Loa: Spirits of Voodoo

Many of the Loa are syncretized with the saints.

In Voodoo tradition, the Loa are the intermediaries between mankind and Bondyè, the Creator. They are similar to angels and saints in Christianity, but rather than being prayed to, they are obeyed. They are powerful, natural entities, each with his or her own distinct personality and methods of worship. Each of the Loa claims ownership of various aspects of the world, such as the ocean or fire or war, and each person is seen as the child of one of the Loa. The Loa are syncretized with the Christian saints and often are used interchangeably. Some of the most important Loa are Legba, Ghede, Agwe, Ogoun and Erzulie. Legba is the principle Loa and controls the crossroads between the spiritual and material world. He is saluted at the beginning of each and every ceremony. Legba is syncretized with Saint Lazarus Ghede is the keeper of the cemetery and the Loa that presides over death. Agwe rules over the sea and Ogoun rules over war craft. Erzulie is the Loa of beauty and the arts and is syncretized with the Virgin Mary. In Voodoo, practitioners give offerings to the Loa in the hopes that their requests will be answered. In worship ceremonies, it is common for Loa to come and possess some of the priests, so they may communicate directly with their children. Many practitioners of Voodoo and even a good number of impartial researchers attest to the power of the Loa: many claim that their requests were answered and extraordinary feats of supernatural power and ability have been observed during Loa possession.