The Rada are a family of
lwa spirits in the religion of
Haitian Vodou
Haitian Vodou () is an African diasporic religions, African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West Africa, West and ...
. They are regarded as being sweet-tempered and "cool", in this contrasting with the
Petro lwa, which are regarded as volatile and "hot".
Description
The Rada lwa have been described as a "pantheon" of deities in Haitian Vodou.
The Rada lwa are deemed sweet-natured and dependable. In this, they contrast with the
Petwo lwa, whom are deemed volatile and hot-tempered.
The Rada are referred to as ''lwa rasin'', meaning "root lwa." As they are often regarded as having an intimate relationship with their worshippers, they are often given names implying a family connection, such as ''Papa'' ("father") and ''Kouzen'' ("cousin").
The Petwo lwa are kept separate from the Rada lwa, both spatially, by placing their altars in different parts of the ''ounfo'' (temple), and temporally, by invoking them at different stages in a ritual.
History
The Rada pantheon have West African origins; specifically, the pantheon of Rada lwa and their associated rituals derives from
Arada in
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 ...
.
"Rada" is a
cognate
In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language.
Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...
of
Allada
Allada is a town, arrondissement, and commune, located in the Atlantique Department of Benin.
The current town of Allada corresponds to Great Ardra (also called Grand Ardra, or Arda), which was the capital of a Fon kingdom also called Allada ...
.
[Deren, Maya, ''Divine Horsemen'', McPherson & Company 2004, p. 60.]
Identities
Ezili Freda is a Rada lwa.
Some Rada loa are:
Legba,
Loco,
Ayizan,
Damballa,
Ayida-Weddo,
Freda, and
Agwé.
Ogou is a lwa who does not fit neatly into either the Petwo or Rada nanchon. Although he carries weaponry, which is associated with the Petwo, he is seen as the defender of the Rada values.
References
Citations
Sources
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External links
List of haitian lwa
Haitian Vodou gods
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