govi

plural govis

1. A sacred urn or pitcher in Haitian voodoo, used to hold the spirit of an ancestor.

   So these govi used to sit on your father's family altar, but now they are on yours?

   1995, Mama Lola & Karen McCarthy Brown, in Cosentino (ed.), Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou, South Sea International Press 1998, p. 232

   2 more examples

   In due course of time, the parent in the govi becomes grandparent and the grandparent becomes ancestor.

   1953, Maya Deren, Divine Horsemen, McPherson & Company, published 2004, page 28

   The importance and significance of the govi can hardly be overstressed because it enables as well as brings to light the Voduists' reverence for their ancestors, a ubiquitous and fundamental feature of African religion in general.

   2009, Ama Mazama, Encyclopedia of African Religion, volume 1, page 297