House of the Spirits by Heavy Saturn

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

As mentioned in another discussion, the altar is in an area separate from the peristyle at many Vodou houses in Haiti. The room that house the altar is sometimes called the “House of the Spirits”, caille-mysteres. Several holy objects occupy the House of the Spirits and are displayed for initiates. Traditionally hollowed out calabash shells were used to hold food items for the Lwa. Govis, which are lidded jars used to house Ancestors and the Lwa when they are not being called. Twins (Marassas) can have platters for their homes. Ancient artifacts called Thunderstones, ax-heads from the indigenous culture of the Arawakan Taino that once inhabited Haiti. Various other paraphernalia like machetes, bottles of Barbancourt rum, clairin made from sugarcane (white lightning used in ceremonies by the houngan or mambo), rattles, and playing cards. Costumes and clothing for the visiting Lwa should they require them: Legba’s crutch; Ezili’s cosmetics, perfumes, beautiful clothes; Bawon Samedi’s top hat, cigar, and sunglasses; Azaka’s straw hat and knapsack; and so on.

  

Pigs, chickens, goats, and doves will be wandering around in search of food, one day they will be sacrificed, care is taken that they do not starve; the Lwa can be offended with skinny offerings; when it is time for a sacrifice, the houngan or mambo choose the animal using their divinely inspired intuition, and sometimes just randomly.