- Erzulie
In
Vodou , Erzulie (sometimes spelled Ezili) is a family of lwa, or spirits.Erzulie Freda Dahomey
"Erzulie Freda"
Dahomey , the Rada aspect of Erzulie, is the spirit of love, beauty, jewellery, dancing, luxury, and flowers. She wears threewedding ring s, one for each husband -Damballa ,Agwe andOgoun . She is often envisioned as a beautiful young white or mixed race woman. Her symbol is a heart, her colours are pink, blue, white and gold, and her favourite sacrifices include jewellery, perfume, sweet cakes and liqueurs. Coquettish and very fond of beauty and finery, Erzulie Freda is femininity and compassion embodied, yet she also has a darker side; she is seen as jealous and spoiled and within some vodoun circles is considered to be lazy. When she mounts a serviteur she flirts with all the men, and treats all the women as rivals. In Catholic symbology she is often identified with the Mater Dolorosa. She is conceived of as never able to attain her heart's most fervent desire. For this reason she always leaves a service in tears. She is often identified with gay men.Erzulie Dantor
In her Petro nation aspect as "Erzulie Dantor" she is often depicted as a scarred and buxom black woman, holding a child protectively in one hand and a knife in the other. She is a warrior and a particularly fierce protector of women and children. Her colours are red, gold and navy blue, her symbols are a pierced heart, knives, and her favourite sacrifices include black pigs, fried pork (griot) and rum. She is often identified with lesbian women. It is believed that a common depiction of Erzulie Dantor has its roots in copies of the icon of the
Black Madonna of Częstochowa , brought toHaiti by Polish soldiers fighting on both sides of theHaitian Revolution from 1802 onwards. [ [http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/haiti-archive/msg02863.html "Re Polish presence in Haiti : Judson comments"] —Discussion on webster.edu.]Other Aspects
Other aspects include (but are not limited to) "Grande Erzulie", who is seen as a grief-stricken old lady who weeps because though once she was young, beautiful and much loved, she is now old, ugly and no one loves her anymore. "Erzulie Ge-Rouge" (Erzulie Red Eyes) who never speaks but cries tears of rage and grief through clenched eyes. "Ezili Couer Noir" (Erzulie Black Heart) a much feared and violent spirit known for her cruelty, "Erzulie Trois Femmes" a spirit that comes in the form of three and "Erzulie Mapyang".
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