Met Agwé
Haitian Vodou
Loa of Sea, Fish, Weather, and Seafarers
The Great Admiral
Met Agwé Tawoyo is the loa of the sea, coastlines, sailors, ships, and sea life. He rules over the waters with his wife, La Sirène. However, he is also married to Erzulie Freda, the loa of prosperity and love. This loa is a powerful spirit who is also responsible for carrying the souls of the dead to Ginen. Ginen refers to the ancestral home of Africa, where many vodouisants believe spirits of the departed reside.
A common belief in Vodou is that the souls of the dead reside underwater with Met Agwé for a year before they receive passage to Ginen. This loa is revered as a guide for the souls of the dead, a psychopomp, and is said to have a gentle demeanor. Souls of the dead board his ship, the Immamou, which facilitates their travel to Ginen.
Met Agwé controls the weather, mainly focusing on the currents, winds, and weather that affect sea travel. Seafarers honor this loa by loading a raft full of offerings and sending it out to sea. Additionally, a conch shell horn is typically sounded when invoking this loa.
Agwé’s Domain
Met Agwé rules over the sea, while his wife, La Sirène, rules the depths of the ocean. Seafarers invoke the favor of this loa when traveling. He is responsible for controlling weather patterns, including the current, tides, and wind.
Therefore, fishermen, sailors, merchants, and even pirates may conduct rituals to this loa requesting safe passage, bountiful harvests, or fair sailing conditions. As a leader, Met Agwé’s realm is heavily structured and ordered. This emphasizes discipline, leadership, strategy, and chain of command. Although he is a benevolent loa, respect is imperative when worshipping Agwé.
Met Agwé is also responsible for overseeing the creatures and life of the ocean. He is the protector of fish, mammals, sea turtles, and coral reefs. As such, fishermen invoke his favor to grant them bountiful harvests.
The Treasure Keeper
In addition to ruling the sea, Met Agwé is also associated with wealth and abundance. His social status as a Royal permeates the bountiful nature of the ocean. However, sunken treasure also belongs to this loa.
His wife, La Sirène, guards the treasures of the deep. Furthermore, Met Agwé presides over the souls lost at sea. These seafarer souls reside in the realms of Agwé until their transition to the spirit realm of Ginen.
Agwé’s Appearance
Met Agwé takes on the appearance of a handsome naval officer. He is a green-eyed, light-skinned mulatto man, typically wearing an admiral’s uniform. He prefers the colors blue, white, and sometimes sea-green and brown.
Generally, Agwé is depicted on his ship, the Immamou, with images of conch shells, oars, and sea life, typically crustaceans. His mixed racial features symbolize the social and cultural environment of Haiti. A blend of colonization and the ancestral African roots of the people.
Offerings to The Great Admiral
Vodouisants making offerings to Met Agwé will craft a symbolic barque or raft to place offerings on. This barque d’Agwé is then either sent out to sea or sunk with the offerings aboard it. Offerings to this loa consist of:
- Shells
- Champagne
- White wine
- Rum
- Oars
- Coffee
- Shellfish
- Melons
- Cakes
- Mirrors
- Coins
Offerings sent out on the barque d’Agwé that sink are accepted by this loa. However, if the barque or raft returns to shore, this symbolizes his rejection of these offerings. Generally, larger offerings are made in this manner. Once the boat is cast into the sea, the practitioner must avoid looking back at the spot to avoid Agwé’s anger. Smaller offerings might be poured or dropped directly into the sea.
On the other hand, some prefer to make offerings on altars to Met Agwé. Nautical decorations will typically adorn these altars, such as ship wheels, oars, anchors, shells, and models of small ships.
Symbols of Met Agwé
The symbol most associated with this loa is his ship, the Immamou. In fact, his vevè is this ship. The sails of Immamou represent his dominance over the ocean. Furthermore, the boat itself is responsible for transporting the souls of the dead to Ginen.
- Conch shells
- Painted shells
- Ships
- Anchors
- Oars
- Sea life (fish, seahorses, crabs, and starfish)
Due to religious syncretism, most Haitian Vodou loas are paired with Catholic Saints. Met Agwé is often associated with Saint Ulrich or archangel Raphael, as both of these figures are routinely portrayed with fish.
Rituals and Worship
When vodouisants worship Agwé, rituals are often conducted near the sea or other waterways. His sacred day is on Thursday, with worship more common during the summer months. Although he has no official holiday, some commemorate this loa during Saint Ulrich’s Day on July 4th.
A Prayer to Agwé
Agwé Tawoyo, Captain of the Endless Waters,
Ruler of the deep blue kingdom,
I call to you with humility and respect.
Master of the waves,
Guide of the boats,
Guardian of those who travel upon your sacred sea—
hear my voice.
As your oars part the waters,
let your calm flow into my life.
As your ships hold steady upon the currents,
let my path be steady and sure.
Agwé, protector of sailors and fishermen,
watch over me and those I love.
Carry away danger with the tides,
and bring peace with the gentle wind.
Accept this prayer as an offering of devotion,
and may your blessings rise like sunlight on open water.
Agwé Tawoyo, Mèt Lanmè,
guide me, guard me, and let your currents move in my favor.
Amen. Ayibobo.
Possession
When a vodouisant invokes this loa for possession, they take on a naval officer’s demeanor. Often, these practitioners salute, march, and give orders under his command. Additionally, they may also sit in a chair, ti chase (little chair), with an oar or a rudder. This is symbolic of the admiral navigating the seas. While in this state, the possessed pushes their way around the hounfour, or temple, in their chair with an oar while saluting ongoers and shouting orders.
Moreover, as a psychopomp, Met Agwé is often invoked for funerals. Loved ones or relatives will request his guidance for the souls of the recently departed.
