The Gods Of the Caribbean



This covers the Islands in the Caribbean including Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

Much of the slave trade was directed to these areas, especially Haiti, from the Dahomey, Ebo and Yoruba tribes in Africa. Unknown to their captors they took their Gods with them.

Traditional beliefs were mixed and stirred with the prevailing Roman Catholic rituals and Voodou became a powerful influence especially in Haiti where the slaves eventually had a successful rebellion against their oppressors and have been independent ever since. Not always happily.

'Voo' means introspection, 'Dou' means the Unknown. Although Possession is said to be nine tenths of the law and the Catholic Religion claims 85 per cent faith, this is not always what it seems - not even with syncretism. Voodou has spread and various brands have taken hold on other islands and other deities have drifted in from the nearest parts of South America.

Principally the Gods and spirits in this section will be Voodou. But not the Voodoo of Hollywood with Zombies and pin-ridden dolls lurching all over the place. Voodou does have its unsavory aspects, but the populist Hollywood version is a highly sensationalised fiction based on stereotype and brute ignorance. A myth based on myth, if you like.

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REGIONS COVERED: The Caribbean (West Indies), including Cuba, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

Many Gods are spread across different regions, cultures and tribes. We've tried to pin them down to a particular area if possible. But amendments and corrections are always welcome, especially from people with first-hand knowledge. So if you live in the region and would like to comment, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us here.

TRIBES, CULTURES AND PEOPLES COVERED: Cubans, Haitians, Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans...




AGAROU: Mysterious Spirit.

Straight away we are in trouble as this is probably a LOA spirit or one of the ORICHAS for which we have no definite role.

This may be an alternative spelling for another spirit. Anyone know?

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


AGASSOU: This is a LOA of which there are thousands but he is involved in the RADA Rites.

He was originally connected with the Dahomey tribe of Africa where he was involved in some sort of Panther fetish.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


AGAYU: This is one of the 16 ORICHAS recognised in Cuba today.

Once there were between 400 and 1,700 but you can have too much of a good thing and some of them have been moved on or taken early retirement.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Cuba
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


AGOUE: The Protector of Boats and Fishermen.

He likes his sacrifices floated to him on small rafts. If they sink you know they have been accepted.

So make sure your raft contains a few bricks or bits of lead piping in its construction. Or pick a very rough day.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity


AGWE: The Boyfriend of LA-SIRENE.

He has a yacht and a palace under the sea, so you can see why she fancies him.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity


AIDA-WEDO: The Great Fertility Rainbow Snake.

She's a LOA of all those things as fertility, rainbows and snakes aways seem to go together.

She's also the consort of DAMBALLAH who is very lazy and just basks in the sun. Which is no bad thing as he coils round the whole world.

They are both fond of eggs and white chickens. Her Yoruba equivalent is OSHUNMARE.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Category : Deity
Alternative names : AYIDA-WEDO, AYIDA-WEDDO


AIZAN: LOA of the Market Place.

She does herbal healing and protects the Hougan or Temple. She does not do 'Possession'. She prefers just looking nice in silver and white and gently waving a palm leaf.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Spiritual Being


AZACCA: Haitian God of Farming.

Keep him well supplied with copious amounts of food, booze and sex and he will never desert your farm. If you own a farm think carefully about this.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Haiti
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity


BABLUAYE: One of the remaining 16 ORICHAS still flourishing in Cuba.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Cuba
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


BADESSY: A Voudoo LOA but how bad we don't know.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


BAKA: Spirits of Black Magicians.

The BAKA are very much creatures of the night. If you need bak-up, your local Voodou merchant should have some fly-by-night repellent in stock.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


BARON-CIMETIERE: Known as the Baron of Cemeteries, he's a high-ranking Spirit of the Dead.

A close colleague or a spooky aspect of BARON-SAMEDI, he's associated with mortal remains and final resting places. We imagine he has a very grave expression.

