Damballah Wedo is the serpent lwa. He is seen as a large snake who, during possession, slithers on the ground and flickers his serpentine tongue. Unlike some of the other lwa who are represented by snakes, Damballah Wedo and his wife, Ayida Wedo are snakes and their muted possession performance exemplifies this fact.  

While Damballah and Ayida have manifested differently in Haiti, they both come directly from ancient Dahomey (present day Bénin). According to Herskovits (1967) in ancient Dahomey all snakes were called “Da”. In Dahomey, Damballah specifically manifests as a serpent spirit named Dambada, “who represents the spirits of the old, old ancestors who are not known” (Herskovits 1967), while Ayida Wedo is known as Aido Hwedo, a male rainbow serpent, whose name means “you were created before the earth and before the sky” (1967).  

Nevertheless, in Haiti Damballah is known to be a very wise and pure lwa and unlike his Dahomian counterpart isn’t associated with the dead at all. As a matter of fact, because of his purity Damballah should be kept from away from the dead. And Ayida Wedo, a female spirit in Haiti, manifests as a magnificent rainbow and often follows her husband in possession. Each time I have had the privilege of meeting these spirits in Haiti the humfor filled with peace. Their mere presence had the ability to calm the crowds and relax the senses. One of my favorite songs used to entice Damballah into possession says: 

Vye Dambala m asire,
Le a rive pou m ale o!
Vye Dambala m asire,
Le a rive pou m ale o!
Mwen se petit papa vye Dambala,
Kote m pase m siyen nom mwen.

Old Dambala, I am assured,
The time has come for me to go, oh!
Old Dambala, I am assured,
The time has come for me to go, oh!
I am the child of papa old Dambala,
Where I pass I sign my name 

Both Damballah and Ayida are served with the color white – pure white. However, I have seen some people accent Ayida’s altars with small touches of black. Damballah is most commonly represented by St. Patrick and Ayida by “Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception”. More so than any other lwa, any altars set up in service to Damballah or Ayida should be kept, white, crisp and spotlessly clean.  

Both Damballah and Ayida are normally served on Thursday and are normally offered milk or Champagne Cola, both Damballah and Ayida will also frequently take sips of Anisette or Champagne. They are also fed white foods include white rooster (for Damballah), white hen (for Ayida), white pigeons or doves, white rice, and raw white chicken eggs (balanced on a mound of white flour).