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Interview with a Houngan - 4
Partial picture of the Rada Table
AG- And this table?
H.H.- This is where I serve my white spirits, my Radas. I have Papa Danbala and his wife Ayida. I have Metres Freda and Mambo Dayila here, the spirits of love. I have Papa Loko, the first Houngan and Mambo Ayizan, the patroness of initiation.
AG- I see you have alot of perfumes here, who are they for?
HH- Some of them are for the Metreses. Some are being prepared for people.
AG-Prepared for people? What do they do?
H.H.- Well I make the perfume for different things. Some people get a perfume to put on to attract love, some perfumes are to raise luck, others to attract money. For all sorts of things.
AG- I see you have a dollar in this one here, is this one for money?
HH- Yea, that is what it is for. It has special powders in there too and other things. This perfume is for one of my clients that works on the street, so that she can make alot of money.
AG- You mean a prostitute?
HH- Yes, this is so that when she has a client she can make even more money than that which she is used to.
AG-And this cross?
HH- This cross is for my Rada spirits. The snake here is for Danbala, the spirit that is a snake.
AG- and this? (pointing to the asson, beaded gourd)
HH- This is the asson. This shows I am a Houngan Asogwe. It is the symbol of the priesthood. It serves to call the spirits and has a certain amount of control over them. Not everyone who serves the Lwa serves with the asson. Houngans and Mambos Asogwe have the asson and serve Ginen with it. It is mostly for the Rada Lwa.
AG- You have a mini govi here . . .
HH- Yea, you wanna see what is inside?
AG- Can I?
HH- Yeah, you see? This is the money that the spirits earn for themselves.
AG-The spirits make money?
HH- Yes, whenever I do something I always give the spirit some money for doing the work. I split money with them.
AG-You have different Saints up there who are they?
HH- Well there is St. Martha up there, Grann Ezili is here, there is St. Patrick, Our Lady of Lakes, Ezili Freda who is here as Mater Dolorosa, St. Nicholas, Mary Magdalen, Alta Gracia . . .
The shelf that serves as Hector's "Rada table" is full of expensive licquers, such as Alize and Amaretto, as well as champagne. Sandals sit on the table, combs, small mirrors for the spirit of love, Ezili. A beautiful ring with pink and crystal stones sits on the altar before a statue. Necklaces hang from a Mary statue that is sitting on the altar.
Lipstick and other beauty products sit on the table too. The Houngan shows me what he calls a "package". He explains that this package is a work. It is soft and wrapped in thread. Whatever is in it is rolled in pink satin wrapped in light blue thread. The Houngan says that it is to influence a man to give a woman all his money.
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