Lwa

The lwa, also spelled loa, are the spirits central to Haitian Vodou, an African diasporic religion, and have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerated in the traditional religions of West Africa, especially those of the Fon and Yoruba peoples, while other lwa, such as Simbi Dlo, trace their roots to the Kongo religion of Central Africa. In Vodou belief the lwa act as intermediaries between humanity and Bondye, a transcendent creator divinity, and practitioners believe well over a thousand lwa exist, though only the names of at least 232 have been recorded. Each lwa has its own personality and is associated with specific colors and objects, and many are equated with particular Roman Catholic saints on the basis of shared characteristics or symbols. Believers hold that the lwa communicate with humans through dreams and divination and are given offerings, including sacrificed animals, and that during ceremonies a lwa can possess a practitioner to offer advice, admonishment or healing to others present. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/