Lwa

The spirits of Haitian Vodou, each with their own character, domain and signs.

The lwa are the spirits served in Haitian Vodou. They stand between Bondye, the distant good God, and people, and are closely involved in daily life: in love, work, health, family and death. The word is sometimes also written loa. Practitioners speak of sèvi lwa, serving the lwa, and call themselves sèvitè, servants.

Each lwa has their own character, domain, colours, days, rhythms, songs and vèvè, a drawn symbol. Papa Legba opens the gate between the worlds and is greeted first in every ceremony. Erzulie Freda stands for love and beauty, Erzulie Dantò for fierce maternal protection, Ogou for iron, work and struggle, Damballa for wisdom and calm, Agwe for the sea and the Gede for the boundary between life and death. Many lwa are connected with Catholic saints, such as Legba with Saint Peter and Damballa with Saint Patrick.

The lwa are grouped into families or rites. The Rada lwa, with roots in old Dahomey, are considered cool and calm; the Petwo lwa hot, fierce and fast. The Gede form a family of their own.

During ceremonies a lwa may ride a participant: the person then becomes the chwal, the horse, of the lwa. But according to practitioners lwa also often make themselves known in dreams, to give counsel, warn or ask for something. Whoever has such a dream does best to discuss it with a houngan or manbo.

The origin of the word lwa is uncertain; the Yoruba word oluwa, lord, or the French lois, laws, are often suggested. Practitioners also call the lwa mistè, mysteries, or zanj, angels.

Dreamkin describes how practitioners read dreams, and does not establish that a dream comes from a particular lwa.