Damballa
Encyclopedia
In Vodou, Damballah is one of the most important of all the loa
(also spelled lwa). Damballah is the Sky God and considered the primordial
creator of all life. The veve
of Damballah comprises two serpents prominent among other emblems
.
family and a root, or racine Loa
. In New Orleans and Haiti
he is often depicted as a serpent and is closely associated with snake
s. He is considered the father of all the loa as all Spirits are aspects of Damballah. His wife/companion Ayida Weddo, the rainbow serpent – he is also married to Erzulie
Freda – is also a Loa of creation.
nation he is associated with the color white and white is his particular color. His day of the week is Thursday.
Some of his ritual songs indicate that he "carries the ancestors" on his back to Guinea (spiritual home of the Loa, and the afterlife.) . Damballah's offerings are very simple and he prefers an egg on a mound of flour or salt, but loves everything white. Toni Costonie relates to us that Priestess Miriam Chamani recommends cold water, milk, coconut, and coconut milk, honey, shea butter
, rice, mild cigars, bread, and cookies. Some houses also serve him with anisette
and corn syrup
while kola nuts are also acceptable.
biblical event of God speaking to Moses
in the burning bush
.
He is syncretised
with the Catholic
figures of St. Patrick who drove snakes out of Ireland
, Christ the Redeemer
, Our Lady of Mercy, and, sometimes, with Moses
whose staff turned into a serpent.
horror stories "Black Canaan
" and "Pigeons from Hell
" by Robert E. Howard
.
The "Heart
of Damballah;" an amulet
, is also referenced in the movies Child's Play and Bride of Chucky
.
The musician Exuma
recorded a song "Dambala" for the album "Exuma I" in 1970. This song has also been recorded by Nina Simone
.
He is also mentioned in the movie Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
.
Loa
The Loa are the spirits of the voodoo religion practiced in Louisiana, Haiti, Benin, and other parts of the world. They are also referred to as Mystères and the Invisibles, in which are intermediaries between Bondye —the Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity...
(also spelled lwa). Damballah is the Sky God and considered the primordial
Primordial
Primordial may refer to:* Primordial sea . See abiogenesis* Primordial nuclide, nuclides, a few radioactive, that formed before the Earth existed and are stable enough to still occur on Earth...
creator of all life. The veve
Veve
A Veve or Vévé is a religious symbol commonly used in Haitian Vodou. It acts as a "beacon" for the loa - a type of spirit, and will serve as a loa's representation during rituals...
of Damballah comprises two serpents prominent among other emblems
Insignia
Insignia or insigne pl -nia or -nias : a symbol or token of personal power, status or office, or of an official body of government or jurisdiction...
.
Family
He is both a member of the RadaRada loa
-Scope:They include older, beneficent spirits who can be directly traced to Dahomey Vudus of West Africa.-Etymology:"Rada" is a cognate of Arará, and also Yoruba orishas.-Function:...
family and a root, or racine Loa
Loa
The Loa are the spirits of the voodoo religion practiced in Louisiana, Haiti, Benin, and other parts of the world. They are also referred to as Mystères and the Invisibles, in which are intermediaries between Bondye —the Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity...
. In New Orleans and Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
he is often depicted as a serpent and is closely associated with snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s. He is considered the father of all the loa as all Spirits are aspects of Damballah. His wife/companion Ayida Weddo, the rainbow serpent – he is also married to Erzulie
Erzulie
In Haitian Vodou or Vodou, Erzulie is a family of lwa, or spirits.-Maîtresse Mambo Erzulie Fréda Dahomey:Erzulie Fréda Dahomey, the Rada aspect of Erzulie, is the spirit of love, beauty, jewelry, dancing, luxury, and flowers. Gay men are considered to be under her particular patronage...
Freda – is also a Loa of creation.
Symbols and offerings
Common altar symbols used to represent the Sky God include white cloth, owls, bones, ivory, cotton, and chameleons. As a loa of the RadaRada loa
-Scope:They include older, beneficent spirits who can be directly traced to Dahomey Vudus of West Africa.-Etymology:"Rada" is a cognate of Arará, and also Yoruba orishas.-Function:...
nation he is associated with the color white and white is his particular color. His day of the week is Thursday.
