The first step we are going to take in order to understand the meaning of the term loa that concerns us here is to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can underline that it is a word that derives from Latin, exactly from «laus, laudis», which can be translated as «praise». And that, in turn, emanates from the Latin verb «laudere», which is synonymous with «to praise».
Loa is the act and result of praising : venerating, praising. The term is often used as a synonym for praise or flattery .
For example: "The president's speech was a praise of the wildest capitalism ", "The governor praises the students during his visit to the university" , "The singer left the stage amid praise and applause from the audience" .
Other terms that can function as synonyms for praise are encomium, apology, exaltation, praise and even panegyric. On the other hand, among its antonyms we find words such as contempt, criticism or diatribe, for example.
In the field of poetry , the idea of praise refers to a short dramatic work that praises , often in an allegorical way, a personality or an event. A praise, in this context, implies a celebration of something.
During the so-called Spanish Golden Age , a loa was a dialogue, prologue, or other type of composition that was presented at the beginning of a theatrical performance . These loas usually offered a summary of the plot. After the Golden Age , loas became short pieces that functioned as an introduction to a play .
In Voodoo , a loa is a spirit that mediates between humans and the supernatural entity known as Mawu or Bondye , a divinity inaccessible to humans. Loas, who are also supernatural beings, are the deities who have contact with individuals and with the supreme god.
According to voodoo beliefs, priests of this religion have the power to contact the loas. Thus, the loas speak through the clerics.
Likewise, it is important to know that there is an animal that bears the term we are dealing with in its name. We are referring to the Loa Loa, which is a parasitic worm that is very common in Africa. It should also be noted that it is between 4 and 10 centimetres long and is responsible for the so-called filariasis. We can establish that this is the name given to a group of parasitic diseases that can affect both humans and other animals.
A river in Chile and a city in the state of Utah ( USA ), meanwhile, are named after Loa , as is a Chilean ship that sank in 1880 and a Peruvian ship that sank the following year.
In addition to all of the above, we cannot overlook the fact that LOA is the initials behind the Andalusian Ophthalmological Laboratory. This is the only manufacturer of lenses in all of Andalusia, with more than 20 years of experience and its headquarters in Seville, specifically in the town of San José de la Rinconada.