R.I.P.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being
Alternative names : CIMETIERE, BARON-CIMETIÈRE, MAÎTRE-CIMETIÈRE


BARON-LA-CROIX: A LOA Spirit of the Dead known as Baron of the Cross.

He's a cohort – or maybe a manifestation – of BARON-SAMEDI.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


BARON-SAMEDI: The Great Boss LOA Spirit of the Dead, and probably the most infamously famous character in the Voodou pantheon.

Stylish and sinister, he wears a black tailcoat, glossy top hat and dark eyeglasses. You guessed it – he's dressed like an undertaker.

But unlike most mortal undertakers, he smokes cigars on duty, twirls a cane and goes in for trance dancing. When not on the graveyard shift he likes to party – particularly on Saturday nights which is why he's called Baron Saturday.

In his graveyard persona of BARON-CIMETIERE, he watches over cemeteries. This isn't just a passive role, what with body-snatchers on the look-out for zombie material.

As BARON-LA-CROIX, he also stands at the metaphysical crossroads of life and death and he may even be a manifestation of GHEDE himself.

Of course he might just be a drinking buddy. There are those who claim to have seen them both together, but anything can happen when you drink vast quantities of rum and hot pepper and trance the night away. Not to mention the odd chicken sacrifice.

His wife is MAMAN-BRIGITTE and he also has two colleagues, BARON-LA-CROIX and BARON-CIMETIERE - who may or may not be aspects of his own grave personality.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity
Alternative names : SAMEDI, BARON-SATURDAY



BEN-ANGE: This is your Good Little Angel of Protection.

You are born with a BEN-ANGE for your own good. It can be housed in a clay jar for protection until needed.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Both male and female
Category : Spiritual Being


BONDYE: Very Senior Voudou Top God. He appears very aloof. Don't bother to knock – just Go Away.

Being a mix of badly and vaguely taught Christianity, mixed with African mythology, Voodou is almost a monotheistic religion by the back door.

Thus BONDYE is the Voodou monoGod. But the polytheistic side comes with the LOA, giving plenty of lesser deity spirits to worship. BONDYE does actually seem quite aloof (no doubt because of his African origins) while the LOA flit in and out of everyday life.

BONDYE is generally referred to as male although, like most monoGods, it's really down to his own personal preference. Is he married to Mother Goddess GRAN-MET or is he really her?

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity
Alternative names : BON-DIEU, BONDJE, DJO


BOSSU: He is very big and has horns.

He is a heavy employed by BARON-SAMEDI so things don't get neglected when the Baron is out partying.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


DAMBALLAH: The great lazy Snake that coils round the Earth.

The LOA of Snakes in general and huge ones in particular, he's a consort of AIDA-WEDO the Rainbow Fertility Snake.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being
Alternative names : DAMBALLA, DAMBALLAH-WEDO, DAMBALLA-WEDO


DAN-PETRO: A PETRO called Dan. He's the God of Farmers and Farming.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Haiti
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


ELLEGUA: One of the remaining Cuban ORICHAS. There are 16 of them.

He could also be the Yoruba ELEGUA from Africa, who would delight in this sort of confusion.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Cuba
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


ERZULIE: Goddess of Love, Romance, Beauty and Womanhood.

The feminist LOA who displays every aspect of femininity that could or would be expected, with suitable titles so that you know what mood she is in.

She's ERZULIE-FREYDA, ERZULIE-DANTOR and ERZULIE-GE-ROUGE. Then there is ERZULIE-TOHO, and ERZULIE-MAPIANGUEH - and she also stands in for the Virgin Mary, although not we imagine in the Meek and Mild way.

She can also be LA-SIRENE which we have put under separate heading. There are sure to be others but this should be enough to start you off.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Deity
Alternative names : ENZILI



ERZULIE-FREYDA: The loving side of ERZULIE.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Deity
Alternative names : ENZILI-FREDA, EZILI-FREDA


ERZULIE-GE-ROUGE: A red-eyed version of ERZULIE.