Some of his ritual songs indicate that he "carries the ancestors" on his back to Guinea (spiritual home of the Loa, and the afterlife.) . Damballah's offerings are very simple and he prefers an egg on a mound of flour or salt, but loves everything white. Toni Costonie relates to us that Priestess Miriam Chamani recommends cold water, milk, coconut, and coconut milk, honey, shea butter
Shea butter
Shea butter is a slightly yellowish or ivory-colored fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree . It is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer, salve or lotion. Shea butter is edible and may be used in food preparation...
, rice, mild cigars, bread, and cookies. Some houses also serve him with anisette
Anisette
Anisette is an anise-flavored liqueur that is consumed mainly in France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. It is colorless and, unlike some other anise-based liqueurs, contains no licorice.True anisette is produced by means of distilling aniseed...
and corn syrup
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup, which is made from the starch of maize and contains varying amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor...
while kola nuts are also acceptable.
Function and presentation
Damballah rules the mind, intellect, and cosmic equilibrium. Damballah is the patron protector of the handicapped, deformed, cripples, albinos, and young children. When he presents himself in possession, he does not talk, but makes hissing and whistling noises like a snake in Rada rite. But in Haitian Petro loa he is known as "Dumballah Nan Flambo," and it is believed he can be heard "speaking through a flame" in parallel with the Old TestamentOld Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
biblical event of God speaking to Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
in the burning bush
Burning bush
The burning bush is an object described by the Book of Exodus as being located on Mount Sinai; according to the narrative, the bush was on fire, but was not consumed by the flames, hence the name...
.
He is syncretised
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
with the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
figures of St. Patrick who drove snakes out of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer
Christ the Redeemer or Cristo Redentor may refer to:* Sculpture:** Christ the Redeemer , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil** Christ the Redeemer of the Andes, on Argentine-Chilean border** Cristo della Minerva by Michelangelo, in Rome...
, Our Lady of Mercy, and, sometimes, with Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
whose staff turned into a serpent.
Names
Alternative names include Damballa Weddo (son of Odan Wedo), Danbala, Danbala Wedo, Damballah Weddo, Danbhala Weddo, Obatala. He is usually addressed respectfully as "Papa Damballah".In popular culture
Damballah is worshipped by voodoo practitioners in the Southern GothicSouthern Gothic
Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction unique to American literature that takes place exclusively in the American South. It resembles its parent genre in that it relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot...
horror stories "Black Canaan
Black Canaan
Black Canaan is a short story written by Robert E. Howard that was originally published in the June 1936 issue of Weird Tales. It is a regional horror story in the Southern Gothic mode, one of several such tales by Howard set in the piney woods of the ArkLaTex region of the American South...
" and "Pigeons from Hell
Pigeons from Hell
Pigeons from Hell is a short story by Robert E. Howard written in late 1934 and published posthumously by Weird Tales in 1938. The story title derives from an image present in many of Howard's grandmother's ghost stories, that of an old deserted plantation mansion haunted by ghostly...
" by Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
.
The "Heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
of Damballah;" an amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
, is also referenced in the movies Child's Play and Bride of Chucky
Bride of Chucky
Bride of Chucky is a 1998 American comedy horror film directed by Chinese director Ronny Yu. It is the fourth entry in the Child's Play series. The film stars Jennifer Tilly and Brad Dourif...
.
The musician Exuma
Exuma (musician)
Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey, who recorded as Exuma was a Bahamian musician, known for his almost unclassifiable music; a strong mixture of carnival, junkanoo, calypso and ballad. In his early days in New York's Greenwich Village, Tony McKay performed in small clubs and bars...
recorded a song "Dambala" for the album "Exuma I" in 1970. This song has also been recorded by Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
.
He is also mentioned in the movie Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors is a 1965 British horror film from Amicus Productions, directed by veteran horror director Freddie Francis, written by Milton Subotsky, and starred Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee....
.