GHEDE In the Voodoo mythology of Haiti, Ghede is the hungry figure in black top hat, long black tail coat and dark glasses, who stands at the eternal crossroads. Here pass the souls of the dead on their way to Guinee, the legendary place of origin and abode of the gods. Ghede is the wisest of the Voodoo gods, being the god of death, and thus having the knowledge of all those who have lived. He is also the lord of life, a phallic deity:he sustains the living, increases their number, and resurrects the dead. As if this wasn't enough, Ghede is also the god of love, known for his unpredictable obscenity and his prediliction for strong rum. He is liable to arrive at a ceremony for another loa and disrupt the proceedings. Not even the Hougans---the spirit masters of the Voodoo pantheon---can control his possession of his followers.