noun
• The lwa Agwe Tawoyo is the supreme master of the sea and all islands and is considered the husband of Lasirenn.
• Served in the Kongo, Petwo, and Rada rites.
• Commonly represented as a handsome white man; his vèvè is a warship named Imamou.
• In temples dedicated to Agwe, a small boat is suspended from the ceiling.
• Ceremonies for Agwe take place by the seaside or at sea, where a bak Agwe (a small barque with offerings) is released into the water.
• During possession, followers mimic rowing or swimming, and produce wave sounds with their cheeks.
• Agwe’s repozwa is the calabash tree, and his symbol is the lanbi (conch shell), which is blown or placed on altars.
• His sacred days are Tuesday and Thursday; his colors are white, green, and rose.
• Agwe is associated with Saint Ulrich, who is depicted holding a fish; during World War II, when Ulrich images were unavailable, he was associated with Saint Ambroise, with a fish symbol added.
• Temples for Agwe often feature paintings of a fish and a boat, and sometimes a green trident adorned with marine vertebrae.
• Agwe is believed to help followers escape danger, especially at sea.
• In the colonial period, enslaved Africans believed the souls of the dead would return to Ginen on the backs of fish.
• Agwe presides over both saltwater and freshwater sources.
• He is regarded as the admiral and minister of the Navy; warship salutes and cannonfire, including by Emperor Dessalines, were sometimes directed to Agwe.
• Agwe is described as violent, angry, and fearless, dwelling in the sea or among three islands (twa zile).
• Annual ceremonies for Agwe, held by fishermen, coincide with the full moon and involve offerings like boiled fish, bread, fruits, and drinks, followed by boat processions to release offerings.
• Rituals include the oungan tracing a vèvè in wheat flour and invoking Agwe with special titles: “Seashell Guy,” “Tadpole of the Pond Guy,” “Eel Guy,” among others.
• If the offering boat returns to shore, it signals Agwe’s dissatisfaction, requiring another service.
• Agwe is invoked for protection during sea peril and for contemporary boatpeople attempting dangerous crossings.
• His ritual dances, particularly dans Agwe, evoke swimming and the tide’s movement; however, he also accepts yanvalou, rada, and other rhythms.
• Agwe is one of the four principal lwa presiding over the initiation of oungan and manbo; initiates often wear his necklace.
• Agwe is Èzili’s lover and associated with Saint Expédit in some traditions.
• In the Fon language, Agbétò means the sea or seaside.
• In Wéménu-Fon tradition, the sea deity is called Agbè.
• Agbétò Awoyo refers to the divinity of the sea; Ague is the name of a fishing village in Benin, and Agbé töawoyo refers to the vodun of the sea in the Allada region.
• Agbetawoyó in Fon is an onomatopoeia for the sound of the sea.
