peasant. The god of agriculture. In honor of Zaka, we have never seen a "handkerchief" blue, but still red. Yet his candle is blue. We think it depends on the rules of each "lakou. Three: The figure of the Trinity. The three women of Egypt: Dantor (Earth and Fire), Freda (Air), Simbi (Water).
