Baron Samedi

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For other uses, see Baron Samedi (disambiguation).

Depiction of Baron Samedi

In Vodun or voodoo, Baron Samedi (Baron Saturday, also Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi, or Bawon Sanmdi) is one of the aspects of Baron, one of the loa. He is a loa of the dead, along with Baron's other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix, Uncle Skeleton and Baron Kriminel. Baron Samedi is usually depicted with a top hat, black tuxedo, dark glasses, and cotton plugs in the nostrils, as if to resemble a corpse dressed and prepared for burial in Haitian style. He has a white, frequently skull-like face (or actually has a skull for a face) and speaks in a nasal voice. He is one of the Guédé, or an aspect of them, or possibly their spiritual father. His wife is the loa Maman Brigitte.

Baron Samedi stands at the crossroads, where the souls of dead humans pass on their way to Guinee. As well as being the all-knowing loa of death, he is a sexual loa , frequently represented by phallic symbols and noted for disruption, obscenity, debauchery, and having a particular fondness for rum. Additionally, he is the loa of love and resurrection.

He is New World in origin, not African. The Haitian dictator François “Papa Doc” Duvalier was infamous for taking on the guise of Baron Samedi, a persona which helped the tyrant oppress the rural populace of the island. It is said that Papa Doc looked exactly like the classic representation of the Baron and used this much to his advantage^{[citation needed]}.

1 Appearances in popular culture
2 References
3 External links

[edit] Appearances in popular culture

[edit] Literature

He has a few brief cameos in the 2001 novel American Gods by Neil Gaiman both as himself and while he possesses a goth girl, presumably due to her ownership of a silk top-hat.
"Baron Saturday" is a featured character in the Terry Pratchett novel Witches Abroad, and fairly direct references are made to the mythos of the Baron near the end of the novel. Another allusion is made in the joint effort of Pratchett & Gaiman, Good Omens, in which a racist witchhunter mentions voodoo priests who worship a 'Baron Saturday'.
In Russell Banks's 1985 Novel Continental Drift, the Voodun religion and the Loas play an important role. The loas of Ghede are personified as Baron Cimetiére. He plays a crucial role in the novel's climax.
In Richard Morgan's sci-fi novel Broken Angels, Baron Samedi haunts the main character during hallucinations.
In William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy, The structure of Voudun are used by several 'free entities' in the Matrix to communicate with a group of African-American arcology dwellers. It is implied that at the climax of Count Zero, Bobby Newmark is 'possessed' by one such agent (or aspect of a single multifacted agent) calling itself 'Baron Samedi', although the method by which this happens is not explained.
In Walter Mosley's novel Gone Fishin', he's mentioned by Easy Rawlins, as the characters walk into bayou land.
In the comic book Miracleman, a postmodern take on superhero lore by Alan Moore, the sapphire-toothed government assassin Evelyn Cream begins to have visions and nightmares about Baron Samedi, his grandfather's patron, after seeing Miracleman wade through a group of SAS troops. These visions continue until his death, at which time the Baron taps him on the shoulder and tips his hat to him.
In Philip Pullman's The Broken Bridge
Baron Samedi appears as a guide in the hell-like underworld of Philip Jose Farmers's Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels set in "The Dungeon."
Baron Sunday is the spirit guide of the character Marcia in the play A Mouthful of Birds by Caryl Churchill and David Lan.
Appears as Blackbeard's loa in Tim Powers' novel On Stranger Tides.
The character Papa Ghuede/Jim Crow in Grant Morrison's 'The Invisibles' is clearly based on Baron Samedi. See http://www.barbelith.com/bomb/1_10.htm

[edit] Film, TV and entertainment

Baron Samedi appears as a character in the James Bond novel and film Live and Let Die.
Baron Samedi appears in the blaxploitation film Sugar Hill (1974).
Baron Samedi also appears in MacGyver episode 131, "The Walking Dead."
He is a character in the 1985 Miami Vice episode "Tale of the Goat"
The WWE wrestler "Papa Shango" (Charles Wright) was obviously inspired by Baron Samedi.

[edit] Music

Baron Saturday was also an important character in The Pretty Things' rock opera S.F. Sorrow.
He is also a character in the King Diamond's album Voodoo. King Diamond's appearance bears a marked resemblance to that of Baron Samedi.
A painting of Baron Samedi is on the cover of the Dr. John album Creole Moon.
Appears in the lyrics of the song "Pariah" by Danielle Dax: "Baron Samedi as only saviour, disturbed from slumber to walk alone."
The rock band 10cc released a song called Baron Samedi on their album Sheet Music
The metal band Ghoul introduced a character named Baron Samedi, a self-described "Houngan Priest" on their 2006 album Splatterthrash
Baron Samedi is the inspiration behind a dancehall/dub/jungle night called 'The Samedi Lodge' out of which arose the mashup sounds of "Samedi Sound System"
Baron Samedi is a nickname of a famous British rapper (lps - Spit Happens, Ripping Yarns)
A figure resembling the classic Haitian representation of Baron Samedi appears in the music video for the song "Voodoo" by the band Godsmack.

Mentioned in the lyrics to "Lover of the Bayou" by The Byrds.

[edit] Games

Baron Samedi is a featured character in the 1991 video board game Nightmare, which was known as Atmosfear in the UK. He is played by 'Nightmare/Atmosfear' veteran Wenanty Nosul, who also played the 'Gatekeeper' in the series.
Baron Samedi Appears in the 1999 PC Game Nocturne. He resurrects a character named 'Scat Dazzle' using the man's own blood after being given rum and a cigar.
He makes an appearance as a boss and playable character in the James Bond-based videogame Goldeneye 007 as well as a playable character in later sequel Nightfire.
The character, Jaunty, of the voodoo-themed survival horror game, Shadowman, is visually based on Baron Samedi, bearing both a skull face and a top hat.
Baron Samedi appears in the 1998 game 'Akuji the Heartless'. He guides the main character through the vestibules of the underworld.
He appears as a demonic being which can be summoned by the Sprawlers in the game Dark Reign 2.
Baron Samedi is a figure for the Goblin Pirate army in the fantasy table top miniature games by Rackham.
Baron Samedi also appears as a supervillain in the Freedom City, a superhero campaign setting for the role playing game Mutants & Masterminds Here, he si said to be bonded to a Haitian drug dealer named Simon DuLac.

[edit] References

Voodoo: Search for the Spirit. Laennec Hurbon. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 1995. "Ghede"
A Dictionary of World Mythology. Arthur Cotterell. Oxford University Press, 1997. "Vodun".
Baron Samedi was used in Vampire The Masquerade Roleplaying game as the founder of the bloodline Samedi.