Religion

Ancestors are important in ADR because they link worshipers to the lwas. Devotees affirm: "I believe in the power of ancestors who watch over us and serve us before the lwas; that they must be remembered and served faithfully" (Desmangles, p. 63). A ceremony called retirer d'en bas de l'eau, performed for the dead, allows the soul of the deceased to find peace. This ceremony is considered a third birth for the individual (the first is physical, the second, spiritual) and gives the ancestor a new status and the power to influence life on earth. The ancestors are part of a hierarchy in the spiritual world, but are not considered to be gods.