About this item

by Ya Sezi Bo Oungan (Author)

Papa Guede, the Bawons and the Guede Lwa represent the power and mystery of death, funerary rites and the afterlife in Haitian Vodou. They are the lost ancestors - the ancient unknown force that pushes us from behind.

The figure of a skull wearing sunglasses and a top hat is ubiquitous in popular culture, but often misrepresented and misunderstood. This workbook unpacks some of the myths and describes who these Lwa are and how they are served in Haitian Vodou. It is an educational guide for how to begin approaching these mysteries in a traditional and non-appropriative context, and includes guidelines on how to meet these spirits in the cemetery, as well as instructions for cleansings, baths and lamps that can be performed once a relationship with these spirits has been established.

This booklet should be used as an early way through the dark, not as a substitute for traditional education within an oral tradition.