Why the red eyes? Is it drink, weeping, badly-taken photographs, or something more sinister? We don't like to ask.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Deity
Alternative names : ENZILI-GE-ROUGE


ERZULIE-MAPIANGUEH: Goddess of Justice, an aspect of ERZULIE the Love Goddess.

We imagine that in this mode she rights the wrongs of painful love affairs and wreaks vengeance on judgmental jilters. But that's just a guess.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Deity
Alternative names : ENZILI-MAPIANGUEH


ERZULIE-TOHO: This is ERZULIE the Love Goddess in a negative ugly mood.

Love hurts – and it can cause sickness, depression, misery and heartache. We offer our profound sympathies and a comforting hug.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Deity
Alternative names : ENZILI-TOHO


ERZULIE-DANTOR: The dark side of ERZULIE.

Here she is all jealousy and vengeance in red and black. Her symbol is a heart pierced by a dagger.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Deity
Alternative names : EZILI-DANTO


GHEDE: Spirit of the Dead, he's the famous Voodou Dude from Haiti.

He claims to have quite a family, but maybe it is just because he likes dressing up in fancy clothes. See also BARON-SAMEDI.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Haiti
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity
Alternative names : GEDE, GUEDE, GUÉDÉ


GRAN-MET: The Black Mother and Top Creator Goddess.

She appears to be a female manifestation of BONDYE. Or should that be womanifestation?

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Deity
Alternative names : GRAN-MAITRE, GRAN-MAÃŽTRE


GRAND-BOIS: A LOA of the Forest.

On the PETRO side, so don't go down in the woods today if you feel he may be around.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


GROS-POINT: A PETRO. It could be rude to point.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


IBEJI: These are Twin ORICHAS and are very popular in Cuba.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Cuba
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


IBO: Another PETRO. This is not an acronym for anything so far as we know.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


INLE: Another of the 16 remaining Cuban ORICHAS.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Cuba
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


JOYBOY: The Caribbean Spirit of the Drum.

He is the beat-it-out Bongo Congo rhythm of contrapuntal conundrums. He is not averse to putting pizzaz into Jazz. Rhythm is his business.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


KANGA: A PETRO. No connection to Winnie-the-Pooh.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


KONGO-SAVANNE: Another PETRO.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


LA-SIRENE: ERZULIE at the Seaside when she goes Mermaiding.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Deity


LEGBA: One of the old Fon originals from Africa.

In Haitian mode he is a jaunty old man with a pipe, a stick and a sunshade and is the Ruler of Light.

When he retires at night he hands over to the far less friendly MAIT-CARREFOUR.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Haiti
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity


LOA: Guiding God Spirits to set you Trancing and Prancing.

These are the lesser deities or spirits who act under BONDYE. They are comparable to angels and demons of Christianity. Also comparable to saints of Catholicism.

They guide you or ride you when prancing or trancing. In other words the LOA are spirits of possession.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Both male and female
Category : Spiritual Being
Alternative names : LWA


LOCO: Deity of Vegetation and Herbs.

Don't eat the loco weed.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity


LOUP-GAROU: Demoness. She has red hair and bloodshot eyes and does vampiring.

Not in a way you might expect, as she does not go for the throat. It's between the toes she likes to suck.

So toe-sucking may not always be the harmless type of fetishism you may have been led to believe.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Demon


MAIT-CARREFOUR: Lord of the Crossroads.

He's the rather nasty younger brother of GHEDE. He is weakened by sunlight and strengthened by moonlight. Takes over the nightshift from LEGBA, and they do not get on well.

Sorry, he ignores prayers and offerings. For him dark is dark.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity


MAMAN-BRIGITTE: The jolly Haitian Goddess of Love and Death.

She is so chatty and full of jokes that it's fun when she escorts you to the Underworld. Her husband is BARON-SAMEDI.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Haiti
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Deity
Alternative names : MAMAN-BRIGETTE


MARASSA: The Sacred Twins who are saluted at rituals. Does one have to use two hands?

