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 The great Sky Father, married to the primal Erzulie and paired with Ayida Wedo, the Rainbow Serpent, Danbala personifies the primary foundational precepts of Vodou. His true color is snow white like the linen in which Hounsi dress for service. The magical sphere of white is suspended above his horse in possession, to afford him privacy and benediction. So pure and beneficent is Danbala, that he needs no offering other than a basin of pure water and a pure white egg on a mound of white flour.
I like to think of him as the original astronomer or astrologer. He has perfect knowledge of the heavens, having learned of the this from the African tradition called NA-Go Oyyo. In synthesis he personifies fire and water - fire for his serpent powers of regeneration and creation, water for his deep knowledge or konnisance of the world and it's peoples.
I have seen him syncretized with St. Patrick (because of the snakes in the chromolithograph) and with Moses, for the knowledge of the Ten Commandments. As the supreme Rada deity he is associated with rain, wisdom and fecundity.
I keep pakets for Danbala on my Rada altar, near Erzulie Freda's, as he is one of her three husbands. In the ever dizzying set of relationships that make up the theology of Vodou, Danbala is often paired with Ayida, but is married to Freda. I serve Danbala with white anisette, white eggs on white flour or corn meal and white snake skins.
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