𝔼ℝℤ𝕌𝕃𝕀𝔼 𝔻𝔸ℕ𝕋𝕆ℝ, 𝔽𝕀𝔼ℝℂ𝔼 𝔻𝔼𝔽𝔼ℕ𝔻𝔼ℝ 𝕆𝔽 𝕎𝕆𝕄𝔼ℕ 𝔸ℕ𝔻 ℂℍ𝕀𝕃𝔻ℝ𝔼ℕ
In the Voodoo Pantheon, there is an important group of female loa (goddesses)whose first name is Erzulie. While all of them share in their role as Goddess of love, art, and sex, each has additional areas of life which is theirs to defend and assist. Erzulie Dantor is a mulatto woman who is often portrayed as the Black Madonna, or the Roman Catholic "Saint Barbara Africana". She has tribal scars on her cheek, and is considered heterosexual because she has children, but she is also the patron loa of lesbian women. Thus, she loves women fiercely, and will defend them to the death. She loves knives and is considered the protector of newly consecrated Voodoo priests and priestesses, as well as of women and children who are victims of domestic violence, and women who have been betrayed by a lover. She is highly respected and much feared due to her Woman Power. Most Haitian women serve Dantor, as do many men who honor and respect women. Erzulie Dantor is also the patron loa of New Orleans and so she is served by many there as well. She supports independent business women and is the patron of women's finances. Many women invoke Erzulie Dantor against their partners (male or female) should they become violent. And enlightened men also serve Dantor, especially men who honor, love and respect women.Erzulie's personal story is a tragedy. She was a warrioress who fought with her people during the Haitian revolution. However, her own people cut out her tongue so that she would not tell their secrets should she be captured. Thus, she is mute and can only speak a stammering monosyllable, "ke-ke-ke-ke-ke!" This is the sound of her tongue clicking on the roof of her mouth. She is often pictured with her daughter Anais, who serves as her translator and interpreter.
Indestructible
𝕰𝖗𝖟𝖚𝖑𝖎𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖔𝖗 embodies the feminine. She is beautiful in appearance and loves
silver chains and silver jewelry in general. She also loves Creme de
Cacao, black female pigs, Reve d'Or perfume, and knives of all sorts -
especially daggers.
Erzulie Dantor is the kind of loa you don't want to piss off. Her love of knives and virtual indestructibility precedes her and her character is recognized in traditional Voodoo songs. Here, one song about Dantor describes her love of knives and her indestructibility:
Set kout kouto, set kout pwenya,
Prete m dedin a pou m al vomi sang mwen,
Set kout kouto, set kout pwenya,
Prete m dedin a pou m al vomi sang mwen,
Sang mwen ape koule.
Seven stabs of the knife, seven stabs of the dagger,
Lend me the basin so I can vomit my blood,
Seven stabs of the knife, seven stabs of the dagger,
Lend me the basin so I can vomit my blood,
My blood is pouring down.
Now, at the surface this is a graphic, repulsive song. However, it illustrates the fortitude Erzulie possesses; to be able to sustain seven stab wounds, throw up blood in a sink, and still carry on. It is also reflective of the reality of the lives of so many women who live through the traumatic experience of abuse. Despite the abuse, the power of Woman Spirit is such that we carry on. Sometimes we carry on as victims, other times as survivors. Let their be no mistake, Erzulie Dantor is not a victim; she is the personification of Woman Power, which is why she is so feared.
Erzulie Dantor is the kind of loa you don't want to piss off. Her love of knives and virtual indestructibility precedes her and her character is recognized in traditional Voodoo songs. Here, one song about Dantor describes her love of knives and her indestructibility:
Set kout kouto, set kout pwenya,
Prete m dedin a pou m al vomi sang mwen,
Set kout kouto, set kout pwenya,
Prete m dedin a pou m al vomi sang mwen,
Sang mwen ape koule.
Seven stabs of the knife, seven stabs of the dagger,
Lend me the basin so I can vomit my blood,
Seven stabs of the knife, seven stabs of the dagger,
Lend me the basin so I can vomit my blood,
My blood is pouring down.
