the limping messenger

The vodou deity Madam Brigitte is a death ‘loa’ the wife of Baron Samedi, she drinks hot peppers and is sym,bolized by a black rooster and she protects gravestones in cemeteries. She is invoked to raise the dead, shown is a priestess drawing her ‘veve’ (symbol).

In the digital magazine of my Surinam friend Henna Goudzand – OERdigitaalvrouwenblad – a short article (in Dutch) has just appeared by Astrid Elstak Lie on the women’s movement in Haiti and the impact  of the earthquake killing some strong and  active women: Myriam Merlet, Magalie Marcelin en Anne Marie Coriolan. The article describes the bad fate of women in Haiti, the small progress made and the danger of a backlash if the active participation of women is not given more priority, especially by the outsider forces USA and international NGOs that seem to have taken over the country at this moment. I was asked to make an illustration for this article andI take the opportunity to republish the emblem  and its inspirational sources here:

DESCRIPTIO: The vodou deity Madam Brigitte is a death ‘loa’ the wife of Baron Samedi, she drinks hot peppers and is symbolized by a black rooster and she protects gravestones in cemeteries. She is invoked to raise the dead, shown is a priestess drawing her ‘veve’ (symbol).

INVOCATIO

Haitian Creole –

Mesye la kwa avanse pou l we yo!
Maman Brigitte malad, li kouche sou do,
Pawol anpil pa leve le mo (les morts, Fr.)
Mare tet ou, mare vant ou, mare ren ou,
Yo prale we ki jan yap met a jenou.

English-
Gentlemen of the cross (deceased ancestors) advance for her to see them!
Maman Brigitte is sick, she lies down on her back,
A lot of talk won’t raise the dead,
Tie up your head, tie up your belly, tie up your kidneys,
They will see how they will get down on their knees.
(Meaning, tie up your belly, ‘gird up your loins’ to prepare for the strain
of work, we will make the people who did this evil spell get down on their
knees to beg pardon and receive their punishment.)

invocatio =

Haitian Creole –

Mesye la kwa avanse pou l we yo!

Maman Brigitte malad, li kouche sou do,

Pawol anpil pa leve le mo (les morts, Fr.)

Mare tet ou, mare vant ou, mare ren ou,

Yo prale we ki jan yap met a jenou.

English-

Gentlemen of the cross (deceased ancestors) advance for her to see them!

Maman Brigitte is sick, she lies down on her back,

A lot of talk won’t raise the dead,

Tie up your head, tie up your belly, tie up your kidneys,

They will see how they will get down on their knees.

(Meaning, tie up your belly, ‘gird up your loins’ to prepare for the strain

of work, we will make the people who did this evil spell get down on their

knees to beg pardon and receive their punishment.)

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references are:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maman_Brigitte
http://www.rootswithoutend.org/racine125/goddess.html