Deity
Loa: Erzulie
Aug
ERZULIE
The goddess of love, beauty and passion.
Other names:
- Erzili or Ezili
Patronage:
- Love, health, beauty, homosexuals, passion, prosperity, perfumes, jewelry, flowers
Family
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Rada
- Erzulie Freda (Lady Erzulie) – The vain and flirty goddess of love. Her “horses” tend to cry tears of longing and regret. She is syncretized with Our Lady of Sorrows (the Virgin Mary as suffering mother).
- Erzulie Mansur (Erzulie the Blessed) – Represents maternal love and protects children from harm.
- Granne Erzulie (Grandma Erzulie) – Represents the wisdom granted by experience and maturity and grandmotherly kindness and love. She is syncretized with St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary.
Petro
- Erzulie D’en Tort or Erzulie Dantor (Erzulie of the Wrongs) Protects women and children and deals revenge against those who wrong them.
- Erzulie Balianne (Erzulie the Gagged) – “Silences” (heals or calms) hearts. Keeps secrets or ensures that secrets will not be revealed. Helps people to forget past loves and overcome passionate emotions. Her “horses” tend to speak as if they have a gag in their mouth. She is syncretized with The Immaculate Heart.
- Erzulie Mapiangue (Erzulie the Suckler) Deals with the pain of childbirth and the protection of unborn and newborn babies. Her “horses” tend to get in a fetal position or birthing position and cry tears of pain. Common syncretization is as the Virgin and Infant of Prague, which wear matching red velvet robes and gold crowns.
- Erzulie Yeux Rouge or Erzulie Ge-Rouge (Red-Eyed Erzulie) Takes revenge on unfaithful lovers. Her “horses” cry tears of bitter sadness.
- Erzulie Toho Aids the jealous or slighted in love. Her “horses” cry tears of anger.
Others
- Erzulie La Flambeau (Erzulie of the Torch)
- Erzulie Wangol (Erzulie of the Sacred Banner)
Offerings:
Her favourite sacrifices include jewellery, perfume, sweet cakes and liqueurs.
Her colours are pink, blue, white and gold.
Her symbol is a heart
Veve:
Mythology:
She wears three wedding rings in recognition of her three husbands – the gods Ogun, Agwe and Damballah. Erzulie’s three husbands pamper her and provide her with a lavish and luxurious existence, an idyllic life broken up only by the sadness the goddess feels because of broken hearts among humans.
The goddess is always powdered and perfumed and adorns herself with all manner of jewelry. Erzulie has affairs with many gods besides just her husbands but always rejects Nibo because of his excessively dark skin. She enjoys sugar-cakes and champagne and a sudden desire for these things can mark a mortal woman as possessed by Erzulie.
Source:
- THE TOP ELEVEN DEITIES IN VOODOO MYTHOLOGY
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erzulie
- Leah Gordon (1985), The Book of Vodou
Questions?
What is a Veve?
A Veve (spelled Vèvè or Vevè) is a religious symbol commonly used in different branches of voodoo throughout the African diaspora such as Voodoo and is different than the petipembas used in Palo or ponto riscados used in Quimbanda since they are all separate African religions. It acts as a “beacon” for the Loa, and will serve as a loa’s representation during rituals.
What are Rada Lwa?
Rada Loa/Lwa, or spirits who come out of the rites of the old kingdom of Dahomey (present Nigeria, Benin and Togo), generally considered to be benevolent and sweet (dous).(4)
