Erzulie
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Erzulie (sometimes spelled Erzili or Èzili) is a family of
loa , also called loa, are spirits in the African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou and Dominican Vudú. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their iden ...
, or spirits, in Vodou.


Overview

The Erzulie is a family of
loa , also called loa, are spirits in the African diaspora religions, African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou and Dominican Vudú. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their iden ...
that are often associated with water (fluidity), femininity, and feminine bodies. They are one of the only group of spirits directly tied to these characteristics and those who become possessed (through
spirit possession Spirit Possession is an altered state of consciousness and associated behaviors which are purportedly caused by the control of a human body and its functions by Supernatural#Spirit, spirits, ghosts, demons, angels, or Deity, gods. The concept ...
) often are women or Masisi (
effeminate Effeminacy or male femininity is the embodiment of feminine traits in boys or men, particularly those considered untypical of men or masculinity. These traits include roles, stereotypes, behaviors, and appearances that are socially associated wi ...
and or
homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exc ...
men).


Maîtresse Mambo Erzulie Fréda Dahomey

''Erzulie Fréda''
Dahomey The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African List of kingdoms in Africa throughout history, kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. It developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in ...
, the
Rada The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central Lond ...
aspect of Erzulie, is the Haitian African spirit of love, beauty, jewelry, dancing, luxury, and flowers. She wears three
wedding ring A wedding ring or wedding band is a finger ring that indicates that its wearer is married. It is usually forged from metal, traditionally gold or another precious metal. Rings were used in ancient Rome during marriage. In western culture, a ...
s, one for each husband -
Damballa Damballa, also spelled Damballah, Dambala, Dambalah, among other variations (), is one of the most important of all loa, spirits in West African Vodun, Haitian Voodoo and other African diaspora religious traditions such as Obeah. He is traditi ...
, Agwe and Ogoun. Her symbol is a heart, her colors are pink, blue, white and gold, and her favorite offerings include jewelry, 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. During ritual possession, she may enter the body of either a man or a woman. She enjoys the game of flirtation and seduces people without distinguishing between sexes. In
Christian iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...
she is often identified with the Mater Dolorosa, as well as another loa named Metres Ezili. 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. Common syncretizations include Iyalorde Oxum, that is the goddess
Oshun Oshun (also Ọṣun, Ochún, and Oxúm) is the Yoruba orisha associated with love, sexuality, fertility, femininity, water, destiny, divination, purity, and beauty, and the Osun River, and of wealth and prosperity in the Yoruba religion. Sh ...
as she relates to the Yoruba goddess of erotic love, gold and femininity.


Èrzulie Dantòr

Erzulie Dantòr is the Queen of the Petro nation and the mother of "Ti Jean Petro", she is often depicted as a fearsome black woman, protectively holding "Ti Jean Petro" in her arms. She is a particularly fierce protector of women, children and the neglects of society. She is the ''lwa pwen'', in contrast with Èrzuli Freda who will bless you with material riches, Èrzulie Dantòr will give you the Spiritual Knowledge needed to navigate through this material reality. Èrzulie Dantòr's wealth lasts and can be passed on from one generation to another, whereas Èrzuli Freda, in any of her jealous fits, can deprive you overnight of the gains she helped you to achieve. She is often portrayed to resemble the
Black Madonna of Częstochowa The Black Madonna of Częstochowa (; ), also known as Our Lady of Częstochowa () is a venerated icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary enshrined at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland. Pope Clement XI issued a Pontifical decree of canon ...
, as she is represented as being dark-skinned with two scars on her face. Her colors are red, black and blue. Her favourite offerings include black pigs, ''griot'' ( seasoned fried pork), blood (seven stabs of the sword), and
rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...
. Ti Jean Petro is her son and Jean Petro is her lover or husband.


Erzulie Family


Rada

* Erzulie Freda (Lady Erzulie) – the vain and flirty goddess of love. Her "horses" tend to cry tears of longing and regret. She is syncretized with
Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Sorrows (), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are Titles of Mary, names by which Mary, mother of Jesus, is referr ...
(the Virgin Mary as suffering mother). * Erzulie Mansur (Erzulie the Blessed) – represents maternal love and protects children from harm. * Granne Erzulie (Grandma Erzulie) – represents the wisdom granted by experience and maturity and grandmotherly kindness and love. She is syncretized with
St. Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's canonical gospels. In writing, Anne's na ...
, the mother of the Virgin Mary.


