Baron Samedi (), also written Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi or Bawon Sanmdi, is one of the Lwa of Haitian Vodou. He is a Lwa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix and Baron Criminel.
He is the head of the Gede family of Lwa; his brothers are Azagon Lacroix and Baron Piquant. He is sometimes identified with Guede Nibo.
Baron Samedi is usually depicted with a top hat, black tail coat, dark glasses, and cotton plugs in the nostrils, as if to resemble a corpse dressed and prepared for burial in the Haitian style. He is frequently depicted as a skeleton (but sometimes as a black man that merely has his face painted as a skull) and speaks in a nasal voice. The former dictator of Haiti, François Duvalier, known as Papa Doc, modeled his cult of personality on Baron Samedi; he was often seen speaking in a deep nasal tone and wearing dark glasses.
He is noted for disruption, obscenity, debauchery and having a particular fondness for tobacco and rum. Additionally, he is the loa of resurrection, and in the latter capacity, he is often called upon for healing by those near or approaching death, as it is only the Baron that can accept an individual into the realm of the dead.
Due to affiliation with François Duvalier, Baron Samedi is linked to secret societies in the Haitian government and includes them in his domain.
Baron Samedi spends most of his time in the invisible realm of vodou spirits. He is notorious for his outrageous behavior, swearing continuously and making filthy jokes to the other spirits. He is married to another powerful spirit known as Maman Brigitte, but he often chases after mortal women. Despite his crudeness and vulgarity, the Baron can nevertheless be charming and suave, and he is renowned for his charisma. He loves smoking and drinking and is rarely seen without a cigar in his mouth or a glass of rum in his bony fingers. Baron Samedi can usually be found at the crossroads between the worlds of the dead and the living. When someone dies, he digs their grave, greets their soul after they have been buried, and leads them to the underworld.
Baron Samedi is the leader of the Gede, loa with particular links to magic, ancestor worship and death. These lesser spirits are dressed like The Baron and are as rude and crude, but not nearly as charming as their master. They help carry the dead to the underworld.
Among believers in Vodou, Baron Samedi is the master of the dead as well as a giver of life. It is believed that he can cure mortals of any disease or wound so long as he thinks it is worthwhile. They believe his powers are especially great when it comes to Vodou curses and black magic. This includes the belief that if a person has been afflicted by a hex that brings them to the verge of death, they will not die if The Baron refuses to dig their grave.
In many Haitian cemeteries the longest standing grave of a male is designated as the grave of Baron Samedi. A cross (the kwa Bawon, meaning "Baron's cross") is placed at a crossroads in the cemetery to represent the point where the mortal and spiritual world cross. Often, a black top hat is placed on top of this cross.