The Loa, or Lwa, are spirits of the vodou/voodoo religion. While they are worshiped like gods, and evolved from several African Old Gods, they are actually spirits akin to saints or angels, acting as intermediaries between the humans and Bondye, the Supreme God and Creator of the World. In the novel, several of them appear.
Characteristics[]
Individual Loa[]
(Classified by chronological order)
Mawu[]
The creator-goddess of the Dahomey religion, representing the Sun and the Moon. She is mentionned as one of the gods Wututu and Agasu brought with them to America, in Chapter Eleven.
Elegba[]
Messenger and servant of Mawu in the Dahomey mythology. He is mentionned as one of the gods brought to America by Wututu and Agasu, described as "the trickiest of the gods, who was Great Mawu’s eyes and ears in the world, who took messages to Mawu and brought back Mawu’s replies". When Wututu is threatened sexually by an older man, Elegba "of the clever ways and iron-hard erection" speaks through her to terrify the man away. Later, Elegba takes possession of Agasu, "riding him" like a horse, in order to cause the Haitian slave revolt of 1791 - Agasu cannot remember what he did while he was possessed, his only memory being of his "rodlike and painful" erection, but others told him he (or rather the god) promised them freedom from their captivity. Elegba later appears under his modern Vodou form of Papa Legba "who opens the gates", the loa of crossroads and communication. He is part of the group of loas that gather at Rock City in Chapter Seventeen, "riding" a local man described as tall and black.
Aido-Hwedo[]
The Rainbow Snake from Dahomey and Fon mythology, a servant and steed of Mawu who helped create the world. Mentionned as one of the gods brought from Africa to America in Chapter Eleven, where it evolved into the vodou loa Ayida-Weddo, loa of fertility, rainbows, wind, fire and snakes.
Damballa-Wedo[]
Mentionned as one of the gods African slaves brought over to America. Originating as a "sky-father" figure and creator god taking the shape of a white snake in the city of Wedo (actual Benin), he evolved in the Vodou religion as a benevolent loa of fecundity and knowledge. He is mentionned as one of the gods Agasu (renamed Hyacinth) danses to in Chapter Eleven.
Ogu[]
Also called Ogun. Ogu was a spirit present in both the Yoruba religion and Dahomey mythology as a patron of war, warriors, blacksmiths and craftsmen. He is mentionned as one of the gods brought to America through the slave trade in Chapter Eleven, and who evolved into the Vodou religion as a loa of iron, smithing, war, intelligence, justice and medecine.
Zaka[]
Described as one of the gods worshipped by Agasu during his slavery in America, Zaka is a loa of the harvest from the Haitian vodou, also known as Azaka or Cousin Zaka.
Gédé[]
The gédés are the loas (spirits) of the dead in the vodou religion, known to appear as lustful and vulgar drunkards. Three of them appear at the gathering of Rock City, commanded by the Baron Samedi, inhabiting the body of three middle-aged brothers, carrying shotguns and making incredibly filfthy jokes.
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