Quimbois

The Quimbois , Kenbwa , or Tjenbwa , is the equivalent, for the French West Indies of the Haitian Vaudou , of the cuban Santeria and of the Brazilian Candomblé .

The word " quimbois" would come from the injunction " Hold bois" in Creole. It would be either a resumption of the words of the doctors, or because the magic rests on the absorption of decoctions of roots.

The practitioner of the Tjenbwa is called the tjenbwasè or quimboisor . Those which believe lend him in it capacities of prediction of the future, cure and envoûtements.

The quimboiseurs are sometimes seen like wizards " engagés" by a pact with the devil, and called guaranteed people .

Practices

Rites at the time of the stages of the life and the traditional festivals;
Protègements (protections against the capacities malefic):

started Baths (to remove the bad luck), Bath of chance;
Talisman S: medals and images of saints;
Protection against envoûtement the

Charms:

Philter S of loves;
Aphrodisiac S: Wood bandaged, lambi macerated in rum and honey, large Thyme,…

Cure using plants.
Predictions.

Envoûtements

One calls also quimbois the packages used for envoûter a person. They are the equivalent of the " ouangas" Haitian voodoo. These packages are composed of various elements (inscriptions, small coffins, dead clamping plates) or of ingredients (pepper, salt…). The quimboisor the place where the person will pass (for example in front of its door). If the person spans it, it falls under the influence from envoûtement.

A spoon turned over against the ground can also be useful, but to carry chance or solve a business.

Supernatural creatures

the soucougnan or stealing , kind of Vampire which can take the appearance of a fireball. Its tree of predilection is the Fromager. One secures oneself some by tracing crosses on the walls or in the ground, and by planting a needle or a saber in the ground on his way. One often allots the transformation into soucougnan to women who leave drinking blood their victims.
the Dorlis S is a spirit which misuses the women in their sleep, as the Incube.
the guiabless or she-devil takes the shape of an elegant beautiful woman at the edge of the rivers, which involves the men in wood. They never return alive. They are sometimes described as having shoes of horse in the place of the feet (pointing out the Moroccan legend of Aïcha Kandicha).
Manman of leau is a Sirène which capsizes the boats, and which one alleviates while launching a comb to him. A sculpture representing it is in the sea, vis-a-vis Saint-Pierre. See also Mami Watta.
the Zombi S or zesprits.
morphroized (of " métamorphosés") are wolves-garous in the shape of dog. It is of the wizards to which the devil gave a skin of animal to change (see Bokor). One can drive out them with water bénite, or in striking with branches of cherry tree-country or Acacia.

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