Erzulie
| Erzulie Freda | |
|---|---|
| Loa of Love and Beauty | |
| Venerated in | Haitian Vodou, Louisiana Voodoo, Folk Catholicism |
| Attributes | Pale bejeweled woman, pink dresses, three wedding rings, heart-shaped medals, heart pierced by sword |
| Patronage | Love, health, beauty, homosexuals, passion, prosperity, perfumes, jewelry, flowers |
Erzulie (sometimes spelled Erzili or Ezili) is a family of loa, or spirits in Vodou.
Erzulie Fréda Dahomey, the Rada aspect of Erzulie, is the Haitian African spirit of love, beauty, jewelry, dancing, luxury, and flowers. She wears three wedding rings, one for each husband - Damballa, Agwe and Ogoun. Her symbol is a heart, her colours are pink, blue, white and gold, and her favourite sacrifices include jewellery, perfume, sweet cakes and liqueurs. Coquettish and very fond of beauty and finery, Erzulie Freda is femininity and compassion embodied, yet she also has a darker side; she is seen as jealous and spoiled and within some Vodoun circles is considered to be lazy. During ritual possession, she may enter the body of either a man or a woman. She enjoys the game of flirtation and seduces people without distinguishing between sexes. In Christian iconography she is often identified with the Mater Dolorosa, as well as another loa named, Metres Ezili. She is conceived of as never able to attain her heart's most fervent desire. For this reason she always leaves a service in tears. Her syncretic iconographical depiction is usually based on that of the Virgin and Child, because she is the mother of Ti. Common syncretizations include Iyalorde Oxum as she relates to the Yoruba Vodu goddess of Erotic Love, Gold and Femininity.
In her Petro nation aspect as Erzulie Dantor she is often depicted as a scarred and buxom black woman, holding a child protectively in her arms. She is a particularly fierce protector of women and children. She is often identified with lesbian women.
A common syncretic depiction of Erzulie Dantor is St Jeanne d'Arc, who is displayed carrying or supporting a sword. She was copied as the , as she is represented as being dark-skinned with two scars on her face. Her colours are red, gold and navy blue. Her symbols are a pierced heart and knives or swords. Her favourite sacrifices include black pigs, griot (seasoned fried pork), and rum.
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