In Haitian Vodou, Danballa is credited with creating the earth or world egg. He is usually depicted as a white serpent with his wife Aida Wedo, the rainbow. The two serpentine lwa (spirits) are inseparable and never travel without each other, according to my earliest teacher. Indeed, in my experience, one is never very far behind the other.
I first encountered Danballa when I was praying to the Hebrew deity Asherah (often viewed as the estranged wife of the Judeo-Christian God in the Old Testament). While meditating, I sensed a white tower and later, the vision of a black man in a white robe appeared. Later, I discovered this man was Legba, though I never heard his name or read it at this point. Suddenly, the skeletal outline of a snake hovering through space filled my mind. In the next instant, I heard my name. It was loud enough to break my concentration, as I was sure it came from the room. What I did next surprised me. I sat on the floor and cried. That's how beautiful the voice was.
This is the only experience with Danballa I can share, though I have experienced further contact with the lwa and his wife. The nature of these incidents are far too personal to share on a blog. In person, I've been happy to share the faith affirming stories, with friends and extended family. Personal miracles and affirming faith are, in my mind, some of their specialties.
Danballa is often snynchronized with Moses or Saint Patrick. He appears, to some, as a tall old man with a light skin tone and long white hair with a long white beard. Aida Wedo is often depicted as an actual rainbow or a woman with a serpent's head. They both enjoy offerings of white food (eggs and rice, especially) and candles and, in my experience, frankincense.
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