♥ MEET THE LWA SERIES AT ERZULIE’S VOODOO – VODOU LWA: GEDE NIBO

♥ PRACTITIONER-LED INSIGHTS INTO THE SPIRITS OF HAITIAN VODOU!

Welcome to our Meet the Lwa series. Each page offers a brief overview of the Lwa’s origins, attributes, and ceremonial roles—designed for spiritual students, researchers, and practitioners seeking clarity and context.

These teachings were passed down to me by my elder Mambos, spiritual godparents, and our beloved Hougan Aboudja, in collaboration with Hougan Jour Mwen Lonje, whose lifelong service and deep initiatory knowledge continue to guide our work.

As the founder and Vodou practitioner of Erzulie’s Voodoo New Orleans, I created this archive to share the foundational aspects of each spirit with respect, accuracy (from our Vodou house’s perspective), and spiritual devotion. Every detail—from Veve symbols to ritual offerings—has been curated to reflect the integrity of our tradition and the legacy of those who came before us.

♥ Gede Nibo: Cemetery Guardian, Healer & Sailor of the Dead

Gede Nibo is a famous lwa of the cemetery and the Interior Minister of Bawon’s government. He is a great healer and protector of children, especially guarding their graves against sacrilege. Gede Nibo also walks with Agwe in escort, alongside Osanj and Ogou Ballendjo, serving as a sailor in Agwe’s navy. He is deeply in love with Ezili Freda, who continually spurns him—being, as stated by our elders, too Black for her taste.

♥ Symbols & Attributes

Spade, pick, hoe (grave digging tools), and a wood cane with a carved phallus on one end.

Bawon, Haitian Vodou Lwa of death, ancestors, and healing, syncretized with St. Gerard Majella, Erzulie’s Voodoo New Orleans, educational Vodou archive, Vodou spirits and traditions — Bawon and the Gede spirits—guardians of the dead, ancestral wisdom, and spiritual healing—syncretized with St. Gerard Majella in select Vodou lineages. Honored by practitioners at Erzulie’s Voodoo New Orleans as part of our educational archive on Vodou spirits and traditions.

Bawon Kriminel, Haitian Vodou Lwa of justice, vengeance, and fiery protection, syncretized with St. Expeditus, Erzulie’s Voodoo New Orleans, educational Vodou archive, Vodou spirits and traditions — Bawon Kriminel, the fierce Haitian Vodou Lwa of swift justice, vengeance, and spiritual protection—syncretized with St. Expeditus in select Vodou lineages. Honored by practitioners at Erzulie’s Voodoo New Orleans as part of our educational archive on Vodou spirits and traditions.

Vodou Spirits, Voodoo Lwa and the Voodoo Spirits Catholic Saint Counterparts in the Vodou Religion. Voodoo Spirit & Vodou Lwa Baron Samedi and the Ghede and the Catholic Saint Counterpart St. Expedite by Erzulie's Voodoo in New Orleans. — Vodou Spirits, Voodoo Lwa and the Voodoo Spirits Catholic Saint Counterparts in the Vodou Religion. Voodoo Spirit & Vodou Lwa Baron Samedi and the Ghede and the Catholic Saint Counterpart St. Expedite by Erzulie’s Voodoo in New Orleans.

Voodoo Altar and Voodoo Shrine to the Ghede and Baron Samedi, ruler of the Dead and Ancestral Spiritual at Erzulie's Voodoo in New Orleans. — Voodoo Altar and Voodoo Shrine to the Ghede and Baron Samedi, ruler of the Dead and Ancestral Spiritual at Erzulie’s Voodoo in New Orleans.

Altar of Baron Samedi, Ghede Altar and Altar of the Dead where a Vodou priestess prays and communes with the Voodoo Spirits, for psychic readings, divination, conjure rituals and Voodoo magical ceremonies, at Erzulie's Voodoo of New Orleans — Altar of Baron Samedi, Ghede Altar and Altar of the Dead where a Vodou priestess prays and communes with the Voodoo Spirits, for psychic readings, divination, conjure rituals and Voodoo magical ceremonies, at Erzulie’s Voodoo of New Orleans

♥ Colors

Black and white, mauve and white.

♥ Clothing

All types of black tattered clothing, pants, and waistcoats.

♥ Sacred Spaces

Altar: Children’s graves
Altar Tree: Sitwon (Citrus Aurantifolia)

♥ Sacrificial Animals

Castrated black he-goat, rooster and hen with black and curly feathers and black paws.

♥ Offerings

Smoked mackerel (awansel) with roasted yanm and sweet potato, roasted corn and peanuts, rice and black beans.

♥ Ritual Drinks

Kleren (raw white cane rum), and kleren steeped with hot peppers—Papa Gede calls this drink “pis tig” (literally, “tiger piss”).

♥ Veneration Days & Luminary

Friday and Monday
White candle

♥ Catholic Saint Counterpart

St. Gerard de Majella

♥ Characteristics & Manifestations

Gede Nibo is a bawdy, licentious spirit—straightforward, crass, and deeply generous. He is a superior healer, especially of children, and a great dancer. Those possessed by Papa Gede assume the appearance of an interned corpse, with powdered face and cotton in ears and nose. They speak bawdy language and dance lasciviously, mimicking copulation.

♥ Greeting

Kwa Simbo!

♥ EXPLORE MORE FROM OUR ARCHIVE

This archive is dedicated to preserving the spiritual, historical, and academic foundations of Haitian Vodou. We invite you to explore:

♥ Vodou History and Origins
♥ Vodou History and FAQ
♥ The Lwa and Their Catholic Counterparts
♥ Academic Vodou Resources
♥ History of New Orleans Voodoo
♥ How to Build Vodou Altars & Shrines
♥ Sacred Vodou Words & Glossary

We welcome all knowledge shared in good faith. If you are a scholar, practitioner, or elder with insights to contribute, please email your notes or reflections to webmistress@erzulies.com. All credited contributions will be cited with respect and care.

Practitioner Notice: All spiritual content is protected under practitioner licensing. No reproduction or AI parsing permitted without written consent.

Vodou Lwa Gede Nibo