11/20/2023 0 Comments Voodoo snake lwa damballah wedoIt is practiced creatively, not prescriptively, which helps to account for the differing forms practiced elsewhere, such as in New Orleans. Worshipers venerate intermediary spirits, such as the orisha gods of the Yoruba people who inhabit what is now Nigeria, Benin and Togo, and figures from Haitian history. The religion honors a supreme creator god who is considered too remote to reach directly. Its beliefs and practices were forged in one of the most brutal slave regimes the world has known. Vodou has roots in the religious traditions of West and Central Africa, where most Haitians’ ancestors were born, and in the Roman Catholicism of European colonizers in Africa and the French who colonized the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the 17th and 18th centuries. That led him to the “sacred theater” of Vodou, a uniquely Haitian cultural force. So he left that work behind and focused instead on images of Haitian pride. John, an annual event that generally draws hundreds of participants.Īnderson had once worked with a major aid group on the island, and as he photographed people on Haiti’s streets, he noticed their suspicion and came to share their distrust of what he calls the “poverty industry,” or those aid efforts better at serving themselves than the people they’re supposed to help. A photographer based in Oregon, he had come for the pilgrimage of St. Troi Anderson had to feel his way along the cool limestone walls and follow the worshipers’ singing to find his way to the Vodou ceremonies below. But deep within the caves outside Saint-Michel de l’Attalaye, beneath the mountain-ringed northern edge of the island nation’s central plateau, there was no light. ![]() He must be kept cool.It was the height of the summer solstice, the brightest day of what had already been a long, hot year in Haiti. The Gede smoke, drink and like HOT peppers. In Petro, some serve him with green, red, and silver.ĭanbala does not associate with the Gede Lwa. In his Rada aspect, he accepts only the purest and cleanest white. He is also known at that point to be a winged serpent. In this aspect, he is sometimes referred to as Danbala nan Petro or Danbala LaFlanbo. He does take anisette in his Petro aspect. How come he is served with anisette then? You may be asking yourself. He is a very pure spirit! He manifests himself as a serpent, and is known for his ability to create peace in even the most volatile of situations. Danbala does not like the smell of cigarettes or liquor. Some Houses restrict it until after Freda (she hates cigarettes!) has been saluted. This is the reason why Danbala is the most sacred of all the Lwa.ĭuring a Vodou party, smoking and drinking are restricted until after Danbala and Ayida have been saluted. He in fact carried a staff which he turned into a snake! Moses also had access to the Holy of Holies, and Danbala is the Holy of Holies. However, Moses used snakes in his work extensively. Patrick disliked snakes and drove them out of Ireland. Moses with Danbala in the Rada aspect, and St. However, in our House, we prefer to associate St. The Lwa Danbala is at the top of the Vodou Hierarchy, he is known to be the father of all the Lwa. ![]() He is offered syrup, an egg, anisette, white flour, and white cakes. ![]() People will complain about having the “ sun on my back” and other references which refer to extreme heat, while Danbala is a lwa that provides coolness. Thus, he is often pleaded with during times of drought. Danbala also never stands up or walks around, for he shows himself in his form as a snake during his possessions. Perfume is also sprinkled.ĭanbala never speaks, he only hisses. In some peristyles, four hounsis will be holding the four corners of the sheet, occasionally they will shake it and create ripples. He will eat the egg using only his mouth. Then he will be given his food, the white egg and the flour. The lwa may decide to “ swim” in the tub. Danbala and his wife, Ayida Wedo, are often provided with a tub of water. When Danbala comes in possession at a Vodou service, he will be covered with a white sheet. He appears in the form of a snake, and those possessed by Danbala slither across the ground. Danbala Wedo comes into the temple and creates the vibe of peace throughout the peristyle.
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