Ayida
Ayida or Ayida We [d] dò is a major loa , a female spirit being , in African and Haitian voodoo .
meaning
Ayida is considered the wife of the benevolent Loa Damballah , with whom she jointly represents human sexuality . Like her husband, she is given the nickname Wedò or Weddò . Their symbol is the rainbow . As a married couple , the two Wedò-Loa are often depicted as a pair of snakes , Damballah as a single snake. They are assigned to the white magic loa group Rada and are among the highest spirits of voodoo. Ayida's central task is to be the preservation of the material world created by Damballah on behalf of the only god Bondyè . The cult of the two loa originated in the West African kingdom of Dahomey , today's Benin , and was adopted by the Caribbean direction of voodoo. Besides Erzulie and Damballah, Ayida is also venerated in the pilgrimage site of Sodo .
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Jan. Chat Country: Description of Various Loa of voodoo , Webster University 1990
- ^ A b Bob Corbett: Short List of Loa , Webster University, undated