govi, in Vodou, a ceremonial object used in the ritual of “reclaiming” the immortal aspect of a human spirit (gwobonanj) after death.
At the time of death, a gwobonanj will join the abyssal waters of Ginen, the ancestral world, if proper funerary rituals are observed. However, the gwobonanj must be reclaimed from Ginen one year and one day after death has occurred. Failure to do so could have dire consequences for the relatives of the deceased.
The govi, a jar or bottle usually made out of red clay, becomes the receptacle of the gwobonanj and allows the deceased to resume his active involvement in the affairs of his community. The govi is also quite precious to the living, because, when called on, the spirit will be able to dispense advice, guidance, warnings, protection, and wisdom to the living from the govi. The gwobonanj is regularly “fed” with food offerings and sacrifices from the living descendants. Several generations later, when the direct descendants of the person whose gwobonanj is in the govi have themselves made their transition into the spiritual realm, the gwobonanj is returned to Ginen.