Ayida-Weddo

Ayida-Weddo
Ayida-Weddo
Rainbow Serpent
	Veve of Ayida-Weddo and Damballa, always depicted together.
Venerated in	Vodou, Folk Catholicism
Attributes	rainbow, blue, white paquet congo, ouroboros
Patronage	fertility, rainbows, wind, water, fire, wealth, thunder, snakes
	v; t; e;

Ayida-Weddo, also known as Ayida, Agida, Ayida-Wedo, Aido Quedo, Aido Wedo, Aida Wedo, and Aido Hwedo, is a powerful loa spirit in Vodou, revered in regions across Africa and the Caribbean, namely in Benin, Suriname and Haiti.^[1] Known as the "Rainbow Serpent", Ayida-Weddo is the loa of fertility, rainbows, wind, water, fire, wealth,^[2] thunder,^[3] and snakes.^[4]^[5]^[6] Alongside Damballa, Ayida-Weddo is regarded among the most ancient and significant loa. Considered in many sources as the female half of Damballa's twin spirit, the names Da Ayida Hwedo, Dan Ayida Hwedo, and Dan Aida Wedo have also been used to refer to her.^[7] Thought to have existed before the Earth, Ayida-Weddo assisted the creator goddess Mawu-Lisa in the formation of the world, and is responsible for holding together the Earth and heavens. Ayida-Weddo bestows love and well-being upon her followers, teaching fluidity and the connection between body and spirit.^[8]^[4]

^ Teish, Luisah (1985). Jambalaya. Harper Sanfrancisco. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-06-250859-1. OCLC 1261277604.
^ Lawal, Babatunde (2008). "Èjìwàpò". African Arts. 41 (1): 27. doi:10.1162/afar.2008.41.1.24. ISSN 0001-9933. S2CID 57564389.
^ van der Sluijs, Marinus Anthony; Peratt, Anthony L. (2009). "The Ourobóros as an Auroral Phenomenon". Journal of Folklore Research. 46 (1): 15. doi:10.2979/jfr.2009.46.1.3. ISSN 0737-7037. S2CID 162226473.
^ ^a ^b Auset, Brandi (2009). The Goddess Guide. Llewellyn Publications. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-7387-1551-3. OCLC 286420995.
^ Monaghan, Patricia (2014). Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines. New World Library. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-60868-218-8. OCLC 969000530.
^ Owusu, Heike (2002). Voodoo Rituals. Sterling. p. 43. ISBN 1-4027-0035-0. OCLC 52194154.
^ Alcide Saint-Lot, Marie-Jose (2003). Vodou, a Sacred Theatre: The African Heritage in Haiti. Educa Vision. p. 150. ISBN 1-58432-177-6. OCLC 1130907883.
^ Dorsey, Lilith (2005). Voodoo and Afro-Caribbean Paganism. Citadel Press. p. 36. ISBN 0-8065-2714-5. OCLC 62595057.

[1] Teish, Luisah (1985). Jambalaya. Harper Sanfrancisco. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-06-250859-1. OCLC 1261277604.

[:0-2] Lawal, Babatunde (2008). "Èjìwàpò". African Arts. 41 (1): 27. doi:10.1162/afar.2008.41.1.24. ISSN 0001-9933. S2CID 57564389.

[3] van der Sluijs, Marinus Anthony; Peratt, Anthony L. (2009). "The Ourobóros as an Auroral Phenomenon". Journal of Folklore Research. 46 (1): 15. doi:10.2979/jfr.2009.46.1.3. ISSN 0737-7037. S2CID 162226473.

[:4-4] Auset, Brandi (2009). The Goddess Guide. Llewellyn Publications. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-7387-1551-3. OCLC 286420995.

[:5-5] Monaghan, Patricia (2014). Encyclopedia of Goddesses and Heroines. New World Library. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-60868-218-8. OCLC 969000530.

[:1-6] Owusu, Heike (2002). Voodoo Rituals. Sterling. p. 43. ISBN 1-4027-0035-0. OCLC 52194154.

[:9-7] Alcide Saint-Lot, Marie-Jose (2003). Vodou, a Sacred Theatre: The African Heritage in Haiti. Educa Vision. p. 150. ISBN 1-58432-177-6. OCLC 1130907883.

[:10-8] Dorsey, Lilith (2005). Voodoo and Afro-Caribbean Paganism. Citadel Press. p. 36. ISBN 0-8065-2714-5. OCLC 62595057.

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