GEDE NIVO

Oh, I could write a book about Gede - about how many there are, what a fine and crazy fellow he is. Technically, all the dead are Gede. This fact becomes highly illustrated in Haiti during Fet Gede, on November 2, when the Gede come to possess their follows by the score. But even here in the US, Gede holds sway.

There as many Gede as there are dead - in my house alone, we have Gede Ti Pou Quoi who heals and dispenses advice, Gede Got to Go, Gede Arapice and Gede Nivo, to name but a few of the more frequent visitors.

You can count on Gede to arrive just as the ceremony begins to wind down, just as folks are getting tired and want to just sit down and relax. Here comes Gede Got To Go, wanting another song, another drink, another piece of cake and more! Interestingly, Gede is also the patron of children. As the Lwa of death, he holds sway over the birth of children, and whether they will live or not. In a place like Haiti, with no health care, no medical facilities for most people and no food, death among the most vulnerable is a frequent thing. It's no wonder folks petition Gede so often to keep their kids safe and secure.

All Gedes share some things in common - they like to dress in funeral finery - top hats, black jackets, purple dresses. They all eat and drink with gluttony. Gede, like death, is always hungry, never satisfied. He eats and drinks with abandon, particularly hot peppered foods and rum that has had Scotch Bonnet peppers soaking in it.

Along with his gluttony and his fondness for children, Gede is also the Lwa most often called upon for healing. As the Avatar of Death, it is also within his realm to affect healing. When we were in Haiti, I saw Gede effect the spontaneous healing of a sprained ankle on one of my brothers. Gede massaged it, poured hot oil over it, wrapped it in a dirty rag and proclaimed it healed. We accepted this statement with less than belief at the time. That evening, as the Petro dance fired up, the ankle was not swollen or discolored and my brother danced on it all night long with no ill effect. Ashe Papa Gede - mesi anpil!

Call on Gede when there is a serious illness or life threatening situation that needs healing. Call Gede when you need sound, reliable and honest answers to really tough questions. Ask Gede to help you grieve, to call the Beloved Dead back to the Waters of the Abyss, where they can rest, and you can heal. And finally, ask Gede to protect young children.

Offer Gede red hot peppers, pepper-soaked rum and hot Creole foods. He loves black roosters, black cock feathers, sunglasses with one lens, top hats, graveyard dust, purple and black candles, ribbons and satin.
Gede's Veve

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