"Loa" redirects here. For other uses, see Loa (disambiguation).
A painting of the lwa Damballa, a serpent, by Haitian artist Hector Hyppolite.
Lwa, also called loa, are spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo.[a] Many of the lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerated in the traditional religions of West Africa, especially those of the Fon and Yoruba.
In Haitian Vodou, the lwa serve as intermediaries between humanity and Bondye, a transcendent creator divinity. Vodouists believe that over a thousand lwa exist, the names of at least 232 of which are recorded. Each lwa has its own personality and is associated with specific colors and objects. Many of them are equated with specific Roman Catholic saints on the basis of similar characteristics or shared symbols. The lwa are divided into different groups, known as nanchon (nations), the most notable of which are the Petwo and the Rada. According to Vodou belief, the lwa communicate with humans through dreams and divination, and in turn are given offerings, including sacrificed animals. Vodou teaches that during ceremonies, the lwa possess specific practitioners, who during the possession are considered the chwal (horse) of the lwa. Through possessing an individual, Vodouists believe, the lwa can communicate with other humans, offering advice, admonishment, or healing.
During the Atlantic slave trade of the 16th to 19th centuries, enslaved West Africans brought their traditional religions with them. In the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which became the republic of Haiti in the early 19th century, the diasporic religion of Vodou emerged amid the mixing of different West African traditional religions and the influence of the French colonists' Roman Catholicism. From at least the 19th century, Haitian migrants took their religion to Louisiana, by that point part of the United States, where they contributed to the formation of Louisiana Voodoo, a religion that largely died out in the early 20th century. In the latter part of that century, Voodoo revivalist groups emerged in Louisiana, often incorporating both the lwa spirits of Haitian Vodou and the oricha spirits of Cuban Santería into their practices.
^Long 2002, p. 87; Fandrich 2007, p. 775.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
Lwa, also called loa, are spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana...
singing, and dancing to encourage a lwa to possess one of their members and thus communicate with them. Offerings to the lwa, and to spirits of the dead, include...
family of lwa (loa) spirits in the religion of Haitian Vodou. They are regarded as being volatile and "hot", in this contrasting with the Rada lwa, which...
LWA may refer to: Logwell Acres Inc, dairy farm in Pavilion, NY Leavenworth station in Washington State Lightly wounded in action Local welfare assistance...
family of lwa spirits in the religion of Haitian Vodou. They are regarded as being sweet-tempered and "cool", in this contrasting with the Petro lwa, which...
and folkloric influence from the indigenous Taino peoples of Haiti. The lwa, or spirits with whom Vodou adherents work and practice, are not gods but...
Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi or Bawon Sanmdi, is one of the lwa of Haitian Vodou. He is an lwa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations...
temples (ounfò) to respect and serve lwa (also written as loa) alongside the Grand Maître (grandmaster or creator). Lwa are like spirits, encompassing a collection...
Kalfu (literally crossroads) is one of the petro aspects of Papa Legba, a lwa in Haitian Vodou. He is often envisioned as a young man or as a enigmatic...
Papa Legba is a lwa in Haitian Vodou, Dominican Vodou, Winti and Louisiana Voodoo, who serves as the intermediary between God and humanity. He stands...
Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo. The veve acts as a "beacon" for the lwa, and will serve as a lwa's representation during rituals.[citation needed] Veves should...
measurement that integrates sound pressure over a surface enclosing the source. LWA specifies the power delivered to that surface in decibels relative to one...
Grann Brigitte, Manman, Manman Brigit, and Maman Brijit is a death loa (or lwa) and the consort of Baron Samedi in Haitian Vodou. She drinks rum infused...
Èzili Dantò or Erzulie Dantor is the main loa (or lwa) or senior spirit of the Petro family in Haitian Vodou. Ezili Danto, or Èzili Dantò, is the "manifestation...
Gede Nibo (Haitian Creole: Gede Nibo) is a lwa who is leader of the spirits of the dead in Haitian Vodou. Formerly human, Gede Nibo was a handsome young...
with the Lwa. Rochester, Vermont: Destiny Books. p. 21. ISBN 978-1594779954. LCCN 2006-28676. OCLC 748396065. OL 8992653W. "Get to know a Lwa: Kouzen Zaka"...
The Long Wavelength Array (LWA) is a radio telescope in central New Mexico. It began preliminary tests of the hardware in 2011, and began regular operations...
Voodoo is actually practiced. Humanity's relationship with spirits known as lwa has been a recurring theme in Haitian art, and the Vodou pantheon was a major...
personality cult, identifying himself with Baron Samedi, one of the loa (or lwa), or spirits, of Haitian Vodou. Despite the well-publicized abuses under...
or distance Veve – A magic and religious symbol in Voodoo representing a lwa "sigil". The Chambers Dictionary (9th ed.). Chambers. 2003. ISBN 0-550-10105-5...
Wengoma yeSewula Africa i-National Anthem". "Ḓivhazwakale ya luimbo lwa lushaka lwa Afrika tshipembe". "Translation: Pina-Ya-Setjhaba Ya Afrika Borwa (SeSotho)"...
grateful for the chances she has been given!". Moyo, Dumani (March 8, 2024). "Lwa Ndlunkulu: From homelessness to chart-topping success in Johannesburg". The...
Global Information