Songs For Haitian Loa Papa Elegba (information, YouTube sound files, and comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about Haitian Vodoun and an explanation about the term "loa". This post also showcases three YouTube sound files with information about the Haitian loa Papa Legba along with some comments from some of these sound files' discussion threads.

The content of this post is presented for religious, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and all those who contributed to these embedded YouTube sound files. Thanks also to all the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT HAITIAN VODOUN
From https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vodou
"Vodou
HAITIAN RELIGION
Alternative Titles: Vaudou, Vodun, Voodoo, Voudou, vodon
Vodou, also spelled Voodoo, Voudou, Vodun, or French Vaudou, a religion practiced in Haiti. Vodou is a creolized religion forged by descendents of Dahomean, Kongo, Yoruba, and other African ethnic groups who had been enslaved and brought to colonial Saint-Domingue (as Haiti was known then) and Christianized by Roman Catholic missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries. The word Vodou means “spirit” or “deity” in the Fon language of the African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin).

Vodou, a traditional Afro-Haitian religion, is a worldview encompassing philosophy, medicine, justice, and religion. Its fundamental principle is that everything is spirit. Humans are spirits who inhabit the visible world. The unseen world is populated by lwa (spirits), mystè (mysteries), anvizib (the invisibles), zanj (angels), and the spirits of ancestors and the recently deceased. All these spirits are believed to live in a mythic land called Ginen, a cosmic “Africa.” The God of the Christian Bible is understood to be the creator of both the universe and the spirits; the spirits were made by God to help him govern humanity and the natural world.”...

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE TERM "LOA"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loa
"Loa (also spelled lwa) are the spirits of Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo.[1]:229 They are also referred to as "mystères" and "the invisibles" and are intermediaries between Bondye (from French Bon Dieu, meaning "good God")—the Supreme Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity. Unlike saints or angels, however, they are not simply prayed to, they are served. They are each distinct beings with their own personal likes and dislikes, distinct sacred rhythms, songs, dances, ritual symbols, and special modes of service. Contrary to popular belief, the loa are not deities in and of themselves; they are intermediaries for, and dependent on, a distant Bondye.[1]:"

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INFORMATION ABOUT PAPA LEGBA
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_Legba
"Papa Legba is a loa in Haitian Vodou, who serves as the intermediary between the loa and humanity. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the spirits of Guinee, and is believed to speak all human languages. In Haiti, he is the great elocutioner. Legba facilitates communication, speech, and understanding.

Appearance
He usually appears as an old man on a crutch or with a cane, wearing a broad brimmed straw hat and smoking a pipe, or sparkling water. The dog is sacred to him. Legba is syncretized with Saint Peter, Saint Lazarus,[1] and Saint Anthony.[2]

Alternative views
In Benin, Nigeria and Togo, Legba is viewed as young and virile trickster deity,[3] often horned and phallic, and his shrine is usually located at the gate of the village in the countryside. Alternatively, he is addressed as Legba Atibon, Atibon Legba, or Ati-Gbon Legba.

In popular culture
[...]

In his study of the Delta blues, Robert Palmer discusses the appearance of Legba in blues lyrics and lore. Palmer notes that Legba can be referred to/identified as "the Devil", "Papa Legba", and "The Black Man" throughout the history of the blues.[5] This is also made clear in ethnomusicologist Bruno Blum's text for the CD box set Voodoo in America (scroll for English version),[6] where reference to Papa Legba, deity of roads and crossroads, in Robert Johnson's iconic song "Crossroads" is explained.

[...]

In the 1986 film Crossroads, blues musicians Robert Johnson and Willie Brown sell their souls to a "Mr. Legba" at a Mississippi crossroads. Later in the film Legba takes the name "Scratch".[citation needed] In this movie, however, Legba is mistaken for the Christian devil (or the popular notion of the devil), who takes the main character's soul in exchange for a successful musical career in blues.”...
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Additional information about Papa Legba is found in the YouTube sound file summaries and comments that are given below.

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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE SOUND FILES
Example #1: Papa Legba



Vodouspirit, Published on Feb 18, 2009

In honour of Papa Legba, the great Voodoo spirit who opens the way so that we may pass.

From https://hermitsjourney.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/a-song-for-legba
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Here's the lyrics to the song that is given on that page:
"A song for Legba
Here is an easy song for Legba that anyone can learn, even if you don’t speak Kreyol. It’s pretty repetitive, so once you get it down it’s not difficult to remember. I sing this one regularly when I give him offerings.

