FANDOM

Marvel Database
Marvel Database
255,134 Pages
Add new page
in:
Public Identity, Male Characters, Married Characters,
and 29 more

Dam-Ayido Wede (Earth-616)

Edit
Share



Origin

Dam-Ayido Wede[1] or Dan-Ayido-Hwedo[2][3] was the son of Lusa and Mahu, and twin brother to Sagbata. He was born in Orun, the Great Beyond.[1]

He started as a relatively minor member of the Vodū pantheon.[1][2]

He was either mistaken for the Set-Spawn known as Damballah, or impersonated him, deliberately usurped his identity and worshippers.[2]

16th century

In the 16th century, at the start of the Atlantic slave trade, Dam-Ayido followed his enslaved worshippers to the Caribbean and to the USA's Gulf Coast. The slaves sought solace from their ancient gods, combining them with elements from Catholicism[1] and the Holy Roman Church.[2]

Vodū worship was consequently bastardized into:

  • "Vaudou" and later "voodoo" (due to confusion with the French "vaudois", a French heresy) in Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti).[1]
  • In Cuba, this merger combined to indigenous American beliefs became known as Santeria.[1]

Dam-Ayido changed his image to comport with Western culture. He adopted the name Damballah and posed as the Vodū Sky Father and creator of the world to his worshipers, usurping his grandfather Buluku and achieving far greater prominence in the New World. Consequently, Damballah was invoked by many Haitian voodoo practitioners, over Lusa, Mahu or Buluku.[1]

Power Grid [10]
Intelligence
 3
Strength
4 
Speed
 3
Durability
4 
Energy Projection
6 
Fighting Skills
4 

Powers

Seemingly those conventional to all Vodū, including:

  • Superhuman physical abilities[2]
    • Superhuman Strength: He can lift 25 tons.[1]
  • High resistance to disease, injury and aging[2]

Though he appears as a snake, he can presumably shapeshift into human or other forms.[2]

He can manipulate certain undefined occult energies associated with curses and the underworld which grants him powers over life and death.[2]

He can grant his mortals followers with powers such as mesmerizing[1] and controlling others.[2]



  • In the real world Voodoo Religion, Damballah is a benevolent figure, not a villainous one.

Discover and Discuss

Footnotes


Like this? Let us know!
Retrieved from "https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Dam-Ayido_Wede_(Earth-616)?oldid=5592625"
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.

Fandom may earn an affiliate commission on sales made from links on this page.

Stream the best stories.

Start Your Free Trial Stream the best stories.

Fandom may earn an affiliate commission on sales made from links on this page.

Get Disney+

Try Now Get Disney+