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The origins of the major lwa in this family are obscure. In Dahomey, the Gedevi were the aboriginal people
of the Ahbomey plane who were displaced by the invading Fon. True to Fon religious ideals, the Gede ancestors were incorporated into their theology as the "lords of the earth", and thereby lords of
the dead who are buried within the earth. As many of the Gedevi were taken to Haiti as slaves during the Middle Passage, it is not hard to see how Gede attained his position in Haitian Vodou. This
information can be found in Roger Bastide, "African Civilisations in the New World." Translated from the French by Peter Green, with a foreword by Geoffrey Parrinder.1971 p.140.
Bastide says that the Gede were a category of divinities brought into Dahomey when they conquered
the Guede-vi people, making them their grave-digging caste. Later they were sold off as slaves because the Fon feared their magical powers.
The Gedes include Baron, Brigette and Gede Nibo. Their colors are funeral in style, with black and purple the dominant
colors, and some white added in.
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