Damballa, also spelled Damballah, Dambala, Dambalah, among other variations, is one of the most important of all loa, spirits in Haitian Voodoo and other African diaspora religious traditions such as Obeah. He is traditionally portrayed as a great white or black serpent, but may also be depicted as a rainbow. Damballa originated in the city of Wedo in modern-day Benin.
Damballah La Flambeau, by the Haitian artist Hector Hyppolite
Lwa, also called loa, are spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerated in the traditional religions of West Africa, especially those of the Fon and Yoruba.
A painting of the lwa Damballa, a serpent, by Haitian artist Hector Hyppolite.
A cross in the cemetery at Port-au-Prince, Haiti; this symbolizes the lwa Baron Samedi.
A large sequined Vodou "drapo" or flag by the artist George Valris, depicting the veve of the lwa Loko Atison.
A drummer in a Vodou ceremony in Brooklyn, New York City during the early 1980s