Antidote from Damballa and Ayida-Wedo

Series: Vodou

Year: 2020

Author: James Thegenus

Medium: Acrylic on canvas with glitter glue

Dimensions: 94 cm x 64 cm

Inspired by the gods and gidesses of medicine, painted during the pandemic as a prayer to the gods of health who protect us. In vodou, snakes represent the gods of medicine.

This work was exhibited at the ‘Biennale Wynwood Second Edition’ in Miami in 2022.

Other names for Danmbala/Ayida: Danmbala Flanbo, Danmbala Ewa, Danmbala Mezi, Danmbala Yenou, Danmbala Wèdo.

Danmbala Wèdo Ogan, Danmbala Wedo Eya, Ayida Wèdo, Sépan Da.

Attributes: Lwas of symbiosis and human relationships; protectors of couples.

Main rites: Kongo, Nago, Petro, Rada.

The two snakes in the Vévé represent Danmbala and Ayida together. Although inseparable in their lives and actions, each has an attribute that characterizes them individually. For Danmbala, it is the white egg (‘ze’ means ‘egg’ in Haitian Creole), and for Ayida, the rainbow (‘lakansyèl’ in Creole), hence their nicknames Miwaze and Lakansyèl. As favorite offerings, Danmbala likes eggs, and Ayida likes white chickens. In the hounfos dedicated to these two Lwas, there is always a small well called basen Danmbala (Danmbala's well). During the theomorphosis, the followers crawl on the ground, hiss like snakes, and climb trees.