Now, at the surface this is a graphic, repulsive song. However, it illustrates the fortitude Erzulie possesses; to be able to sustain seven stab wounds, throw up blood in a sink, and still carry on. It is also reflective of the reality of the lives of so many women who live through the traumatic experience of abuse. Despite the abuse, the power of Woman Spirit is such that we carry on. Sometimes we carry on as victims, other times as survivors. Let their be no mistake, Erzulie Dantor is not a victim; she is the personification of Woman Power, which is why she is so feared.
Reve d'Or , Erzulie's Favorite Perfume
She'll Vomit Blood All Over You
Okay, in case you are thinking my illustration of Dantor's Woman Power is lacking, consider this song:
Jou ma' koule
Jou ma' koule
Jou ma' koule
Map vomi sang mwen bay yo
English:
The day I am run down
The day I am run down
The day I am run down
I will vomit my blood and give it to them
In other words, even if you make me bleed, I will bleed my blood all over you! Now this is attitude, folks! Indeed, Erzulie Dantor is classified as a hot spirit and sometimes likened to a djab (devil-like), similar to any woman referred to as a "bitch" because they are assertive, independent, and strong.
In Voodoo ceremonies, the loas will often make an appearance by possessing one of the participants, a phenomenon referred to as "mounting the head". When Dantor mounts someone, she will sometimes vomit blood. This is a sure sign that she has arrived. However, if Dantor throws up blood in a basin and hands it to someone, this is not a good thing. On the contrary, it is a clear indication that Dantor is pissed off at the individual and will punish him or her. You don't want to experience the wrath of Dantor! She has been known to be a very destructive spirit and is associated with heavy rains and hurricanes that destroy everything in its wake.
Jou ma' koule
Jou ma' koule
Jou ma' koule
Map vomi sang mwen bay yo
English:
The day I am run down
The day I am run down
The day I am run down
I will vomit my blood and give it to them
In other words, even if you make me bleed, I will bleed my blood all over you! Now this is attitude, folks! Indeed, Erzulie Dantor is classified as a hot spirit and sometimes likened to a djab (devil-like), similar to any woman referred to as a "bitch" because they are assertive, independent, and strong.
In Voodoo ceremonies, the loas will often make an appearance by possessing one of the participants, a phenomenon referred to as "mounting the head". When Dantor mounts someone, she will sometimes vomit blood. This is a sure sign that she has arrived. However, if Dantor throws up blood in a basin and hands it to someone, this is not a good thing. On the contrary, it is a clear indication that Dantor is pissed off at the individual and will punish him or her. You don't want to experience the wrath of Dantor! She has been known to be a very destructive spirit and is associated with heavy rains and hurricanes that destroy everything in its wake.
Erzulie Dantor as Saint Barbara Africana
Dantor
is served with the image of Santa Barabara Africana, also known as
Mater Salvatoris. She is associated with other Madonnas who hold a child
such as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Czestochowa, Our Lady of
Lourdes, and the Patron Saint of New Orleans, Our Lady of Perpetual
Help.
Tribal Scars
Scars
can be seen on the face of Saint Barbara Africana images. The marks are
often called "twa mak" or three marks, even though there are generally
only two shown. I reflect these scars of oral tradition on my Voodoo
dolls. You can see the scars in the close-up photograph of Dantor.
There is a story of violence that is at the origin of Dantor's facial scars. However, facial scarring is commonly found among some African groups and so they also point to Dantor's African roots.
There is a story of violence that is at the origin of Dantor's facial scars. However, facial scarring is commonly found among some African groups and so they also point to Dantor's African roots.
More than Sibling Rivalry
As
I mentioned at the top of the lens, there is a powerful group of loa
that go by the name of Erzulie. Among them is Erzulie Freda Dahomey, who
is one of Dantor's sisters. They apparently hate each other; a hatred
thought to be fueled by jealousy. According to legend, Dantor and Freda
both loved a particular Ogou loa. They engaged in an all-out cat fight
over him, which took a very violent turn. Dantor was so pissed off she
took her dagger and stabbed Freda in the heart. Freda took out the knife
and sliced Dantor in the face a few times. This story is reflected in
Freda's saint image where a gold knife is seen coming out of her heart,
and is Dantor's saint image which has scars on her face.
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