Product Description
Two Lwa, One Veve When a service honors more than one lwa, their emblems are drawn together into a single veve. This piece renders one of those pairings: Erzulie Freda and Damballa, who are lovers in many Vodou houses.Erzulie Freda - Ezili Freda - is the lwa of love, beauty and luxury, and her emblem is the heart, whole and unpierced. Her colors are pink, blue, white and gold, and she is offered perfume, jewelry and sweet liqueurs. Damballa - Danbala Wedo - is the serpent lwa, and one of the oldest and most beloved spirits in the pantheon. He is the skyfather, said to have formed the stars with his seven thousand coils and to have made the waters of the earth by shedding his skin. He is wise, patient and benevolent, and because he is a serpent he does not speak; he whistles, or gives a soft hiss. He frequents rivers, springs and marshes. He is offered white foods, above all eggs. He is often paired with his consort Ayida Wedo as two intertwining snakes, and he is syncretized with Saint Patrick, who drove out the serpents, and with Moses, whose staff became one. Reading the Veve Look for the two vocabularies sharing one frame: the heart of Erzulie, and the serpentine line of Danbala. Where they meet is the point at which both spirits are invited down. About This Piece Hand-cut from a recycled steel oil drum in Croix des Bouquets,Haiti. Hammer and chisel only, so every piece differs slightly. Fair trade. The artist is paid directly.