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


MAYA: Voodou Rain Goddess.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Female
Category : Deity




OGOUN: He is of course the African OGUN, God of Metal of the Yoruba people.

And carrying on much as before in his new Voodou role. God of Fire, War, Iron, Politics, Blacksmiths and Furnaces. If he shouts 'My balls are cold!' you must pour some rum on the ground and set fire to it. It's a rum business all round.

If you see him wielding a machete, it is best to leave by the back door. He also has added extras and is OGOUN-BADAGRIS who does phallic things, and OGOUN-SHANGO for Fire and Lightning.

There's also OGOUN-FER, fer all the other things, and no doubt a few more. He is also on the Cuban ORICHAS List.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity
Alternative names : OGU


OGOUN-BADAGRIS: God of a Phallic Nature.

He's in charge of Phallicry, Phallusy and Phallusability. See OGOUN.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity


OGOUN-FER: God of Various Things.

We know that's not very helpful. See OGOUN.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity


OGOUN-SHANGO: God of Fire and Lightning. See OGOUN.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity


ORICHAS: Spirit Guides which there are similar if not identical to the African ORISHAS.

Both 'Orisha' and 'Oricha' are valid spellings; we have used both to differentiate the African and Caribbean version. We hope to avoid confusion - but have probably added to it.

Cuba decided they had too many ORICHAS and whittled them down to sixteen. The ones not mentioned are mostly the same as the African Spirits from which they are derived. For example, INLE, OBATALA, OLOKUN, ORUNMILA, OSANYIN, Oshosi, OSHUN, SHANGO and YEMAYA.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Cuba
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Both male and female
Category : Spiritual Being


OUGOU-FERAY: God of Mud and Water.

May be connected in some tedious way to OGOUN.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity


PETRO: These are the LOAs of lower than low.

The PETROs are the ones you want to keep well away from. These are Voodou Gods that are not always very nice, and it is best to err on the side of caution. Not only are they violent and aggressive but they charge heavily for their services.

When you see the name PETRO think of petrol. Then think of a lighted match. Then have a re-think.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Both male and female
Category : Spiritual Being


RADA: A gentle and benevolent LOA from the Dahomey tribe in Africa.

He seems to have drifted to Haiti on a gentle breeze.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people: Haiti
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Spiritual Being


SIMBI: There seem to be a lot of SIMBI. Most of them of the PETRO persuasion.

There is SIMBI-ADAZO, SIMBI-DIO and SIMBI-MAKAYA. He or she seems to have something to do with rainfall and fresh water with a few snakes in it. Also partial to speckled roosters, but not in the bath we hope.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Category : Spiritual Being


VOODOU: This is the religion popularly referred to as Voodoo.

It's more accurately spelt Voodou, Vodou or Vodun. Just as long as it sounds right. In Brazil it is known as Candomble, and Obeah in Jamaica.

It came originally via the African slave trade - folk plucked from their native lands took their Gods and beliefs with them. Their raditional beliefs were mixed and stirred with the prevailing Roman Catholic ritual.

Voodou became a powerful influence, especially in Haiti. It also spread to other islands - and other deities have drifted in from the nearest parts of South America. This mix-and-match process is known as Syncretism.

'Voo' means Introspection, 'Dou' means the Unknown. It has little to do with Hollywood zombies and pin-ridden dolls lurching all over the place. Voodou does have its unsavory aspects, but the populist Hollywood version is a highly sensationalised fiction based on stereotype and brute ignorance. Also, there's plenty of opportunity for drumming and rumming the night away.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Category : Concept
Alternative names : VOODOO


WE-TE-MO-NAN-DIO: These we are told are the Sixteen Incantations of Voodou.

We don't know who told us and could not repeat them as we don't do incantating. Decanting wine is more in our line.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Category : Concept


ZAKA-MEDE: Patron God of Agriculture.

VITAL STATISTIX
Area or people:
Location : the Caribbean
Gender : Male
Category : Deity

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