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Vodou and The
Guede Spirits By
Scheeler Devis, Heritagekonpa Magazine (Page
2 of 2)
Guede, meaning, "Guardian of the dead" is one of the major spirits in the Vodou
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Maitresse Erzulie ( GOD of Water)by
Hector Hyppolite |
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religion. In the Haitian culture, Guede is celebrated throughout the month of
November, the season of the dead and rebirth.
Today many of us still do not fully understand the fundamentals of Vodou as a
religion or Guede as a spirit within Voodou and continue to ask many essential
questions. What is "Loa"? What is Guede? What does Vodou represent to Haitians,
West Indians, and other people of African descendants? These questions will be
addressed through a series of research articles on Heritagekonpa Magazine. If
you have a moment and can keep an open mind, we will attempt to bring some clarification
and perhaps some enlightenment to the subject. We begin with the Guede spirits. "The
loa Ghede are often quite rowdy and raunchy, sprinkling their conversation with
profanities and sexual innuendo. Haitian culture is generally very conservative
and does not normally reward such behaviors, but the loa Ghede can commit such
social transgressions without impunity - being dead, they are beyond punishment,
and they seem to feel that shocking people is perfectly reasonable. They typically
do not use profanity in an abusive manner, but prefer to make people laugh at
their over-the-top behavior. Predominantly male, and praised with raucous songs
and enthusiastic dances, the loa Ghede are the ancestors who bridge the gap between
'Guinea' (Africa) and the living of Haiti. The Ghede's names all end in La Croix
in honor of Baron and Maman Brigitte who reclaim the souls of the ancestors and
make them into loa; both Baron and Maman Brigitte's symbol is the cross. "Vodouisants
possessed by the Ghede often dance suggestively (though without desire - it is
a paradox that the Ghede represent both eroticism and death), drink strong spirits,
and behave outrageously…" wrote an English Scholar. In
Guede ceremony, vodou practitioners usually offer a large feast to the Guede spirits
in November. The feast is accompanied by a 30 minute to an hour long prayer,
followed by ritual chants, drumming and dances associated with Vodou, Haitian
folklore music. During the ceremony the spirit is offered alcohol, food, grains,
and other natural products. This is regarded as an invitation to the spirits to
come celebrate life after death. Upon manifestation, the Guede spirit reacts foolishly
and engages in explicit sexual conversation with the Vodou priests and the audience
in the ceremony. Shortly thereafter, Guede regains its true form and focuses on
human healing and problem solving. It is said that the loa Guede acts foolishly
sometimes to ridicule death. For death no longer has power over its existence.
According
to Vodou practitioners, "Baron Samedi", also known as "Papa Baron" and "Gran Brigitte",
represent Guede's parental lineage. Guede's parents are considered the lord of
death. Baron is the spirit who presides over the dead; the loa decides the faith
of all human beings on earth after death. It is relevant to note that in the Vodou
religion, there exists several Gods, in addition to the Creator of the universe;
whom Vodouists refer to as THE GREAT and ULTIMATE FATHER, who are responsible
for a different element of life such as the sun, wind, water, earth, air, dead,
fire etc. All of these deities are believed (including Jesus the son of Jehovah)
to be the holy sons and daughters of the Great and Ultimate Father. Vodou
is a very complex subject to understand if one is not part of the trusted circle
of the religion. Religious Vodou priest known as "Hougan" (male priest) and Manbo
(female priests) have their beliefs and secrets which cannot be revealed to the
world. Don't think for a moment that Christian priests, Rabbis, Free masons, and
other religious leaders do not have their own secrets which they do not reveal
to their followers. To the Vodouists, Guede controls the crossroads at which every
human must traverse some day to meet their faith in the afterlife. In the Haitian
culture, Vodou Hougan and Mambo believe that no single individual can communicate
with the dead without first obtaining permission from Papa Baron. In every major
cemetery in Haiti, Papa Baron "lord of the dead" is represented by a black cross
mounted on a small tomb. Guede, the keeper of the cemetery, is the primary contact
with the dead. In the event that a person wishes to petition or contact the dead,
he or she must first appeal to Guede/Baron Samedi to make the connection with
ancestral spirits. Guede
is generally a good and generous spirit; both Papa Baron and Gran Brigitte have
healing power. According to Vodou priests, Guede can decide the fate of a person
near death by allowing him or her to recover or make the transition to the afterlife.
They are particularly fond of young children and protect them from harm. Unless
it is THE ULTIMATE CREATORS' will, Guede spirits do not allow children to die
before they have completed the cycle of life. It
is our hope that with this insight into the spirits of Voodou and the truths about
how it is practiced as a religion that we will be able to dispel some of the misconceptions
that have heretofore been propagated. As we continue our series, our next discussion
topic will be on the spirit of Maragas....previous
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