Damballa
Damballa is a spirit in West African Vodun and Haitian Voodoo believe. Damballa is believed to be the creator of all life. He is the sky father and was the first creation by Bondye, the supreme creator god. He created the cosmos by using his 7000 coils to create the stars and the planets in the heavens. He also created and shaped the hills and valleys here on earth, with his coils too. When Damballa wanted water on the earth, he shedding his skin and his scales started to fall off. They fell to the earth and dissolved into the water. He then moved between the earth and the water combining them together. So the water feed the earth and brought life to earth.
Ruler of all intellect, he is the one that gives intelligence and wisdom to all peoples. Damballa’s dominion over intellect and wisdom comes from his connection to the past and the future. He acts as a uniting force between the past, the present and the future.
Damballa is patient, wise, benevolent and kind, yet he is removed from the trials and tribulations of every day human life. He brings peace to humans and joins the ancient pass with the future. He is so old that he predates speech and is generally silent. However, if he wants to get your attention he may whistle or make a soft, hissing sound.
When Damballa needs to eat, he eats white food like rice, egg whites, white rice and white bread. People that live in and near Ouidah, Benin, offer these food to him at the temple of pythons, which houses snakes.
Damballa has a deep and strong relationship with a feminine serpent spirit called Ayida, the Rainbow Serpent of fertility, wind, fire, and water Depending on one’s house and lineage, they are spouses, siblings, or two halves of a single whole. Damballa and Ayida are deeply connected together.
Although Damballa lives in the sky, he can also be found in ponds, lakes, and streams. Many temples have a pond inside of them in order to accommodate Damballa. Damballa is always clean and he avoids dirty and sick people. It is important to assure all devotees attending the ritual are healthy and clean, for Damballa might refuse to come otherwise. Alcohol and smoking which are ever present and welcome during rituals for other loa are prohibited during his rituals, as he neither smokes nor drinks.
Damballa has a day of feast dedicated to him on March 17th. At this feast people wear white and green, jump over streams and swim in ponds and lakes. Although Damballa is an important aspect of the world, and welcome presence in everyone’s life, he takes special care of cripples, albinos and young children.
Damballa has been used as an inspiration in the portrayal of Legba in American Horror Story. Also Damballa is the one called upon by Chucky to move his soul from body to body in an absolutely ridiculous slandering of his nature.
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