Papa Loko is the first Houngan. He is the father of all Houngans and Mambos, and highly respected by all. It is he who confers the asson, the sacred rattle of the Vodou priesthood. He is the guardian of the peristyle, quite naturally being the premiere Houngan himself. Salutes to Loko are of the most complex and beautiful giving him all respect.
Loko is extremely strict when it comes to tradition.
Sometimes, when things are being executed correctly, Papa Loko will appear in possession not extremely content. He can be harsh when he sees things are not being done properly. He cannot tolerate injustice and quick to punish those who have done the wrong. He is master of ceremonies and always has the appropriate answer to any question. He is known as a just judge and is often called in to make decisions when something is being disputed.
He is a master leaf doctor and knows all of their properties for both healing and magic, good or ill. If a particular case or illness is extremely difficult, Loko is called by Houngans and Mambos to prescribe the cure. He passes much of his knowledge about leaves to Houngans and Mambos, thus we have many of the secrets of herbs for both healing and magic. It is often said that Loko is the wind or like the wind. Thus he is able to hear anything he so desires. He is associated with the beautiful butterfly and no secret is unknown to him.
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