assisted in marriage arrangements, and everyone
in the traditional community had to be married
because to be a spinster or an old bachelor was
considered anathema.
The Luo are known for their music, and their
traditional music is functional. Nothing is done
just for the sake of doing it. People make music
for ceremony, religion, and political reasons.
Music has to be performed for all occasions.
For example, during funerals, one has to praise
the departed, comfort the bereaved, and cleanse
and chase away spirits. Music was played
during beer parties welcoming visitors, during
wrestling performances, and so forth. Music
was also used for rituals like chasing away evil
spirits (nyawawa).
The Luo retain in their ordinary lives many use-
ful components of the traditional philosophy and
cultural mythology.
Molefi Kete AsanteSeealsoAncestors; Naming
Further Readings
Asante, M. K. (2007).The History of Africa. London:
Routledge.
Ayodo, A. (1995).Luo. New York: Rosen.
LWA
The Lwa (the word is also often spelledLoa) are
the secondary divinities of the Vodu religion as
practiced in Haiti. The Lwa are also referred to
asLes Mystères,Les Invisibles,Mistik, or, simply,
Vodu. They are spirits of human or divine origin
who were created by Bondye or Granmèt, the
Supreme Being of Vodu in Haiti, to assist the liv-
ing in their daily affairs. Indeed, as in most other
African religious traditions, the Supreme Being
withdrew from the world after having created it.
Management of the world was left in the hands of
spiritual entities—more particularly of the Lwa.
However, God remains the ultimate arbitrator and
supreme master of all things in the universe. This
entry looks at the characteristics of the Lwa and
how they are worshipped.
Describing the Lwa
There are more than 1,000 divinities, or Lwa, in
Vodu. The Lwa are grouped in 17 pantheons, or
nanchon, the better known ones being the Rada,
the Petwo, Nago, Kongo, Juba, and Ibo pan-
theons. The Rada and Petwo pantheons are
arguably the most important, in terms of both size
and the role played by Rada and Petwo Lwa in
Vodu. In fact, many of the other groups have been
integrated into the Rada and the Petwo pan-
theons. For example, the Nago and the Juba Lwa
are often thought of nowadays as Rada, whereas
the Kongo and Ibo are commonly subsumed
under the Petwo Lwa.
This fusion underscores the difficulty one may
face when adhering to too strict a classification.
There are constant overlaps between the different
pantheons of Lwa. The same Lwa may appear as
Rada and as Petwo. What seems to distinguish the
Rada pantheon from the Petwo pantheon is,
above all, the general character, attitude, or per-
sona of the Lwa. Rada Lwa are often associated
with a peaceful demeanor and benevolent atti-
tude. However, this is not always the case. When
displeased or offended, they may also turn out to
be quite vindictive. In contrast, Petwo Lwa are
commonly thought of as forceful, aggressive, and
dangerous. Yet they may also be protective of the
living and quite generous. Thus, one must resist
the easy temptation of a simplistic classification.
Although the Lwa are quite numerous, there is
a hierarchy among them, with some Lwa being
held in special esteem by Vodu followers. This is
the case, for instance, of the powerful Lwa Legba,
the master and keeper of crossroads, without
whom communication with the spirits is impossi-
ble and can never take place. Other Lwa of partic-
ular significance include spirits such as Agwe (also
called Agwe Taroyo), the Lwa of the sea, and his
female counterpart, Lasirèn; Danballa Wedo, and
his wife, Ayida Wedo, who are represented as two
snakes and stand for the power and eternity of
life; Ezili Freda, known as the “Lwa of Love”;
Loko, the spirit of trees and vegetation in general,
and the patron of Mambos and Houngans and of
the Vodu temple, the oumfò; Ogu, the symbol of
strength and power; the Marassa, the sacred
twins; Ayizan, the Lwa of market places and pro-
tector of merchants; and Azaka, the Lwa presiding392 Lwa