Maman Brigitte (English: Mother Brigitte) sometimes also written as Manman Brigitte and also known by Gran Brigitte, Grann Brigitte, Manman, Manman Brigit, and Maman Brijit is a death loa (or lwa) and the consort of Baron Samedi in Haitian Vodou. She drinks rum infused with hot peppers and is symbolized by a black rooster.[1] Maman Brigitte protects graves in Haitian cemeteries that are marked by the cross of Baron Samedi.[2][3] Graves that are protected by Brigitte are marked by a mound of stones.[3] In Vodou practice, the first burials serve as offerings to either Baron Samedi or Maman Brigitte depending on the gender of the person being laid to rest. If the deceased person is male then the grave is dedicated to Baron Samedi; if the deceased person is female then the grave is dedicated to Maman Brigitte.[4]
| Maman Brigitte | |
|---|---|
Lwa of life, death, cemeteries, healing, and justice/vengeance | |
| Member of Guede | |
 Veve for Maman Brigitte | |
| Other names | Grandma Brigitte, Manman, Maman Brijit, Grann (or Gran) Brigitte, Brigitte, Manman Brijit |
| Abode | Voodoo underworld |
| Mantra | Banda |
| Animals | Black rooster, horse |
| Symbol | Rum, hot peppers, fire, gravestones, crosses |
| Tree | Elm, weeping willow |
| Color | Purple, black, green |
| Gender | Female |
| Consort | Baron Samedi |
| Offspring | Guede Nibo (adopted) |
| Equivalents | |
| Christian | Brigid of Kildare Mary Magdalene |
| Yoruba | Oya |
Like Samedi and the Guede, she is foul-mouthed.[4] She is also the adoptive mother of Guede Nibo.[1]
Due to the religious persecution of enslaved African and Caribbean people in Haiti and the Americas, Maman Brigitte was disguised via syncretism and represented by various saints, usually those depicted with fire or snakes, including Brigid of Kildare and, less frequently, Mary Magdalene.[1]
In other media
editLiterature
edit- In the 1988 cyberpunk novel Mona Lisa Overdrive, one of the AIs inhabiting cyberspace puts on the persona of Maman Brigitte to communicate with human characters.
Video games
edit- In the game Cyberpunk 2077, there is a character named Maman Brigitte who comes from Haiti that leads the gang, the Voodoo Boys.[5]
- Maman Brigitte appears as a playable character in the 2014 multiplayer online battle arena Smite, alongside her husband Baron Samedi. She is the second playable Voodoo Lwa.[6]
Television
edit- In season 2, episode 5 of American Gods (TV series), Maman Brigitte is portrayed by Hani Furstenberg as the lover of Baron Samedi (portrayed by Mustafa Shakir).
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Torres, Rafael Agustí. "Loas y Vèvès del Vudú", pp. 30-31 (in Spanish)
- ^ Métraux, Alfred (1974). Voodoo in Haiti. Sphere Books. p. 70. ISBN 0805208941.
- ^ a b Deren, Maya (1983). Divine horsemen: the living gods of Haiti. New Paltz, NY: McPherson. p. 103. ISBN 0-914232-64-9. OCLC 9830272.
- ^ a b "The Ancestral Lwa - Baron, Maman Brigitte, And The Lwa Ghede", Meta Religion.
- ^ CD Projekt RED. Cyberpunk 2077. Video Game, Multi-Platform. Poland, CD Projekt S.A., 2020.
- ^ "Maman Brigitte A Closer Look". www.smitegame.com. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
Further reading
edit- Laënnec Hurbon, Voodoo: Search for the Spirit, "Abrams Discoveries" series. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (1995)
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