Dédée Bazile

Dédée Bazile (c. 1736 – c. 1816), also known as Défilée or Défilée-la-folle (Défilée the Madwoman), was a Haitian revolutionary and vivandière, known for gathering the remains of Emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines for burial. Born in Cap-Francais, she had six children as a result of rape by her enslaver. In 1796, during the Haitian Revolution, Bazile joined the Indigenous Army as a vivandière, marching with the soldiers and selling provisions. Historical accounts claim she exhibited madness, usually attributed to the killing of her parents, brothers, or sons by French forces, although the characterization has been contested.

Dessalines proclaimed Haiti's independence in 1804 then became emperor, but his dictatorship was unpopular. Two years later, he was assassinated by soldiers, and his body was stoned by crowds in Port-au-Prince. Défilée eventually gathered his remains for burial, although historical accounts differ on whether she carried them to a cemetery. Historians have interpreted her gathering of the remains as a Vodou priestess ritual to prevent Dessalines from resurrecting, or as an anti-colonial political gesture. She lived in poverty until her death.

Défilée is prominent in Haitian legend, folklore, and literature. She was initially remembered in a Haitian folklore song, then became a symbol of Haitian national conscience among early 20th century writers. Writers and historians radicalized by the United States occupation of Haiti portrayed Défilée as a maternal symbol of resistance. From the late 20th century, she has been depicted in works by women authors in the Haitian diaspora.