met tet

English

Alternative forms

• maît-tête
• mèt tèt

Etymology

From Haitian Creole mèt tèt, from French maître (“master”) + tête (“head”).

Noun

met tet

1. (voodoo) The loa with whom a Vodouisant has a particular connection, and with whom they specially identify.
   • 1953, Maya Daren, The Divine Horsemen, McPherson & Company, published 2004, page 71:

     While his physical heritage may show resemblance to one parent or the other, in infancy, his deities, including the maît-tête, become manifest only with maturity and establish their special position.

   • 2000, Nancy M. Martin, Joseph Runzo, The Meaning of Life in the World's Religions, page 241:

     The Vodou system of identifying each person's mèt tèt amounts to a method for personality typing, and this system is of great significance for understanding the moral force field of Haitian Vodou.

   • 2006, Kenaz Filan, The Haitian Vodou Handbook:

     Outside Haiti, where Vodou ceremonies are held less frequently and possession is an aberration, not a commonplace, it is more difficult to determine which lwa is your met tet.