Agwé
Encyclopedia
In Vodou, and especially in Haiti
, Agwé, also spelt Agoueh, is a loa
who rules over the sea, fish, and aquatic plants, as well as the patron loa of fishermen and sailors. He is considered to be married to Erzulie Freda and La Sirene.
In his Rada aspect he is called Met Agwe Tawoyo (Master Agwe Tawoyo) and is envisioned as a handsome mixed race man with green eyes, often wearing a naval officer's uniform. He is considered to be a gentleman who commands respect and embodies several ideals of masculinity including bravery, reserve and provision.
His colours are white, blue and occasionally brown. He goes by several titles, including "The Angel in the Mirror" and "The Tadpole in the Pond".
When he possesses a devotee he often pushes himself around the temple on a chair with an oar, shouting naval commands and saluting members of the congregation.
Offerings to Agwe are left on constructed rafts which are floated out to sea. His offerings include champagne, gunfire, toy ships, savoury exotic foods, naval rum, and rams whose wool has been dyed with indigo. He is rarely if ever served seafood. He is syncretised with the Catholic Saint Ulrich of Augsburg
and very occasionally the archangel Raphael
, both of whom are depicted holding fish. His veve (ritual symbol) is a boat with sails.
Agwe is also a character in the musical Once on This Island
as the god of water.
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Agwé, also spelt Agoueh, is a loa
Loa
The Loa are the spirits of the voodoo religion practiced in Louisiana, Haiti, Benin, and other parts of the world. They are also referred to as Mystères and the Invisibles, in which are intermediaries between Bondye —the Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity...
who rules over the sea, fish, and aquatic plants, as well as the patron loa of fishermen and sailors. He is considered to be married to Erzulie Freda and La Sirene.
In his Rada aspect he is called Met Agwe Tawoyo (Master Agwe Tawoyo) and is envisioned as a handsome mixed race man with green eyes, often wearing a naval officer's uniform. He is considered to be a gentleman who commands respect and embodies several ideals of masculinity including bravery, reserve and provision.
His colours are white, blue and occasionally brown. He goes by several titles, including "The Angel in the Mirror" and "The Tadpole in the Pond".
When he possesses a devotee he often pushes himself around the temple on a chair with an oar, shouting naval commands and saluting members of the congregation.
Offerings to Agwe are left on constructed rafts which are floated out to sea. His offerings include champagne, gunfire, toy ships, savoury exotic foods, naval rum, and rams whose wool has been dyed with indigo. He is rarely if ever served seafood. He is syncretised with the Catholic Saint Ulrich of Augsburg
Ulrich of Augsburg
Saint Ulrich , sometimes spelled Uodalric or Odalrici, was Bishop of Augsburg and a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. He was the first saint to be canonized.-Family:...
and very occasionally the archangel Raphael
Raphael (archangel)
Raphael is an archangel of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, who in the Judeo-Christian tradition performs all manners of healing....
, both of whom are depicted holding fish. His veve (ritual symbol) is a boat with sails.
Agwe is also a character in the musical Once on This Island
Once On This Island
Once on This Island is a one-act musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. Based on the novel My Love, My Love by Rosa Guy, set in the French Antilles in the Caribbean Sea...
as the god of water.