Legba nan baye-a
Legba nan baye-a
Legba nan baye-a
se ou ki pote drapo
se ou ki pare soley pou lwas yo

Translation:

Legba in the gate
Legba in the gate
Legba in the gate
it is you who carries the flag
it is you who shades the sun for the lwa
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Here's one comment about that article:
Velvetbehr, 2012
"Ayibobo Papa Legba!"
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From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayibobo
Ayibobo is one spelling of a Haitian Creole word that means "amen" or "hallelujah". However, the majority of mainstream Christian Haitians refrain from using the word Ayibobo as it is more commonly used among Vodou practitioners. Therefore, "Amen" and Hallejujah or "Alelouya", in its creole spelling, are used by mainstream Christians and "Ayibobo" are for those that practice Vodou

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Example #2: Papa Legba Haitian Meditation Music ( Very Powerful )



Darklordism, Published on May 26, 2016

Papa Legba Ritual Meditation Music

Papa Legba is a mighty Loa (God) from the New Orleans and Haitian Vodou Traditions. He is seen as an elderly black man with a cane, wearing a straw hat and either smoking a pipe or sprinkling water upon the ground. He is sometimes accompanied by a black dog or a rooster.

His colors are black and red and his number is 3. His day of the week is Monday and he is associated with St. Lazarus and St. Peter. Papa Legba governs over choice and the paths that we all walk. He presents us with opportunities and also tests our progress with challenges as we travel through earth life. This responsibility has given him the title of being the ultimate trickster god. He challenges us to step out of ourselves and to examine the habits and beliefs that we identify with. The choice is to either examine our lives or continue to fail the tests that Papa Legba sends to us over and over again. To Papa Legba, choice is of the utmost
importance for it is choice that displays the maturity of the heart and mind.

Papa Legba is one of the very oldest Loa and has been around since the beginning of time. He has seen everything which is why he is the Master Story Teller and the keeper of man’s history. He is like the Kemetic/Egyptian record keeping God Tehuti in this light for he has an unimaginable amount of data stored in his memory. He is the griot with the tales of heroes and the origins of all things. He can speak these stories to anyone on the planet for he is King of all linguists and therefore knows all languages.

Papa Legba: Keeper of the Crossroads
-snip-
Here are some comments from this sound file's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
1. Nadime Miller,2016
"I love this lovely song to my father Papa Legba.Since i was a little girl I felt love to the culture ,songs ,dance and Voodoo in Haiti...I used to hear so many lovely songs from the Haitian coconut cutters in the Dominican Republic...I sensed very early how they put down voodoo....I never knew why?...if voodoo to me as a child was a very suiting and pleasant experience.....I grow up respecting Voodoo, even that the nuns in catholic school considered it "witchcraft ".When I arrived toThe United State I encounter Voodoo in my dreams, and since then I fallow my intuition and my heart!!!..This song is "MARAVILLOSA". It brings me to my African Ancestors where I dance in the realm of the Magical world of The Spirits!!!...Thank you !!"

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REPLY
2. Mr LMMO, 2016
"Nadime Miller I think your referring to houdo from Haiti."

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3. Nadime Miller, 2016
"Well in Haiti is voodoo???...a very ancient Religion from Dahomey...West Africa ???? HAITI Its the country that preserved all these rituals in the caribbean Haiti is the neighbor of The Dominican Republic.... Thank God for Haiti!!!"

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4. Mr LMMO, 2016
"Nadime Miller hatian voodoo isn't houdo? voodoo being the new Orleans style?"

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5. Nadime Miller, 2016
"I know...Haitian voodoo is unique in Haiti....new orlean s voodoo is commercial ..i saw many references to hoodoo"

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6. Dave Lopes, 2017
"Perry, Hoodoo is black magic from Louisiana. Vaudou is the religion practiced in Haiti. There is no houdo in Haiti."

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7. Dave Lopes, 2017
"Also the name is Vaudou or Vaudoun. Voodoo is the American bastardization of the word."

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8. IyaEarthseeds, 2017
"Actually it's Vodoun or Vodou or Vodun... No "a"..."

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9. Amen Ra, 2016
"Yall know this is an African spiritual system that's inherited right?"

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10. A I, 2016
"Yoruba to be precise. its been spread by trans Atlantic slavery"

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11. Reza Z, 2017
"Omo Ogun it's not Yoruba. Yoruba is Santeria religion not Vodou. Vodou spread by West African Fon and Ewe people"
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"Omo Ogun" was the screen name for another commenter.

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12. IyaEarthseeds, 2017
"Young Brotha! Ogun is an Orisa from Yoruba Ancestral/Cultural Tradition and it's actually called IFA. Not Yoruba. Yoruba are the people, a language and culture... IFA is the name of our spiritual/religious and cosmological system.

Santeria, Lucumi, Candomblé, Sango (and many other versions throughout the world) are Diaspora "bi-products" of the IFA. Vodoun has many IFA influences and synchronizations as well as its own very distinct cultural/spiritual elements. Dude, Ogun is an Orisa from IFA — Yorubaland!!!
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"Orisa" ["orisha"] is the same concept as the Haitian "loa"
From https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/orisha
"any of the minor gods or spirits of traditional Yoruba religion and its S American and Caribbean offshoots such as Santeria and Candomblé

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REPLY
13. Stanley Dougé, 2017
"Sango is known as Sogbo and Heviosso us Haïtians inherited the vodun from our Gbé ancestors the Adja,mina,Goun,Fon,ewe and also the Nago a Yoruba speaking people were among the people sent to Haïti and of course other tribes as well such as the Igbo,Bakongo,Fulbe,Wolof etc"

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14. Stanley Dougé, 2017
"Fun fact Legba is the Fa version of the Ifa Orisha Elegbara."

