Bakru
Small, powerful spirit beings that can protect or harm.
Bakru are spirit beings that can be set to work through specific rituals, for protection or for harm. They are understood as instruments: what they do depends on who sends them.
In dreams they are often described as small figures that press themselves forward, keep returning, or want something from you.
This is a subject the tradition treats carefully. Anyone worried about it turns to someone with real knowledge within the tradition, not to an article.
Related terms
- Kra The soul or life force of a person in the Winti tradition.
- Yorka The spirit of someone who has died; in dreams often a visit from an ancestor.
- Winti Both the Surinamese spiritual tradition and the forces recognised within it.
- Apuku Forest and nature spirits, often tied to trees, animals and wild places.
- Mama Aisa Goddess of the earth and head of all winti pantheons.
- Anana The Creator in the Winti tradition, source of all winti.
- Djodjo The supernatural parents who protect you from birth.
- Tata Bosoe Head of the water winti, ruler of rivers, creeks and the sea.
- Kromanti Warrior-like, protective force among the sky winti, tied to courage.
- Loko Winti of trees and earth, carrier of wisdom and authority.
- Wisi Harmful magic, the opposite of obia.
- Obia Healing and protective force, and the person who applies it.
- Winti-fjofjo A disturbance in the contact between a person and their own winti.
- Wintiprei A winti ceremony in which winti are honoured through song, dance and trance.
- Tata Opete Head of the air pantheon; the only winti with free access to Anana.
- Srama The divine potency of a winti; determines how close it stands to Anana.
- Bere The family line within which winti are inherited and ancestors are served.
- Boen-sé en ogri-sé The benign and harmful side that every winti carries.
- Trefu A prohibition from your winti, usually on certain food, differing from person to person.
- Takroe-sani Lower beings in which the harmful aspect dominates, used in wisi.
- Luku A consultation with a lukuman or lukuvrouw, a Winti diviner.
- Wasi A ritual herbal bath in Winti.
- Hebi watra A heavy cleansing bath that removes burden, hebi.
- Swiet watra A sweet bath with flowers, for blessing and new starts.
- Prati watra The separation bath after a death, so the yorka lets go.
- Kra tafra A meal or bath to strengthen the kra, the soul.
- Tapu Spiritual protection in Winti, for body, house or yard.
- Pai An offering to a winti.
- Sreka and teri Honouring a winti, often by giving it its clothing or jewellery.
- Bigisma The elders and ancestors, who often speak in dreams in Winti.
- Asi The person who carries a winti; literally the horse.
- Kroi In Winti, the manipulation of a partner by ritual means.
- Duman A Winti healer and expert in baths and rituals.
- Calabash A hollowed-out gourd, used in Winti to pray with water.
- Pimba White clay, used in Winti for cleansing and tribute.
- Poku The music and song of a Winti ceremony.
- Leba The winti of street and crossroads, gatekeeper and cleanser.
- Fodu Snake spirits of the earth, also called papa winti.
- Ingi The spirits of the Indigenous peoples of Suriname.
- Kotomisi The Afro-Surinamese dress of koto, jaki and angisa, and the woman who wears it.
- Angisa The starched, folded head tie worn with the koto, whose fold carries a message.
- Pangi A rectangular, colourful cloth wrapped around the body; in Winti its colour can refer to a winti.
- Apinti A carved Afro-Surinamese drum that calls the winti and once carried messages.
- Kankantri The kapok tree, in Winti a sacred tree and dwelling place of winti.