Èzili Dantò or Erzulie Dantor is the main loa (or lwa) or senior spirit of the Petro family in Haitian Vodou. Ezili Danto, or Èzili Dantò, is the "manifestation of Erzulie, the divinity of love." It is said that Ezili Danto has a dark complexion and is maternal in nature. The Ezili are feminine spirits in Haitian Vodou that personify womanhood.[1] The Erzulie is a goddess, spirit, or loa of love in Haitian Voudou. She has several manifestations or incarnations, but most prominent and well-known manifestations are Lasirenn (the mermaid), Erzulie Freda, and Erzulie Dantor. There are spelling variations of Erzulie, the other being Ezili. They are English interpretations of a Creole word, but do not differ in meaning.[2]
- ^ Neale Hurston, Zora (2013). Zora Neale Hurston, Haiti, and Their Eyes Were Watching God. ProQuest Ebook Central: Northwestern University Press. pp. xi, 49–54, 79–80. ISBN 9780810166585.
- ^ Dayan, Joan (1994). "Erzulie: A women's history of Haiti". Research in African Literatures. 25 (2).