eminent Benin scholar, diplomat, and African tra-
ditional religion critic, Dr. Joseph Yai Olabiyi
Babalola once suggested that one refer instead to
this important religion as Orisha-Vodun. Of
course, one could well say Vodun-Orisha had
there not been a need for alphabetical order in
Babalola’s formulation of the compound word.
One ForceMawu-Lisa, the Supreme Entity, is often seen as a
complementary sexual pair that is merged into
one force and referred to asMawu, that is, God in
a general sense among the Fon of Dahomey and
the Ewe of Ghana and Togo. For example, to
swear to God, the Fon people sayN’xwlé Mawu
(N’xwlé= I swear to andMawu= God), and the
Ewe of Ghana and Togo and the Mina of Togo
would sayN’ta Mawu(N’ta= I swear to,Mawu=
God). This Supreme Entity, Mawu among the Fon
and the Ewe, is called Olodumare, Olorun, or
Oluwa among the Nago and the Yoruba and is
known as Bondye or Gran Met among the
Haitians of the Caribbean Islands.
Mawu is the Omnipotent Father whose com-
mands all world creatures must obey at all times.
In his role as the patron saint of the universe and
all things and creatures in it, Mawu-Lisa is sur-
rounded by his children or creatures, that is, all
Vodun who serve as intermediaries or emissaries
between human beings and him. Indeed, the
Vodun being the creatures or children of Mawu is
clearly evidenced in the Fon saying, “Mawu wè
do Vodun lè” (It is Mawu who created and owns
all Vodun).
Offspring GodsSome of Mawu-Lisa’s children and their respec-
tive roles, as delineated by Mawu-Lisa, are as
follows:
Sakpata: the oldest child of Mawu, to whom the
Earth was entrusted. He is the god of smallpox
and the Vodun of wealth or prosperity. He is also
known as Ayivodun (god of the Earth) or Ainon
(proprietor of the Earth).
Heviosso orHebiosso(also spelled Xêviossoor
Xêbiosso): Mawu’s second child, who is in charge
of the sky, thunder or lightning, and rain. He is
the Vodun of Justice who punishes criminals and
evil doers, as well as anything, including trees and
animals, that is considered harmful, by striking them
down, especially during rain. He is also known as
Jivodun (Ji =sky; hence Vodun of the sky).XuorTovodun, also known asAgbéorAvlékété:
god of the Ocean.GuorOgu: god of iron. Gu is considered the god
of blacksmiths, warriors, and hunters. This god
does not condone evildoing insofar as he kills
accomplices of wrongdoing when he is appealed
to. A famous phrase among the Fon of Dahomey
isYé da Gu do me(to call on Gu to deal with
someone, or to send Gu onto somebody).Aguê: the fifth child of Mawu, who is responsible
for overseeing agriculture and the forests. This is
the god that reigns over birds and all animals.Jo: god of invisibility, the Vodun of the air.Lègba: Mawu’s youngest son barely received any
endowments because all had been divided up
among his older siblings. This accounts for his
jealous nature. He is, however, considered the
town or country protector, but only on condition
that offerings are regularly made to him. In other
words, if not cared for, this god can be a
destroyer, exemplifying thus the Good and Evil.
Lègba is a professional agitator, provoker,
aggressor, or instigator who is somehow against
the deeds of the Providence. He is otherwise
called a trickster god. To avoid falling into his
trap or getting into his troubles, people regularly
give him offerings.Dan Ayido HuèdoorDan Aidowèdo: god of the
rainbow, fertility, and wealth. This is the god who
serves as the link between Heaven and Earth.DanorDangbé: the serpent-god, whose ancestors
are pythons. He is famous among the Xwéda of
Gléxwé or Ouidah, a historical city in Benin
where the most sacred python temple is housed.Tohossou: god of the waters and of monsters. He
dwells in lagoons, rivers, and wells.412 Mawu-Lisa