#filomiz

[rockofeye]

Hi! Could I please know more about Lwa Filomiz (at least if I remember correctly Filomiz is the Lwa that washes pieces of cloth when she poses the chwal) I’ve seen a video of her once and became incredibly in love with her energy but unfortunately there is very little information about her. So could you please give me a sum up of Filomiz, what’s her relation to Lasiren or Freda, what she is used for and possible safe options for offerings?

Thank you so much.

Hi there,

The lwa you describe is Manbo Lovana. She is the lwa who, when she comes in possession, washes cloth in a basin. Here's an example of Lovana coming in possession:

Metrès Lovana comes from the north of Haiti and is considered a mètres/female spirit who comes from the water. As might seem obvious, she is concerned with cleaning and cleanliness and the work that women do, often in unseen ways. She carries a lot of secrets in her kivèt/basin, and is a powerful healer.

She walks closely with the various Ti Jean who come from the north, as well as Klemezin, Severinn, and Filomiz. She is particularly close with Klemezin. All those ladies can walk closely with Metrès Freda, though Metrès Freda does not engage in the same kind of work most of them do. I would not say she is particularly close to Lasiren but she does come from the water.

I wouldn't say she is 'used' for anything; how she works and what she chooses to do is based on relationships. Things she could be given by someone seeking to know her better would be fresh water with maybe a few basil leaves in it from time to time, a white enamelware basin, Rev D'Or perfume, and cola champagne. She likes special mixed drinks that are made for many of the northern lwa as well.

Metrès Filomiz is quite different. She is very similar to Freda, except even more feminine, delicate, and often seen as younger. Metrès Freda will often greet people and link fingers with them or even dance a bit, Filomiz in contrast does not enjoy being touched that much or even standing, as she does not to chance being dirty at all. She is often liberally dusted with white powder, at her request.

She also comes from the north and has quite a strong presence there. Things that can be offered to her are Rev D'Or perfume, scented powder, sweet drinks like cola champagne, and a mirror and comb.

Here's an example of Metrès Filomiz in possession; she is the second possession at about 5 minutes in (Manbo Lovana precedes her!):

Hope this helps!

[rockofeye]

What else can be said about Manbo Klemezin besides being a broom-wielding lwa represented by St. Claire found in northern Haitian regions? And is Manbo Filomiz a representation of Lasirenn or a lwa of her own right?

Hi,

Metrès Klemezin Klemey is a lwa who originates in the north of Haiti, but the north has had it's own WIDE diaspora within the country. Klemezin comes with her broom because she is concerned very much with cleanliness, purity, and the out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new stance. Folks often reduce her along with other metrès yo from the north like Filomiz, Severinn, Lovana, and sometimes lwa like Marie Bossou or Madan Letan as small spirits who do not occupy important places in wider practice, and that's a mistake.

In many areas of Haiti, Klemezin is the spirit who makes the kolye for initiates; which is a piece of ritual gear that tells the story of the initiate's spirits and provides important protection. It takes different forms across Haiti, but in most places it is worn in various patterns that denote initiatory status across the the chest and belly of the initiate. Without the kolye, initiation cannot move forward and is not complete. It was Klemezin who created the first kolye and who is responsible for the ceremony of creating them. It is not a ceremony like a fet or anything, but each sosyete has their own regleman for their construction and wear. Her attributes (including her veve in many area) get assigned to Lasirenn a lot, but that is a Mistake.

Filomiz is similarly a lwa who comes from the north. I've seen folks talking about how the Filomiz served in the north is different than the Filomiz served elsewhere, but that's a misunderstanding of the spirit and spiritual diaspora within Haiti. I'm not sure why she would get equated with Lasirenn, unless it's an interpretation that is saying that all female lwa who come from the water (which is a lot of them....almost all the ones I named above are considered lwa dlo in some way or another, and there are many more). In the north, she is one of the female lwa who some say takes the form of a fish in some places, and there is a lakou that has a large basin where folks say she lives as a fish.

Instead of being equated with Lasirenn, I see Filomiz often described as the Ezili Freda of the north or more important than Freda in the north, which is not really a thing. Filomiz and Severinn are very similar to Metrès Freda in presentation, but neither are they more important or less important than the other. Filomiz often arrives as the untouchable woman; she can come across as a bit cold because she doesn't always want to be touched or embraced if she feels the situation is not elevated enough for her. She is often powdered h-e-a-v-i-l-y when she arrives, and receives attention like a queen with folks more often approaching her than her approaching them.

The misunderstanding of importance of Metrès Freda versus Metrès Filomiz or Metrès Severinn or as there being multiple spirits named Filomiz often relates back to a misunderstanding of Vodou in the north. It is strongly lakou-based in that the lakou does not share the same regleman as the lakou down the road, which is a divergence from the asogwe line of Vodou, which is what most people outside of Haiti are familiar with.

With asogwe temples, of which there are thousands, you can go from one to another and see recognizable regleman in each. Things may vary a bit here and there, but the principles are the same. When you venture to the north, asogwe does exist there but lakou-based Vodou is much more common. A lakou may only serve a very small handful of spirits, like five or less. They may be spirits very linked to a particular place, like Filomiz in her basin or a family spirit that lives in a particular tree or Souvenans or Soukri, or they may be spirits that have chosen to attach themselves to a particular family and that family/lakou may have a very visible presence of serving that spirit only and holding that spirit above everything else.

None of those things mean those spirits don't walk elsewhere and don't present themselves in different ways, it just means in that very visible lakou, that spirit is held in a different way. That's something we learn with discernment and instruction, so it takes time.

I hope this answers your question!