Dumballa Wedo: Who is he? What does he mean to Vodouisant?

Growing up, Dumballa Wedo played an interesting role in my life. For years I heard the stories my mother told of this spirit and what he had done for her throughout her life. During my transition ceremony, he was one of the first spirits to manifest over me. I remember it being horribly painful before and after but like floating while he was present. I remember my legs giving out like they somehow vanished from beneath me. Dumballa does not mount me very often, usually just during ceremonies. Dumballa has always been a driving force in my life. When I began to visit other spiritual houses, I started to get more insight into how people outside of my home saw this spirit. 

I've heard many things about Dumballa. I've heard he is the snake that was cast out of the Garden of Eden; the entity responsible for introducing knowledge to Eve and bringing man closer to God. People use this story as a means to explain why Dumballa was the first creation by God or an agent of creation, given the right to do so by God. Dumballa can represent the primordial energy of life and creation. As we all know, it was the serpent who unveiled the truth to man while in the garden. I've heard people claim this truth was our Vodou; the spiritual connection so many have but so few can access. 

I've seen him possess people and people pretend to be possessed by his energy in Vodou ceremonies. I've seen people try and channel Dumballa into what they want him to be. Dumballa has been the creator, dancing across the sky, just like the rainbow, as a harbinger of change and shifts within the atmosphere. Dumballa has been Ouroboros signifying the beginning and end, the alpha and the omega. Dumballa is Caduceus, in every hospital, a healer of those who need him.

People speak of Dumballa in terms of sexual unity and evolution when he is depicted with his partner Ayida Wedo. Whatever I've heard, Dumballa is clearly many things to a lot of people. Each perspective a practitioner brings to the table is a direct response to their own experiences with him.

A few years later again, I was introduced to how social media represented the Lwa. I've heard that he is the Lwa of prosperity, riches, and success. I've seen him oversimplified into no more than a leprechaun (back to our rainbow), ready to bestow riches to those who can find and connect with them. This is my least favorite depiction. Not because it is specifically a lie, but because he is reduced to just another wish-granting genie. This description can be found, among practitioners and outsiders.

There are a few aspects of him that are seemingly indelible among Vodou practitioners. He often represents himself as a snake. When mounting a practitioner he is likely to crawl on his belly though there are exceptions. Depending on the level of possession he may speak in a hoarse and quiet voice or not at all. Dumballa Wedo exists behind Moses and St Patrick in his imagery and statue representations.

Some say he is Moses when he stands and St Patrick when he crawls. This lacks evidence but is argued all the same. Moses, as the man who morphed into the spirit Dumballa, makes more sense than St Patrick. Although it also makes more sense that the man who became the story of Moses was accepted as a spirit in Dumballa's court after death, but I wasn't there so I follow the evidence on this side of the spiritual plane. This representation is most likely a result of the blending Vodou has done with the Christian and Catholic faith.

Dumballa is a spirit that demands a level of purity. Until he has received salutations in a ceremony you may not smoke or drink out of respect for him. Vodouisant sometimes lay a white sheet on the floor for him. If he mounts his chosen practitioner fast enough the surrounding audience may not get to the sheet but that is okay. Spirit moves as it wants to, we simply serve.

Once Dumballa has presented himself within the ceremony, it is important to give him, or any other spirit, his chosen items. This may include a green and or white silk scarf. By this point, regardless if he is on his belly, standing, or leaning against something his shoes are probably off. If they are not, and you are given permission, you may help take them off. Dumballa may want a raw egg to drink (he will crack and eat it himself) or mint-flavored syrup, or sometimes anisette to drink. If this ceremony is happening in Haiti, this syrup could be any flavor or color, sometimes it is honey or sugar cane. Whatever he is offered is usually a result of where you are in the world and what you have access to. I have seen rice and cake though not often. One thing that is practically universal? He isn't interested in eating very much food.

The veve for Dumballa is usually a twin snake surrounding a staff with star designs surrounding it. This will represent Dumballa Wedo and Ayida Wedo. Partners in their transformation of the cosmos and our personal lives. Sometimes the snake is singular.

Dumballa has other personas. Most spirits have a calm and fiery persona. Dumballa is often a spirit aligned with the water. Dumballa Wedo can also manifest as Dumballa La Flambeau. This is when he is more likely to be standing. This persona is more likely to eat food, will accept an egg on a mound of ground coffee and drink blood. The mounting process is more violent. Regardless if the mounting is violent or not, Wedo or La Flambeau energy is a difficult one to carry. He "feels" heavier than other spirits after he is gone. That is not something that can be explained to those who do not experience possession.

As practitioners who serve the Lwa, Dumballa is a persistent and difficult one. He is demanding. Dumballa may intervene in the romantic and interpersonal relationships of those who work with him. The more authority you give him the more he will take. Dumballa is especially possessive though it is more likely in women than men. Those who choose to partake in marriage to the spirit should be careful to adhere to the specifics of that marriage. Dumballa is not forgiving when he has been crossed or disrespected. That being said, he is a giving spirit. Dumballa treats his children with respect and does what he can to serve them as diligently as they serve him. Dumballa is not overly involved in the day to day aspects of life. I find him to be a very... removed spirit. Almost as if certain things are below his pay grade. I find it interesting that many people in America have begun to involve him in so much spiritual work when he is not traditionally approached for such things in Haiti to this degree.

Those who have Dumballa on their head or walk very close to him have a more commanding energy. Dumballa is a leader of leaders in the Lwa pantheon. Dumballa can block your blessings from one Lwa and end the difficulties you have with another. When Dumballa signs off on something very little can stand in the way of it. I'd wager all but God and you can stand in the way of a gift he's bestowed. It is said that he is the leader of all the Lwa. I can understand why some people may want to fall to this conclusion but when thinking of the concept of jurisdiction within Vodou, it is hard to accept this as a universal truth for all Lwa, in all situations.  

Throughout history, the snake has found its way into many stories. They have shifted the idea we have about the spirit or spirits that represent the snake. Are all of these spirits Dumballa changing form with each generation? As Vodouisant in Haiti we have lost certain connections we have to old stories that could help us bridge that connection. We know of some ties to tribes within the central and western regions of Africa like the Yoruba. We do not know all of the ways Dumballa has changed throughout the years. We do not know where people first told stories about him or where he began to manifest and mount his servants. We do know he is old. Dumballa is an older and wiser spirit than most others. To say that any spirit is powerful in comparison to other spirits is tricky, but Dumballa is certainly well-respected among his peers.

Within the Season of Ceremony, Dumballa is celebrated by Vodouisant all over the world on St Patrick's Day or around that time, because of Christian influence that has intermingled with the Haitian Vodou faith. He has many children and has a place as one of the few Leading Spirits of Vodou. This means that regardless if he is in your closer spiritual court, you will pay respects to him as a major player in the spiritual game. Only a few other spirits can claim this honor.

Image associated with this article is not a Wayom LLC product or original creation. It is by Andre Pierre (Haitian 1916-2005) Fulling collection and was sourced from https://haitianartsociety.org/damballa-wedo