Damballah- The Great White Serpent

Papa Damballah is a very pure spirit of the Rada nasyon (nation) of lwa. He has a very cool demeanor and his energies are said to refresh and purify. He is always around the color white and does not like anything black to touch his things. He does not smoke or drink and therefore no one is permitted to smoke until after Damballah and Ezili Freda are saluted. Since Damballah is a serpent, his horses (the participants Damballah decides to possess) will slither around on the floor and even swim.

Damballah is generally called on for protection and to "cool" things (such as calming down a rival, etc.). He is served a white egg on a white plate of flour. When in possession, Damballah eats the egg without using any of his limbs like the Egg eating snake. 

Damballah has a wife Ayido Wedo who is envisioned as a rainbow (depicted as a rainbow colored serpent). She is represented by Santa Dominidora while Damballah is syncretized with St. Patrick, though some say this is the Petro aspect and his Rada aspect is represented by Moses.

Damballah's color is of course white: pure white. It is extremely important that you keep anything "hot" or negative away from Damballah's altar and that it is very clean. Never let any food offering decompose on his altar either. He does not like those things very much. Damballah's day is of course St. Patrick's day and can be served on Thursday- the day for all of the Rada lwa.