Petro

* Erzulie D'en Tort or ''Erzulie Dantor'' (Erzulie of the Wrongs) – protects women and children and deals revenge against those who wrong them. * Erzulie Balianne (Erzulie the Gagged) – "silences" (heals or calms) hearts. Keeps secrets or ensures that secrets will not be revealed. Helps people to forget past loves and overcome passionate emotions. Her "horses" tend to speak as if they have a gag in their mouth. She is syncretized with The Immaculate Heart. * Erzulie Mapiangue (Erzulie the Suckler) – deals with the pain of childbirth and the protection of unborn and newborn babies. Her "horses" tend to get in a fetal position or birthing position and cry tears of pain. Common syncretization is as the Virgin and Infant of Prague, who wear matching red velvet robes and gold crowns. * Erzulie Yeux Rouge or ''Erzulie Ge-Rouge'' (Red-Eyed Erzulie) – takes revenge on unfaithful lovers. Her "horses" cry tears of bitter sadness. * Erzulie Toho – aids the jealous or slighted in love. Her "horses" cry tears of anger.


Others

* Erzulie La Flambeau (Erzulie of the Torch) * Erzulie Wangol (Erzulie of the Sacred Banner) * Erzulie Shango Pye Nago loa that is a feminine aspect of Shango.


Similar spirits in the pantheon

* La Sirène (Lasirenn) or
Mami Wata Mami Wata, Mammy Water, or similar is a mermaid, water spirit, and/or goddess in the folklore of parts of Western Africa, Eastern Africa, and Southern Africa. Historically, scholars trace her origins to early encounters between Europeans and ...
is associated with Erzulie and sometimes is displayed in Erzulie's roles as mother, lover, and protector. She is often depicted as half-fish, half-human and has a strong connection to water. Her husband is Agwe, the King of the Sea and patron of sailors and fishermen. * Marinette Bras-Chêche or ''Marinette Bwa Chech'' ("Marinette of the Dry Arms/ Marinette skinny arms "), a Kongo Loa, is similar to ''Erzulie Dantor''. She represents revolt and misfortune and is prayed to either to placate her wrath or to direct her fury at another. She is in the form of a skeleton or rotting corpse and is syncretically represented by the '' Anima Sola'' ( "Forsaken Soul"). * Mai-Louise is an Ibo goddess. * Ti-Quitta / Ti Kitha, a Loa of sexuality and fertility, is one of the Quitta Loas. One of her aspects is ''Ti Quitta Demembre'' (Dismembered Quitta). *
Maman Brigitte Maman Brigitte ( English: ''Mother Brigitte'') sometimes also written as Manman Brigitte and also known by Gran Brigitte, Grann Brigitte, Manman, Manman Brigit, and Maman Brijit is a death loa (or ''lwa'') and the consort of Baron Samedi in Ha ...
("Mother Brigitte"), a Guede goddess who is the wife of Baron Samedi and protector of gravestones or funerary markers. She is syncretically represented by St Brigit. * Tsillah Wedo is associated with Erzulie. She is depicted as a beautiful virgin of great wealth.


