The tree is a prominent symbol of Damballah. Occasionally a machete is used as a symbol of Damballah, but this is not common. Items made of the metal silver are used in rituals with Damballah. In many temples to Damballah a sink will be installed as an altar or place for him. Any container of water, from jug to bath, is also a symbol of Damballah. Patrick were chosen as syncretic with Damballah.ĭamballah’s most prominent symbol is the serpent. Due to their associations with serpents, Moses and St. Patrick, he is said to have driven the snakes out of Ireland. In the battle between Moses and the magicians of the Pharaoh, Moses made his staff become a serpent that swallowed the lesser serpents conjured by Pharaoh’s magicians. We see in the Biblical story that Moses held power over serpents. In Voodoo’s syncretism with Catholicism, Damballah is associated with Moses, or with St. More often, Damballah appears in symbols and visions within dreams. If he vocalizes, it is in the hisses of a serpent. While many Lwa communicate directly to us with words, Damballah does not. Many are perfectly willing to help with small or trivial matters, while some will ignore them and only help with large matters. This is why knowing which Lwa to ask for help is important. He is more likely to ignore trivial problems and more likely to help with serious problems. In many cases, asking Damballah for a large goal is better than asking for a small one. He is the fabric of the energy and magic that goes into spell work, or the source of that energy.Īs Damballah is a grand root Lwa, he is often most apt for rituals with big goals. Thus Damballah is often described as the primordial creative force of the universe. He is the one who grants the raw energy and spiritual power that all rituals and magic rely upon. Yet at the same time, Damballah exists as the primary and raw creative force of the universe. Although Damballah is called upon for assistance and evoked in many rituals, he is often not the Lwa directly responsible for the outcome of a spell. In some of the various veve of Damballah, as well as other artistic representations, the pair are depicted together as intertwined serpents.ĭamballah is less directly personal than most Lwa. This is why both Damballah and Ayida Weddo are asked for help with relationships, love, marriage and childbirth. They also represent the creation of new life. Together, these two Lwa represent the union of a husband and a wife. The Lwa Ayida Weddo is the wife of Damballah. Damballah is also called a root Lwa, for he is one of the oldest (in fact, most likely the very oldest) of the Lwa. For this he sits firmly in the Rada family, or cool spirits, of Lwa. He is in fact one of the few Lwa that are almost entirely benevolent. In Voodoo, all waters are said to be created by Damballah’s shedding of skin.ĭamballah is a highly benevolent Lwa. The serpent is a guardian of both land and water, he can move easily through both. The serpent is extremely powerful and can overcome even the mightiest of animals, yet the serpent is never deliberately aggressive, he only defends himself. The serpent is instead associated with calmness and wisdom. In pre-Christian and African religion there is no negative association with the serpent. In some traditions the serpent is sometimes associated with the Devil, Lucifer or Satan, in others the serpent is merely a tempter. For example, we see the serpent as the tempter of Adam and Eve in the Bible. In the Western Judeo-Christian tradition, the serpent is usually associated with negative forces. It is important to understand the serpent motif in African (and world) spirituality. The stars of the sky are said to be his scales, or his body. All of material reality was formed by the coils of Damballah’s tail, for he is a serpent. In the creation stories, Damballah created the earth and universe with his body. In others, Damballah was the first being and Lwa created by God, the Bon Deu, or Bondye. In some, Damballah is the Lwa who created the universe and all things. As Voodoo is a tradition with many paths, there are many different stories of Damballah. Damballah (also Danbala in Creole) is one of the most important Lwa, or spirits, in Voodoo.
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