Glossary

Ago: Ritual exclamation used in the sense of "Amen."

Angajan: Also known as Engagement. Business transaction between person and loa in which person seeks malevolent magic in exchange for his/her confirmed service to the loa.

Asson: Also spelled Açon and Ason. Sacred rattle of the houngan or mambo; to be "given the asson" is to be raised to priestly authority.

Bagi: Room containing an altar dedicated to a loa.

Baka: Evil spirit or supernatural agent that roams at night and often takes the form of animals.

Baptême: Ritual of baptism in which all sacred objects are consecrated.

Baton: Also known as Baton-Legba. Long stick or crutch used by Legba.

Battérie: Also known as Battérie Maconnique. In ritual, a specific system of sounding the asson, clapping hands and sounding the drums in a unison rhythm.

Bizango: Secret society known for its practice of zombification.

Bokor: Also spelled Bocor and Bòkò. Priest who practices black magic and is more involved in sorcery than in healing.

Boucan: Also spelled Boukan. Bonfire lighted during a ceremony.

Boule zen: Ceremony in which a govi containing the ti-bon-ange of a person is burned to dispatch the soul to its final abode.

Canzo: Also spelled Kanzo. Ordeal by fire through which an adept passes into initiation; also refers to the chorus of hounsi canzo who chant during ritual.

Carrefour: Also known as Kafou. Crossroads.

Cata: Also known as Boula, Bula and Petit. Smallest of the set of three Rada drums.

Ceremoni: Vodoun ritual or ceremony.

Charge: Magical energy or power enabling one to accomplish unusual feats.

Cheval: Also known as Chwal, Ch'wl and Horse. Person possessed by a loa.

Cochon Gris: Secret society in vodoun known for cannibalistic activities; literally, the "gray pig."

Corps cadavre: Body, flesh and blood as opposed to the components of the soul.

Dahomey: Also spelled Dahomé and Daromain. Kingdom in West Africa which refers to the residence of the loa.

Débâtement: Period of physical movement, often very intense and violent, which reflects the struggle between the gros-bon-ange and the loa over the possession of the physical body of a devotee.

Dessounin: Also spelled Desounen. Ritual separating of a person's gros-bon-ange from the body.

Djévo: Room inside the hounfort where vodoun candidates are initiated into the religion.

Drapeaux: Ceremonial flags that are heavily spangled and used during rituals. Some examples of vodoun flags.

Duppy: The lifeforce which, once released from a dead body, has the power to do evil.

Esprit: Also spelled Espri. Spirit or soul of the dead.

Farine: Flour used to trace vévés.

Farine Guinée: Powdered ash used to trace vévés.

Garde: Protective charm against magic.

Ginen: Also spelled Guinée or Ian Guinee. The world of the dead, said to be under the water below the earth; also the homeland of Africans in Diaspora where the loa live.

Govi: Sacred clay vessels in which spirits of the dead or loa are housed.

Gros-bon-ange: Also known as Ba and Gwo-bon-anj. Aspect of the soul that is part of the vast pool of cosmic energy.

Hoholi: Sesame seeds placed in a coffin to prevent the machinations of sorcerers.

Hounfort: Also spelled Hounfor, Hunfor and Ounfò. Inner sanctuary or altar room where vodoun is practiced.

Houngan: Also spelled Gangan, Hungan and Oungan. Fully initiated priest of vodoun.

Houngénikon: Also spelled Hounguenicon and Oungenikon. Female ritual assistant to the houngan or mambo whose initiatory status is just below theirs and who leads the chanting in ritual.

Hounsi: Also spelled Hounsih, Hunsi and Ounzi. Accepted devotee at a hounfort.

Hounsi bossale: Also known as Bosal. A hounsi not fully trained and charged with the more mundane duties.

Hounsi canzo: Also spelled Ounzi kanzo. A hounsi who is fully trained and has undergone the canzo initiation.

Hounsi cuisiniere: The sacrificial cook during ritual.

Hounsi ventailleur: Initiate who obtains the sacrificial animals.

Hountor: Also spelled Houn'tor and Huntor. Spirit of the vodoun drums; also the tambourine player.

Ifé: Historic city of Nigeria.

Kleren: Also spelled Clairin. Raw rum which is a favorite drink of Guedé.

Konesans: Knowledge of the loa and vodoun rites.

Ku-bha-sah: The sword carried by La Place in ritual and symbolic of Ogou.

La Flambeau: The "torch", a title added to the names of certain Rada loa when an especially fiery form of their power is invoked.

Lambi: Conch shell used as a horn in ceremonies.