Erzulie in popular culture

;Music *" Erzulie nennen O", a song in honor of Erzulie Freda that was composed in the 1890s by Kandjo, continues to be played in Haiti as part of its folkloric repertoire. *A 1991 song on the album '' Rising Above Bedlam'' by
Jah Wobble John Joseph Wardle (born 11 August 1958), known by the stage name Jah Wobble, is an English bass guitarist and singer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd (PiL) in the late 1970s and early 1980s; ...
's Invaders of the Heart. Released by Oval Records in 1991, the album was a shortlisted nominee for the 1992 Mercury Prize. *A 1988 solo album by free-jazz pianist Cecil Taylor is called '' Erzulie Maketh Scent''. *"Mistress of Erzulie" was the first track on
Alannah Myles Alannah Myles (née Byles; born December 25, 1958) is a Canadian singer-songwriter who has won both a Grammy and a Juno Award for the song " Black Velvet". The song was a top-ten hit in Canada and a number one hit on the US ''Billboard'' Hot ...
' 1995 album '' A-lan-nah''. *Erzulie (Freda) is also a character in the
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
musical ''
Once On This Island ''Once on This Island'' is a coming-of-age one-act stage musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. It is based on the 1985 novel ''My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl'' by Rosa Guy, a Caribbean-set retel ...
'' as the beautiful goddess of love. *In the
Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...
song "Two Against Nature" (the third track from the album of the same name), the narrator describes Madame Erzulie as a
succubus A succubus () is a female demon who is described in various folklore as appearing in the dreams of male humans in order to seduce them. Repeated interactions between a succubus and a man will lead to sexual activity, a bond forming between them, ...
who "bangs you silly but leaves a nasty bite." *In the
Natacha Atlas Natacha Atlas (, , ; born 20 March 1964) is an Egyptian-Belgian singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "'' cha'abi moderne''" (modern folk music). Her music has been influenced by ...
song "Le Printemps" from the album Something Dangerous, Erzulie sets the beginning of spring. *"Erzili" is a song on the album by Beverly Glenn-Copeland, ''Transmissions: The Music of Beverly Glenn-Copeland''. *"Ezili" - (from the album "Potomitan") is a song written by Sélène Saint-Aimé a French-Caribbean contrabass player, vocalist and poet. *"Erzulie - Interlude" - (from the album ''Tristesse Business Saison 01'') is a song by the French singer and rapper Luidji. He also refers to Erzulie in the song "Le Rouge" from the EP ''Boscolo Exedra''. He says, "Je vais faire de toi ma nouvelle Erzulie," which translates to "I'm going to make you my new Erzulie". ;Literature * ''Ezilis Mirrors: Imagining Black Queer Genders'' is a book by Omise'eke Natasha Tinsley that covers the contemporary works of queer and non-traditional artists and how they embody Erzulie in their work. *A powerful swamp witch/voodoo woman in
Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...
's 1991 Discworld novel ''
Witches Abroad ''Witches Abroad'' is the twelfth '' Discworld'' novel by Terry Pratchett, originally published in 1991.Fantastic FictioWitches Abroad (Discworld, book 12) Terry PratchettRetrieved 2009-05-9 Plot Following the death of the witch Desiderata Holl ...
'' is named Erzulie Gogol. She is the lover of Genua's former ruler, Baron Saturday (Baron Samedi). *In the ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...
'' comic '' Past Lives, part 4'', Erzulie is invoked to clear a room of all magic. *Erzulie,
Papa Legba Papa Legba is a lwa, or loa, in West African Vodun and its diasporic derivatives ( Dominican Republic Vudú, Haitian Vodou, Louisiana Voodoo, and Winti), who serves as the intermediary between God and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroa ...
and Baron Samedi all appear in the
WildCats The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while th ...
original comic series, assisting Voodoo. *In the
Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American Gothic fiction, Gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulatio ...
novel, '' Angelique's Descent,'' Angelique Bouchard was forced to pose as Erzulie in a series of religious rituals as a child in order to appease her father's slaves. *There is discussion of a portrait of Maitresse Erzulie in
Zadie Smith Zadie Smith (born Sadie; 25 October 1975) is an English novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. Her debut novel, ''White Teeth'' (2000), immediately became a best-seller and won a number of awards. She became a tenured professor in the ...
's 2005 novel ''
On Beauty ''On Beauty'' is a 2005 novel by British author Zadie Smith, loosely based on ''Howards End'' by E. M. Forster. The story follows the lives of a mixed-race British/American family living in the United States, addresses ethnic and cultural diff ...
''. *Erzulie is a love goddess in ''House of Whispers'' in ''
The Sandman Universe ''The Sandman Universe'' is a line of American comic books published by DC Comics under its imprints DC Vertigo and DC Black Label. The line launched to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Neil Gaiman's '' The Sandman'' (1989–1996) and Vertigo's ...
'' comics series. *Erzulie is one of six characters of Michèle Césaire's ''La Nef.'' She is described as "l'amoureuse-type" by the author in her preface "Les passagers de la nef". ;Television *In ''
The Spectacular Spider-Man ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is a comic book and magazine series starring Spider-Man and published by Marvel Comics. Following the success of Spider-Man's original series, ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', Marvel felt the character could support ...
'' animated series, "Ezili" is the surname of the villain Calypso, a voodoo practitioner who had no last name in the original comics. *In the British TV series ''
Death in Paradise ''Death in Paradise'' is a crime drama, crime television series created by Robert Thorogood, starring Ben Miller (Series 1–3), Kris Marshall (Series 3–6), Ardal O'Hanlon (Series 6–9), Ralf Little (Series 9–13) and Don Gilet (2024 Speci ...
'', the island of Saint Marie has an annual festival dedicated to Erzuile. The festival is first celebrated in the premiere of the second season, and is shown again in the third episode of season seven. ;Broadway *In the Broadway show ''
Once On This Island ''Once on This Island'' is a coming-of-age one-act stage musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. It is based on the 1985 novel ''My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl'' by Rosa Guy, a Caribbean-set retel ...
'', Erzulie is one of the four main gods that guide and influence the main character. ''Once On This Island'' came to Broadway from 1990 to 1991 and had a revival from November 2017 until January 2019. ;Video games *''
Cyberpunk 2077 ''Cyberpunk 2077'' is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by CD Projekt Red and published by CD Projekt. Based on Mike Pondsmith's ''Cyberpunk (role-playing game), Cyberpunk'' tabletop game series, the plot is set in the fictional metrop ...
'' contains a poster of "St Erzulie" during a mission with Briggit among the Voodoo Boys. *'' Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner'' includes Erzulie as a regular Megami-Race demon. *''
Bloons TD 6 ''Bloons TD 6'' is a 2018 tower defense game developed and published by Ninja Kiwi and created in Unity. In ''Bloons TD 6'', various monkeys are placed around the map to defend against "Bloons" that are travelling towards the exit. The sixth a ...
'' contains the hero monkey named Ezili.


References

{{Reflist, 30em Arts goddesses Beauty goddesses Black Madonna of Częstochowa Haitian Vodou goddesses LGBTQ themes in mythology Love and lust deities Love and lust goddesses Polish diaspora in North America Vengeance goddesses Voodoo goddesses