A Biased View of Lwa - Wikipedia

The flesh will be prepared and positioned on the altar, subsequently often being buried. Maya Deren wrote that: "The intent and focus of sacrifice is not upon the death of the animal, it is upon the transfusion of its life to the lwa; for the understanding is that flesh and blood are of the essence of life and vitality, and these will restore the divine energy of the god." Since Agw is thought to live in the sea, routines dedicated to him typically happen beside a large body of water such as a lake, river, or sea.

The food is typically provided when it is cool; it stays there for a while prior to humans can then eat it. The food is typically positioned within a kwi, a calabash shell bowl. Once picked, the food is placed on unique calabashes known as assiettes de Guine which are located on the altar.

Libations might be put into the ground. Vodouists believe that the lwa then consume the essence of the food. Particular foods are also provided in the belief that they are inherently virtuous, such as grilled maize, peanuts, and cassava. These are often sprayed over animals that are about to be compromised or piled upon the vv styles on the flooring of the peristil.

It lies the heart of numerous of its routines; these normally happen in a temple called an, specifically in a room termed the peristil or peristyle. Look At This Piece being had is referred to as the chwal or chual (horse); the act of possession is called "mounting a horse".

Although children are frequently present at these ceremonies, they are hardly ever had as it is considered too harmful. While the particular drums and songs used are created to encourage a specific lwa to possess somebody, in some cases an unforeseen lwa appears and takes possession instead. In some instances a succession of lwa have the same person, one after the other.

Vodouists believe that throughout this procedure, the lwa gets in the head of the chwal and displaces their gwo bon anj, which is among the two halves of a person's soul. This displacement is believed to trigger the chwal to tremble and shake; Maya Deren explained a look of "distress, ordeal and blind fear" on the faces of those as they became had.