Food For The Gods- Erzulie Freda

Haiti is a country with many voodoo practitioners. Erzulie Freda is the loa (spirit) of love, beauty, jewellery, dancing, luxury and flowers. She is often portrayed as coquettish, soft spoken and non-violent. Unlike her sister Erzulie Danto. Erzulie Freda is said to be feminine and compassionate but also by some to be spoilt, jealous, lazy and flirtatious. One major difference between Erzulie Freda and Erzulie Danto are their skin colours. Erzulie Danto is considered dark-skinned while Erzulie Freda is known for her fairness. She is often identified with Our Lady Of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa) and Our Lady Of Lourdes. The colours of Erzulie Freda are pink, blue, white and gold. The day that represents her is Thursday.

Food (and foodstuff) offered to Erzulie Freda often includes the following:

• Fish
• Chicken
• White Pigeon
• Sweet Plantains
• Pineapple
• Almond Syrup
• Amaretto
• Anisette
• Sweet Cakes

Due to the fact that she represents luxury and feminity. Common offerings to Erzulie Freda also include jewellery and perfume.

Food For The Gods- Erzulie Danto

Haiti is a country with many voodoo practitioners. There are many different loas (spirits) in Voodoo that represent different aspects of life (and death). Erzulie Danto represents motherhood and particularly, single motherhood. She is considered to be extremely powerful, passionate, violent and complex. She is well known for the strength unlike her sister Erzulie Freda (who is known for softness and gentleness). The differences between them can be seen in their response to the harshness of reality in folklore. Erzulie Freda usually breaks down in tears. Erzulie Danto responds in shuddering tantrum. The colours that represent Erzulie Danto are blue, gold and sometimes red. The days that best represent her are Tuesdays and Saturdays. Erzulie Danto is most commonly represented by the image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa.

Food (and foodstuff) offered to Erzulie Danto often includes the following:

• Sticky Rice With Black Peas
• Bananas
• Griot (a fried pork dish)
• Sweet Black Coffee
• Red Grapes
• Oranges
• Tangerines
• Cinzano
• Tia Maria
• Grand Marnier
• Sweet Red Wine
• Red Grenadine
• Creme de Cacao
• Rum

Besides the mentioned food and drinks. Many also include cigarettes as an offering. It is said that the ideal type of cigarettes to offer to Erzulie Danto are strong, unfiltered ones.

Food For The Gods- Baron Samedi

Haiti is a country with many voodoo practitioners. Voodoo like any other religion, deals with life and death. Baron Samedi is one of the loas (spirits) of the dead and is associated with ancestor worship, death and magic. He is usually depicted with a top hat, black tuxedo, dark glasses, and cotton plugs in the nostrils. He has a white, frequently skull-like face (or actually a skull for a face) and speaks in a nasal voice. He is a sexual spirit and has a particular fondness for tobacco and rum. As well as being master of the dead, he is also a 'giver' of life. It is said that he can cure mortals of any disease or wounds, especially when it is inflicted by voodoo curses and black magic. The colours that represent him are black and purple. As with his name, Saturday is the day that best represents him (Samedi means Saturday in French).

Food (and foodstuff) offered to Baron Samedi often includes the following:

• Salted Herring
• Fresh Herring
• White Skinned Sweet Potatoes
• Purple Skinned Sweet Potatoes
• Corn-On-The-Cob
• Ground Corn
• Lamb or Goat
• Tasso (a kind of cured pork)
• Smoked Plantains
• Yam
• Dumplings
• Pumpkin Soup
• Meat & Root Vegetable Stew
• Black Coffee
• White Rum
• White Rum With Hot Peppers
• Tequila

Due to his fondness for tobacco, smoking pipes filled with tobacco and cigars are usually offered too.

Food For The Gods- Damballah

Haiti is a country with many voodoo practitioners. One of the most important loa (spirits) in voodoo, is Damballah. Damballah is the sky god and considered the earliest creator of life. Damballah rules the mind, intellect, and cosmic equilibrium. He is the considered the patron protector of the handicapped, deformed, crippled, albinos, and young children. When he presents himself in possession, he does not talk, but makes hissing and whistling noises. Damballah is often combined with catholic figures like St Patrick and Moses. The colour that represents Damballah is white. Which is partly why most food offered to him, are more or less white in colour. The day that represents Damballah is Thursday.

Food (and foodstuff) offered to Damballah often includes the following:

• White Rice
• Milk
• White Pigeon
• Flour
• Eggs
• Honey
• Cakes
• Sugar-Based Candy
• Cream-Based Candy
• Spiced Codfish (with rice & beans)
• Cold Water
• Coconut
• Coconut Milk
• Bread
• Cookies
• Anisette
• Corn Syrup
• Shea Butter
• Kola Nuts
• Vodka
• Scotch Whisky
• Baileys
• Almond Syrup

One interesting fact is that Damballah is often represented by serpents. His veve (symbol) includes 2 serpents. And he is also associated with St Patrick (the saint who is said to have driven snakes out of Ireland) and Moses (who managed to turn his staff into a serpent when confronting the Pharaoh of Egypt)