The religion of voodoo (especially in Haiti) was established from slaves brought from Africa (all from different countries) as a form of protection and revolution. Although, voodoo is not just a religion in Haiti but it is also the culture and a way of life for some of their people. .
The spiritual realm of voodoo is remotely presided over by the Bon Dieu (meaning "Good God" and sometimes referred to as the creator). Within this spiritual realm, there are three classes of spirits which are collectively called "Les Invisibles" (the invisible ones). The three classes which the les invisibles break down into are the basic fundamental principles of voodoo which consist of: Les Morts (which are the collective dead), Les Marassu (the original twins from which the human race has evolved) and Les Mysta (also known as the mysteries; the Loa (lwa) or the Gods). The Loa has the status of a divine spirit and represents either an aspect of life, natural element, or a moral principle. The Loa are the link between humans and the spiritual world. The Loa's are multiple and varied and are generally divided into two main rites or nations, the Rada and the Petro. The Rada pantheon which has Dahomean or Yoruban origin and the Petro pantheon is basically the majority of Creole Loa originating in Haiti. The people who contact the community with the deities/Loa are the hougan (male) and the mambo (female) leaders. These individuals are sort of like the spouse of the Loa and engage in a higher level of commitment towards the Loa than others. The two most common Loa's are the Ghede and Legma. Ghede is the Loa of life and death in which rituals conclude with a salutation to him. Ghede is the father of death and is extremely powerful because he controls all realms of the dead (his symbolic color is black). The cross is his symbol because he is the axis of both the physical cycle of generation and the metaphysical cycle of resurrection.
