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Baron Samedi
The Haitian Voodoo god Baron Samedi is the guardian of the crossroads between life and death. He helps the souls of recentlydeceased people pass through the crossroads into the spirit world, and sometimes he allows spirits from that world to come into our world. He is also a master of the occult forces of sorcery and necromancy. Like many gods, he has several names, including Papa Guede (or Ghede) and Lord of the Dead.
As befits a lord of the dead, Baron Samedi has a skeletal body and a skull-like head. But despite his gruesome appearance, he is actually a funloving god who tries to enjoy himself whenever he can. He loves to smoke and drink, and is seldom seen without a cigar in his mouth or a glass of rum in his bony fingers. When he goes out on the town, he always wears a black tuxedo, shiny top hat and dark eyeglasses, and he likes to twirl a cane as he walks. His Haitian name, Baron Samedi, means Baron Saturday in English, and derives from his custom of going to parties on Saturday night. He is notorious for telling dirty jokes and chasing after
women.
Chosen People
Throughout history various groups of people have considered themselves to be chosen by a god or goddess for special treatment. In most cases they believe that the god or goddess wants them to carry out an important mission or play a special role in human events. In return for carrying out the deity's wishes, they expect to receive exclusive benefits which will enable them and their descendants to multiply and prosper as a people.
According to the bible, God selected the ancient Hebrews (Israelites) and their descendants (the Jews) to be his chosen people. He said that he would use them to reveal his word to everyone on the earth. He also said