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15. Stanley Dougé, 2017
"Vodun is Fa Orisha is Ifa."

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16. Naija guy, 2018
"Let me clear this debate by saying legba is a yoruba diety just as it's fon's."

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17. Namie Namie, 2019
"@Stanley Dougé i believe Elegbara is the son of Esu and there are many Esus or papa Legbas."

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18. Papa Sèpan, 2019
"Namie Namie they are not the same entity. The Fon/Ewe did not get influenced by the Yoruba. The Yoruba are nomads from those predating tribes. That’s why Isese and Vodun share so many similarities. And the Yoruba people can be traced back to coming from the line of the Fon/Ewe people or the Dahomean kingdom. Also Ifà is an Oracle which is the Vodun Fa and since I’m African Spirituality Animism is a very loud principle. The way the Orisa are like the Vodun of the Land the Yoruba moved to and inherited. Why you think you will see there water spirit is Oshun because they have the oshun River but in Benin they don’t have Oshun they have Azili(Ezili) . But in Ghana in their Vodun they don’t have Azili because they don’t have that River. We have to remember where these spirits manifested as and from on earth. Oshun physical body is her River same for the Azili. No they aren’t the same entity they may manifest from the same energy or similise energies and principle but are not the same . Same with Eshu Elegbara and Elegba and Papa Legba."

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19. D. Roulie, 2016
"that's Haitian Creole they are speaking I'm Haitian"

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20. A I, 2016
"D. Roulie sounds similar to Yoruba.

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21. Eloï Jacques-wood, 2017
"The image in the video are so wrong... Thanks anyway"

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22. Susan Sheppard, 2018
"Nice but Legba is not scary looking. He appears as an older men in a straw hat, wearing overalls and smoking a corn cob pipe. People are confusing him with Papa Samedi..."

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22. acres homes, 2018
"Ok what makes it wrong?communicate with your people.."

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23. subsystem101, 2018
"the images are Baron not Legba and other image are just wrong"

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24. yiehom, 2018
"There is no "baron" without naming which one you mean. There is no wrong whithout showing the right."

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25. EazyHelper, 2018
"@yiehom baron samedi......as some have already pointed out legba is an elderly man"

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26. Stanley Dougé, 2019
"Exactly Baron Samedi isn't Legba but they seem to confuse it in Louisiana though for some reason Vodun Legba doesn't dress like that."

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Example #3: Papa Legba



Blokis Mizik 509, Published on Oct 28, 2016

When one says the word Vodou, the first spirit that comes to mind is Legba. Legba is undoubtedly the most important spirits in the hierarchy of Vodou; he is the guardian of the gates, crossroads, courtyards and all Vodou temples (Peristil). He is the necessary intermediary between the livings and the spiritual world, his powers are absolutely a must for any kind of interaction with the Loas. No Vodou ceremony of any sort can take place without his permission. Because of this important privilege Legba is always the first invoked in all Vodou ceremony.

Although his possession are extremely violent, his caring nature and politeness earned him the affectionate nickname "Papa Legba" He is a small, crooked lovable old man, his body covered with sores and his crutch or cane is always presented to him for support , old age prevents him from standing on his own. He wears a straw hat and carries his djakout (straw bag) full with rare herbs and plants that he uses and, his favorite drink clairin.

During his celebration, either a goat or a grey rooster, with yam and other roots vegetables are prepared for him as offerings, put inside the djakout, then hung on trees. In Haitian Vodou, the image of Saint Lazarus for the crutch that he uses for support or St Peter for the keys that he holds, are used to represent Papa Legba.
If you are a non initiate, you MUST acknowledge Legba and ask for his permission and guidance when addressing other Loa(s), by lighting a yellow candle and place it at the entrance of the door.

Alternatives: Atibon Legba, Alegba, Legba Sanyan, Legba Zankliyan, Legba Mizè ba.

Color: Yellow.
-snip-
Here are some comments from this sound file's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
1. Cel Middleton, 2017
"Can you put the creole words to the song as well! Please and thank you!!!!"

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2. Peace & Love, 2017
"Cel Middleton im Haitian born and raised. Hard to understand the whole thing. A lot of West African stuff in it"

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3. AlexanderMccarthey87, 2017
"Does anyone know the lyrics?"

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4. Jah E, 2017
"AlexanderMccarthey87 it is not hard have someone who speaks creyol write them down for u as u play the song..."

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5. margine louis, 2018
"@Jah E it involves some old African words that the typical Haitian will not recognize"

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6. Jah E, 2018
"@margine louis lol u right ..i dont even understand some of the words sometimes"

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