Papa Legba is loa who
is the intermediary between the loa and humanity.
He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to
speak with the spirits of Guinee, and is believed to speak all human
languages.
Ogun (or Ogoun, Ogún, Ogou, Ogum, Oggun) is an orisha (deity) and loa
(spirit) who presides over iron, hunting, politics and war. He is the patron of smiths, and is usually displayed with a number of
attributes: a machete or sabre, rum and tobacco. He is one of the
husbands of Erzulie, Oshun, and Oya and a friend to Eshu.
Ayida-Weddo is a loa of fertility, rainbows, wind, water, fire, and snakes. Ayida-Weddo is known as the "Rainbow Serpent". Variants of Ayida-Weddo's name include Aida-Weddo, Ayida-Wedo, Aido Quedo, and Aido Hwedo.
Baron Samedi (Baron Saturday, also Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi, or Bawon Sanmdi) is one of the Loa of Haitian Voodoo. Samedi is a Loa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other
incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix, and Baron Kriminel. He is
the head of the Guédé family of Loa, or an aspect of them, or possibly
their spiritual father. 'Samedi' means 'Saturday' in French. His wife is
the Loa Maman Brigitte.
Ayizan (also Grande Ai-Zan, Aizan, or Ayizan Velekete). She is a racine, or root Loa, associated with Vodoun rites of initiation
(called kanzo). Just as her husband Loco is the archetypal Houngan
(priest), Ayizan is regarded as the first, or archetypal Mambo
(priestess), and as such is also associated with priestly knowledge and
mysteries, particularly those of initiation, and the natural world.
Maman Brigitte (Grann Brigitte, Manman, Manman Brigit, Manman Brijit)
is a death loa, the wife of Baron Samedi. he drinks rum infused with
hot peppers and is symbolized by a black rooster. Like Baron and the
Ghede, she uses obscenities. She protects gravestones in cemeteries if
they are properly marked with a cross.
"Dambala oh, Dambala, God in the Sky, My ashade lwa,
Dambala Wedo, that's tough, oh! Erzulie oh!"
Damballah is one of the most important of all the loa (also spelled
lwa). Damballah is the Sky God and considered the primordial creator of
all life.
