Saturday, November 19, 2011

Maman Brijit/Brigitte/Brigit



(her veve)

In Vodou, Maman Brigitte (Grann Brigitte, Manman, Manman Brigit, Manman Brijit) is a death loa, the wife of Baron Samedi. Maman Brigitte is one of the few Loa who are white and is depicted as being fair-haired and green-eyed with light European skin. She drinks hot peppers and is symbolized by a black rooster. Like Baron and the Ghede, she uses obscenities.

She protects gravestones in cemeteries if they are properly marked with a cross.

A New World loa, Maman Brigitte is syncretized with the Irish Saint Brigid, who is associated with fire.

From: Wiki
The Gede Lwa are some of the most interesting, funny, and outrageous spirits in the Vodou tradition. Their leader, known to them as their father, is Baron Semetye. Baron is the head of the cemetery and he rules over it with his wife, Maman Brijit.

Every Cemetery has its own Baron and Brijit and these are identified by certain tombs. The first male buried in a cemetery is a Baron and the first female a Brijit. In Haiti, crosses will be erected for each one at that tomb. People needing to commission them thus go to the cross.

There are several different Baron Lwa, some more common than others: Baron Lakwa (the cross), Baron Semetye (cemetery), and Baron Samedi. Barons are judges. When you leave your problems at the foot of Baron, you can be assured that he will seek out the innocent.

Baron and Brijit serve as the father and mother of the family of Lwa known as the Gede. This unit is considered a family unit rather than the other groups of Lwa, who are known as nations. There are many hundreds and hundreds of Gede lwa, if not thousands, and they are always the life of the party.

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From: here
(snip)
Maman Brigitte is a strong presence. She drinks rum spiced with hot peppers, which sounds rather good, and she can be jolly and fun, but is plain speaking and does not suffer fools. She has a robust sexuality and dances wildly. The spiced rum would aid all these qualities!

This Haitian voudoun goddess protects the graves in cemeteries that are marked with the cross. Her masculine counterpart is one of the Ghedes in his guise of the mysterious Baron Samedi; the black clad and hatted master of the cemeteries and chief of all the ancestors. The first woman to be buried in a cemetery in Haiti will be dedicated to Maman Brigid. Maman Brigitte is a healer, like Brighid of the British Isles.
(snip)

From: here
'Maman Brigitte, li soti nan anglete' (Mama Brigitte, she comes from England).

The goddess of death Maman Brigitte is married to Baron Samedi and loves to drink rum laced with hot peppers. But that's not the only use she has for this most fiery nightshade and also likes to rub them on her genitals - a test women are subjected to if they are suspected of faking posession.

Like the rest of the Guede clan Maman Brigitte is a no nonsense tough talker who is prone to outbursts of outrageous obscenity and is queen of the Banda. Rumour has it she's a descendant of Brigid the Celtic goddess, carried to Haiti in the hearts of deported Brit's. This could explain her love of chilli sauce - Friday night kebabs being a great british tradition.

She has a particular influence over money affairs so give her a little wink if you've got your eye on an ill-gotten fortune.

From: here
Also see:
Google Books with previews (mentions of her)
Short summary
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