Baron Samedi
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- For the James Bond character, see Baron Samedi (James Bond)
In Vodun, Baron Samedi ("Baron Saturday", also Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi, Bawon Sanmdi) is one of the aspects of Baron, one of the loa. He is one of the loa of the dead, along with Baron's other aspects Baron Cimetière and Baron La Croix. Baron Samedi is usually depicted with a top hat, black tuxedo, dark glasses, and cotton plugs in the nostrils, as if to resemble an undertaker. He has a white, frequently skull-like face and speaks in a nasal voice. He is one of the Guédé, or an aspect of them, or possibly their spiritual father.
Baron Samedi is married to the loa Maman Brigitte.
Baron Samedi stands at the crossroads, where the souls of the dead pass on their way to Guinee. As well as being the all-knowing god of death, he is a sexual god, frequently represented by phallic symbols and noted for disruption, obscenity, and debauchery. He is the god of love and resurrection.
He is New World in origin, not African. The Haitan dictator, Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier is famous for impersonating Baron Samedi to aid him in his oppression of the peasant class. It is said that he looked exactly like the classic representation of the Baron and used it greatly to his advantage.
References
Voodoo: Search for the Spirit. Laennec Hurbon. Harry N. Abrams, 1995. "Ghede" A Dictionary of World Mythology. Arthur Cotterell. Oxford University Press, 1997. "Vodun". http://members.aol.com/racine125/index1.htmlTemplate:Reli-stub