Bonswa, houngan! I was wondering if you could talk about Filomez. I know she’s a Rada lwa but what is her origin? Is she really associated with St. Philomena?
It is true that Filomez/Philomez is a Rada lwa, but she is specifically associated with the Rada lwa who come from the north of Haiti which makes her somewhat different, as the Rada esko from the north is a bit different and Vodou as a whole can be a bit different (different dances, different drumming, etc). The Rada lwa from the north have their own diaspora within the country and certainly appear in houses and lineages in other parts, but they are not always as widespread as the general Rada nasyon that most Ginen houses serve and welcome.
Filomez is very similar to Ezili Freda. So similar, really, that, in the north, Freda may not be served at all or may not be very familiar, as Filomez sort of steps forward instead, being more localized to folks there. Places that have a strong tie to/with Freda may not see as much of Filomez even though she is still close. Like, I think I have seen Filomez maybe once in Haiti, as the lineage I am a part of has a strong Freda presence, but we see other lwa from the north (St. Jean Baptiste, Jean Faro, Metres Klemezin, Manbo Lovanna, Ren Kongo, etc) much more frequently.
As to her origins, yes, she is very closely associated with St. Philomena in most places (I can’t really think of another saint she would be associated with). Some folks even say she is the saint and the saint is her, and that’s one of the big, BIG mysteries of the religion...the lwa are the saints and the saints are the lwa, and that can’t be separated out. For Filomez, it can depend on who you ask. A lot of the folks I know with a close relationship to her relate to her in that way.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions.
