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The Nature of PwenThe concept of pwen (literally “point”) is complex. Properly speaking, a pwen is simply a concentration or focus of spiritual power, usually naturally occurring (at least in part), though not necessarily so. Pwen are usually “found”, but they may also be “constructed”. They are most commonly made using a natural occurring power and modified in use or effect by the owner.
Such simple, or
small pwen as are made for clients might serve to protect them, bring money, work, love,
enhance a relationship, and etc. These types of working, properly referred to as
wanga, gris-gris, gad, and so forth, depending on their functionality, are the most common
sorts of pwen. For example, an houngan or manbo might make a small packet or sachet
into which is placed certain roots, leaves, or powders, perhaps a magnetic loadstone,
money, etc. that is meant to draw money for the owner. This is a pwen. This small package
contains an indwelling spirit or spiritual force (of some kind) that has been
“captured”* in effect within the package. The ingredients placed within define
what the work of the spiritual force is to be. Each ingredient serves as a codified text
to tell the force what to do: attract, repel, heat up, cool off, and so forth. Within
the package is a whole microcosm, the manipulation of which is made to directly affect the
macrocosm, thereby causing change in compliance with the original intent. This is a pwen
by the simplest of description. Spiritual lamps, often called lamp travay (“work
lamp”) are also good examples of this. (*When I
say “captured”, I do not mean a spirit has been restrained against its will,
though such a pwen can be made. No, to “capture” here implies more of a
borrowing of natural force. A piece of wood struck by lightening contains a HUGE amount of
force, called adjae, which may be used to good effect by an houngan. The wood literally
has “captured” the essence and force of the lightening. A stone beaten by the
force of the sea, a meteor, a twisted root, all may contain such a force, a pwen.) These pwen, as
in all cases, must be “worked”. How they are constructed will determine how they
are to be worked. They may have to be heated in fire, or anointed with alcohol or urine or
special oils at certain intervals. They may have to be offered food, much as an lwa might
be, and so on. “Working” the pwen helps to maintain its force as may be
necessary to accomplish whatever goal it was created for to begin with. Most of the BIG
pwen we find &/or create are simply more complex and powerful versions of these.
Most likely they are made under the direct influence of one or more lwa, though like the
smaller variety, they also will often come from the land itself having existed in some
form in Haiti, in the Americas, since our Tayino and other Native Indian ancestors first
discovered “Koukouwi nan bwa” (fireflies, which represent Spirit). Still today
in the hounfò we sing, “Mwen se koukouwi nan bwa, o Twa Ile, yo pa kone, sa pep-la
manje, se nan bwa m’wete, o Twa Ile”, which speaks of the spirits of the sacred
woods, the spirit who itself, lives in the sacred woods. This speaks of pwen, and more
specifically, pwen that reside in and draw their power from the demanbwe. The demanbwe is
a patch of land set aside and uncultivated that represents the sacred bush. These are
very important to each temple and represent two elements. First, they represent a
reservoir of sacred leaves used in the religion and for healing purposes, and second,
the sacred woods of our native spirits in essence transformed into pwen. The song we sing,
“Koukouwi tounen chandel-o nan peyi mwe” (literally, “The fireflies turned
into a candle in my country”) expresses the gathering of all spirit, of all
pwen; and each one is to bring his.** This procedure still exists and is better known as
“liminen”, which are sit down prayer-songs in the hounfò with each hounsi
having their own candle to illuminate their working, and sing the songs for the Spirit.
These songs are meant to call the mistè from wherever they may be, &, as a rule, to
salute the most ancient of spirits. **This
is the metaphysical variant of the common proverb, “Chak moun ki rive vini ak moun pa
li.” (Each person who arrives comes with a person of his own). As noted
previously, these BIG pwen may have massive foundations of spiritual force, and in every
hounfò there will be several of these major pwen, with each serving as a literal anchor
for the temple. In the Diaspora, where the house system is most common, one of the main
pwen will link the house directly to the root house in Haiti. Thus, you can guess that
this pwen will contain earth and other effects from the demanbwe of the hounfò from
which the lineage descends. All pwen, as they exist within the boundaries of our hounfò
(or the house in the Diaspora), are the roots of our power. They may work in specialized
ways, such as to protect the temple, or they may be more intelligent and articulate,
and in this instance represent the source of such “family spirits” who do work
inside the house only. These particular pwen are commonly referred to as “lwa
travay” (work lwa), because that is what they do: they work, they eat, and they are
heated. They may perform many operations such as healing, making money, and so one, but
often have specified areas of specialty. Further, some pwen exist in relation to
well-known lwa such as Ogou or the Bawon. A good example of this is Gwo Wosh of
Jakmel,
which is a pwen associated with the lwa called Agawou. All houngan and manbo who do work for others will have such pwen, which they may have found (or more
commonly, the pwen may have found them) or otherwise rewarded with following their period
of study. Most houngan and manbo will not be limited to having a “Rada” pwen
only, but usually a Petwo and even Makaya or Sanpwel pwen as well. These pwen serve as
fulcrum. That is to say, a point of leverage by which the given work might more
effectively and easily be accomplished. They assist us in most all of our works. -
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A pwen can be as simple as a knot tied into a rope, called a sinp
(simple), used to halt someone’s progress, or inhibit their movements. Or it may be a
more complex creation meant to draw or repel specific influences. Here we must make a
distinction between these “small” pwen that an houngan, manbo, or bokò may
create for a client to effect change, and the BIG pwen which may have a mammoth
energetic foundation and broad reaching influence that reside in and serve as the
guardians of our temples and our sacred demanbwe, our gwan-n bwa, which is itself the
most sacred grounds of every hounfò.