Agwe

Agwe is the master of the ocean, the protector of sailors, and the ruler of all sea life. He walks on the water at night, and by day he sails across the waves on his ship named Imamou, also written Immamou or Imanoué, dedicated to his first daughter. This vessel carries the souls of the Africans who drowned during the Middle Passage, guiding them safely across the sea that once claimed them.

Agwe watches over captains, fishermen, divers, and anyone who risks their life on the water, whether they serve him or not. He guides their voyages, protects their boats, and guards them against storms. Those who fish call upon him for abundance, knowing that prosperity at sea depends on his kindness.

Offerings made to Agwe are placed in a small boat, covered with gifts of food, flowers, drinks, and objects of the sea. This boat is then released into the water, sent to float wherever the current takes it. The size and richness of these offerings reflect the generosity his devotees hope to receive in return. To honor Agwe is to learn the language of respect, patience, and gratitude.

Agwe has two wives, LaSirèn and her sister Ezili Freda. With Ezili Freda he fathered a daughter named Ursule, who, according to legend, drowned after angering Ayida Wedo. But LaSirèn found her beneath the waves, rescued her, and raised her in secret, giving her a life hidden inside the depths of the ocean. Ursule is said to live between currents, singing in the choir of the sea.

Agwe’s world is one of mystery, discipline, and beauty. Beneath his protection lies both memory and freedom. The ocean is not only his home but a realm of justice, where every soul lost to the water finds direction again.

To call on Agwe is to honor the ones who survived the sea, and the ones who never returned. It is to recognize the ocean as both a grave and a gate, a force that destroys and a force that protects.

Printed as a giclée on fine art paper using archival inks, this piece preserves the depth of each color and detail, keeping the artwork’s spirit vivid and enduring over time.