Ayizan
Encyclopedia
In Vodou, and especially in Haiti
, Ayizan (also Grande Ai-Zan, Aizan, or Ayizan Velekete) is the loa
of the marketplace and commerce.
She is a racine, or root Loa, associated with Vodoun rites of initiation
(called kanzo). Just as her husband Loco
is the archetypal Houngan
(priest), Ayizan is regarded as the first, or archetypal Mambo
(priestess), and as such is also associated with priestly knowledge and mysteries, particularly those of initiation, and the natural world.
As the spiritual parents of the priesthood she and her husband are two of the Loa involved in the kanzo rites in which the Priest/ess-to-be is given the asson
(sacred rattle and tool of the priesthood), and are both powerful guardians of "reglemen," or the correct and appropriate form of Vodoun service.
She is syncretised with the Catholic Saint Clare
, her symbol is the palm frond, she drinks no alcohol, and is the wife of Loko Atisou
. Her colours are most commonly gold, yellow and white.
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...
, Ayizan (also Grande Ai-Zan, Aizan, or Ayizan Velekete) is the 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...
of the marketplace and commerce.
She is a racine, or root Loa, associated with Vodoun rites of initiation
Rite of passage
A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another. It is a universal phenomenon which can show anthropologists what social hierarchies, values and beliefs are important in specific cultures....
(called kanzo). Just as her husband Loco
Loco (loa)
In the Voodoo religion, Loco is a loa, patron of healers and plants, especially trees. He is a racine , and a Rada Loa. Among several other Loa he is linked with the poteau mitan or centrepost in a Vodou peristyle....
is the archetypal Houngan
Houngan
Houngan is the term for a male priest in the voodoo religion in Haiti . The term is derived from the Fon word "hùn gan". There are two ranks of houngan, houngan asogwe and houngan sur pwen...
(priest), Ayizan is regarded as the first, or archetypal Mambo
Mambo (voodoo)
Mambo is the term for a female High Priest in the Vodou religion in Haiti. They are the highest form of clergy in the religion, whose responsibility it is to preserve the rituals and songs and maintain the relationship between the spirits and the community as a whole...
(priestess), and as such is also associated with priestly knowledge and mysteries, particularly those of initiation, and the natural world.
As the spiritual parents of the priesthood she and her husband are two of the Loa involved in the kanzo rites in which the Priest/ess-to-be is given the asson
Asson
Asson is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
(sacred rattle and tool of the priesthood), and are both powerful guardians of "reglemen," or the correct and appropriate form of Vodoun service.
She is syncretised with the Catholic Saint Clare
Clare of Assisi
Clare of Assisi , born Chiara Offreduccio, is an Italian saint and one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi...
, her symbol is the palm frond, she drinks no alcohol, and is the wife of Loko Atisou
Loco (loa)
In the Voodoo religion, Loco is a loa, patron of healers and plants, especially trees. He is a racine , and a Rada Loa. Among several other Loa he is linked with the poteau mitan or centrepost in a Vodou peristyle....
. Her colours are most commonly gold, yellow and white.
External links
- An overview of Ayizan
- The meaning of Ayizan's name by Max Beauvoir