Langage: Also known as Langay. Sacred language in which the loa are addressed.

La Place: Also called Commandant la Place or Laplas. The master of ceremonies who bears the ritual saber, the ku-bha-sah.

Laver Tête: Ritual washing of the head designed to baptize a loa in the head of a person.

Les Invisibles: Refers to all the invisible spirits, including the loa.

Loa: Also spelled Lwa. Vodoun deity.

Loup Garou: Werewolf.

Maman: Also spelled Manman. Largest of the three drums in the Rada battery.

Mambo: Initiated vodoun priestess who has been given the asson.

Mangé Ginen: Also known as Mangé Morts. Ritual offering to the spirit of the dead.

Mangé Loa: Also spelled Manje Lwa. Feeding of the loa, a ceremony where offerings, including animal sacrifices, are made.

Mangé sec: Dry feeding of the loa, an offering made without animal sacrifice.

Mèt Tèt: Master of the head, a person's guardian loa.

Monter la tête: Also spelled Monte. Literally "to mount the head", the act of possession.

Morts: The dead.

Mystère: Also spelled Mistè. A loa.

Nam: Also spelled Nanm. Refers to the complete soul.

N'âme: Spirit of the flesh.

Nine Night: Also known as Novena. Nine-day death ritual for the soul of a recently deceased person, taking place during the period in which the ti-bon-ange is supposed to hover over the body.

Ogan: Musical instrument related to the flattened bells of Africa.

Ouanga: Also spelled Wanga. Magical charm used in malevolent sorcery.

Ouete mò nan ba dlo: Also known as Retirer d'en bas de l'eau. Ceremony in which the soul of the living-dead is reclaimed from Ginen and placed in a govi.

Paquets Congo: Small package which serves as a person's effigy to magically protect him/her from illness and evil spirits.

Pé: The vodoun altar.

Peristyle: Also spelled Peristil. Open-sided building adjacent to the hounfort where the public ceremonies are held.

Petro: Also spelled Pethro. Group of rites distinguished by the violent energy and practicality of the Petro loa. Special drums and chants mark the Petro rites.

Pierre-Loa: Smooth stones inhabited by loa.

Poteau-mitan: Also known as the Poteau-Legba and Potomitan. The center-post of the peristyle sacred to Legba and around which most ceremonies are performed; functions as the major avenue to the world of the loa.

Prise du Mort: Obtaining a dead person's spirit from the cemetery where the person is buried.

Rada: Group of rites distinguished by the benevolence of the Rada loa and marked by a particular type of drumming and chanting.

Range: Magical rite in which an object is charged with the power of the loa.

Rara: Dance festival occurring in the spring.

Reler: To invoke.

Renvoyer: To ritually send away a loa.

Reposoir: Circular cement basin enclosing the foot of a tree sacred to a loa.

Saints: Refers to the loa.

Seconde: Middle drum in the Rada battery.

Servi Loa: Also known as Service and Servir. Used by vodoun devotees to refer to their faith, "to serve the loa."

Serviteur: Also spelled Sèvitè. One who serves the loa.

Siyale: Also known as Signaler. Ritual movement performed by the houngan or mambo in recognition of the loa at the four cardinal points.

Société: Also spelled Socyete. Association of devotees who support a hounfort.

Socle: The masonry or cement base of the poteau-mitan where offerings are placed.

Tambour: A drum.

Ti-bon-ange: Also known as Ka, Lespri and Ti-bon-anj. Aspect of soul responsible for creating character, willpower and individuality.

Ti Guinin: Sons or daughters of Ginen, how devotees of vodoun refer to themselves.

Tonton Macoute: Literally a bogeyman; name applied to Duvalier's secret police.

Traitement: Herbal cure administered by a houngan.

Verser: Ritual pouring of drops of water, coffee, liquor, etc., on the ground for the loa.

Vévé: Also known as Vever. Symbolic design which represents a loa to be invoked and serves as both a focal point for the invocation and an altar for offerings.

Vodoun: Also known as Hoodoo, Vodou, Voodoo, Voudou and Voudoun. Religious system formed in Haiti and based mainly on beliefs and practices brought from Africa but also incorporating Catholic components.

Yoruba: Region of Nigeria whose cultural history and traditional beliefs form the foundations of vodoun.

Z'étoile: A person's star of destiny that resides in the heavens.

Zombi: Also known as Zombi Cadavre and Zombie. A soulless body who has been revived from death and can be made to work as a slave.

Zombi Astral: A ti-bon-ange that has been captured after death by a bokor and is made to perform deeds for him.