Terms and Spirit Listing
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Dahomey (Dahomé, Daromain)

(V.ENC) The foundations of vodou are the tribal religions of West Africa, brought to Haiti in the seventeenth century by slaves captured primarily from the kingdom of Dahomey, which occupied parts of today's Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. The word is also incorporated into the names of loa who originated from there, such as Erzulie Fréda Dahomey, and designates dances that originated from that region.

Damballah-Wedo (Dambala, Damballa, Danballah, Danbhalah Wèdo, Dumballah)

(V.ENC) The symbolic father of the loa, Damballah-Wedo represents the ancestral knowledge that forms the foundation of vodou. With his wife, Aida-Wedo, he also represents fertility and new life. His symbol is the snake and the asson, his color is white, and he is associated with the Christian figures Moses and Saint Patrick. White chickens and eggs are sacrificed to him. Those who are possessed by Damballah-Wedo slither instead of walk, hiss instead of talk, and climb trees.

(SV) Da, in magic, represents the oldest of ancestors, a fact that gives him the right to have the "cosmic egg" as his ritual nutriment. Because of his very great age-the age of humanity-tradition holds that Danbhalah Houé-Do never speaks. He expresses himself, rather, by the hissing of a snake-the sound produced by those whom he possesses during ceremonies. Danbhalah corresponds to the asson and the bell with which the houn'gan, the highest member of the hierarchy, officiates. Since the "reptilian line of the wood" descends from the astral to possess its "white horses" with the personality of Danbhalah, this mystère appears always to "swim" in grace and to delight totally in metaphysical and hyperphysical pleasure while seeming at the same time to be lost in active and contemplative joy. This phenomenon is due to the three types of beatitudes recognized in theology: the active, the contemplative, and the joyful.

(DL) Known as the serpent god, he is one of the most popular. Dumballah is the father figure. He is benevolent, innocent, a loving father. He doesn't communicate well, as though his wisdom were too aloof for us. Dumballah is the snake. He plunges into a basin of water which is built for him, or climbs up into a tree. Being both snake and aquatic deity, he haunts rivers, springs, and marshes. Again, as the snake he is rather uncommunicative, but a loving quiet presence. Dumballah does not communicate exact messages, but seems to radiate a comforting presence which sort of sends a general spirit of optimism into all people present. Because of this, he is often sought after during ceremonies. When Dumballah mounts someone the special offering to him is the egg, which he crushes with his teeth. Dumballah is the serpent god, also lightning. He and his wife Aida-Wedo, are often shown as two snakes who look as if they were diving into the sink and by a rainbow. He is the bringer of rain; this is a necessity for good crops. People possessed by him dart their tongues in and out, slither along the ground, and climb trees, or roof beams, falling like a boa. He is known to whistle because he has no speech. His special day is Thursday, and his favorite tree is the bougainvillea. White is his color. He is in charge of white metal (silver) and must be fed white food and drink. He grants riches and allows treasures to be discovered. Dumballah sustains the world and prevents it from disintegrating. Dumballah and his wife Ayida represent human sexuality. He is sometimes referred to as Da. Dumballah is often spoken of as a serpent. In the voodoo culture, the serpent is a symbol of fertility. He is one of the oldest of the ancestors and is so sacred that he doesn't speak, but expresses himself through hissing sounds, just like that of a serpent. In the voodoo religion Dumballah is closely associated with the Catholic's St. Patrick. He is Dahomean in origin. His favorite foods are eggs, cornmeal, melons, rice, bananas, and grapes. The usual offerings to him is a hen and a cock. It is believed that if respects are paid to him by a married couple, he will keep them happy.

Death, conception of

(V.ENC) In vodou belief, death is not thought of as a cessation of life. Rather, in death, activities are simply changed from one condition to another. The body, the shell for the life force, simply decays while the n'âme that animated the body returns to the ground as earth energy. The soul, the gros-bon-ange returns to the high solar regions from where its cosmic energy was drawn; there, it joins the other loa and as itself transformed into a loa. The ti-bon-ange is transformed into an esprit and revered as family ancestor.

Débâtement

(V.ENC) The period of physical movement, often very intense and violent, that reflects the struggle between the soul and a loa over possession of the body of a devotee; this conflict subsides once the loa has taken full possession of the body.

Dessounin (desounen, désounin)

(V.ENC) The process of separating the gros-bon-ange from the body after death is called dessounin, and it occurs before or soon after the Catholic burial of the body. During this ceremony, the guardian loa of that person is also separated from the soul. The houngan often becomes possessed by the loa, who makes pronouncements about the future of the société. Powered by the loa, the priest is reborn, as the divine essence of life that belonged to the dead person becomes part of the houngan, passing through on the way to the cosmic plane where the loa live. Only a fully initiated and experienced houngan should take the spirit from the dead in this way, as it is risky and dangerous procedure. The malevolent spirits of the dead may do harm to an ill-prepared priest.

Dinclinsin

(SV) Dinclinsin is another European mystère. Legend has it that both Dinclinsin and Mademoiselle Charlotte came to Haiti with the colonists. Once the cult had become established on Haitian soil, he began to appear in the Voodoo ceremonies of the African slaves in the same way as the other mystères, by "possessing" a ritual "horse." Dinclinsin became a loa of the Rada rite. He is greatly feared because of his extreme severity. He apparently also "walks," like Charlotte, in the Pêthro rite as well, since he is not averse to rum, tafia, or clairin. However, he does not drink, but rather pours the liquor into his pockets. His special trick is to pour the liquor into his pockets without getting his clothes wet.

(DL) Dinclusin & Charlotte. These two loa are among the French "mysteries". People mounted by these gods talk perfect French and seem to be unable to speak Creole normally or properly. Charlotte often demands upon the most defined forms of ritualistic protocol. Dinclusin can be recognized by his habit of pocketing everything given to him.

Djévo

(V.ENC) During the canzo ritual, the initiates are ushered into a chamber inside the hounfort called the djévo, where they may be locked in for as long as a week. This room represents a tomb where the initiate dies and is reborn into vodou. What goes on inside the djévo is supposed to be kept secret, but that is where the lave tête ritual takes place.

Dossa or dossu (dossou)

(V.ENC) The first female or male child (respectively) born after twins, who is believed to have supernatural powers.

Drapeaux

(V.ENC) Ceremonial flags that are brightly colored and sewn with sequins in the design of vévés; La Place and his assistants carry them during rituals.

Drumming

(V.ENC) Drumming is crucial to any vodou ritual, because it sets the rhythm for the dance, and abrupt changes in tempo can bring on possession by the loa. Three drums are used in Rada rituals, and they are treated as sacred objects. The largest drum is called the maman, the next largest the seconde, and the smallest the boula. Sometimes, an instrument called an ogan, which looks like a large flattened bell, is struck to announce the basic rhythm that the three drums will play. In Petro ceremonies, only two drums are used, both smaller than the "mother" drum of the Rada ritual. The drumming in Petro rituals is more off-beat and faster than in Rada ceremonies, in keeping with the tension, rage, and violence of slavery days that gave birth to the Petro cult.