The Soultown! Volume III: Issue 2 FEBRUARY 2019 | Page 28
THE GRIOT
The Horsewoman’s Damballah Blues
It was one of those quiet nights
Under a full shining moon when
Nyamuranga—named after the
Highest divinity in Rwanda:
Nyamurunga, the true, the great
Begetter, le copulateur par excellence—
Began acting strangely,
Hissing like a snake
Creeping onto the ground in a
Snake-like curves.
Suddenly, she hung
Head downward from the
Beams of the roof still
Giggling, swinging, hissing. Nothing to worry about,
Mambo Zora Neale Hurston Laveau
Diagnosed.
She is not ridden by Nyabingi, Biheko,
The Mother Bearer.
She is not suffering from
Geno/Cide Ideology or Trauma..
She is ridden by DAMBALLAH
WEDO from the Rada Nation --
Old Kingdom of Benin, now
Nigeria, Togo, Benin -- of
Spirits Loas.
Saint Patrick in Haiti. The
Loa of knowledge and fecundity.
They called Mamagyombo Zora Neale
Hurston Munyana Laveau --
A Kirwa village Mambo -- who rushed from
her
Mumbo Jumbo Kathedral to read the
mystère.
First, from Legba Papa Pierre Esu she
asked for help --
Papa Pierre Petero Peter, open the gates
for me.
Papa Pierre Petero Peter nkingurira
amarembo.
Papa Legba Pierre ouvre la porte pour
moi.
Papa Esu Legba ouvre baye pour mwen,
Ago eh.
Papa Legba Exu ouvre baye pour meen,
Ago eh.
Papa Legba Echu open the gates for me,
Ago eh.
Papa Legba Esu open the gates for me,
Ago eh
Papa Pierre Petero Peter nkingurira ama-
rembo, Ago eh!
Then the mounter recognized the code: Nyamuranga chanted:
DAMBALLA OUEDO FREDA TOCAN
DAHOMEY
DAMBALLAH DAMB-ALLAH DAMBALLA-
ILAH
DAMBALLAH DAN-DANGBE-ALLADA
DAMBALLAH IN DAHOMEY DAN-DAN-
BE-ALLADA IN
DAN- HOMEY DAHOMEY
Don’t be afraid of
Damballah,
Dear child.
Damballah is not the
Snake of
Christian nightmares.
Damballah made
Moses the first Voodoo man.
Damballah is the African Loa,
Damballah is the heavenly
Snake, the oldest Loa, the
Sky Father, Primordial Maker:
Loa of fertility, Father of us all.
Damballah Ouedo. Ayda Wedo his
Rainbow wife.
Nyamuranga chanted:
DAMBALLA OUEDO FREDA TOCAN
DAHOMEY
DAMBALLAH DAMB-ALLAH DAMBALLA-
ILAH
DAMBALLAH DAN-DANGBE-ALLADA
DAMBALLAH IN DAHOMEY DAN-DAN-
BE-ALLADA IN
DAN-HOMEY DAMBALA DANBALA
READ PART TWO IN MARCH 2019 ISSUE.
I am Dr. Pierre-Damien Mvuyekure, The
Soultown's Griot and I thank our African
poetic ancestors for having SOUL! ,
© 2017
Digital & Print Magazine
CONNECTING OUR CULTURE TO
OUR CYBER & CONSCIOUS COMMUNITIES
DR. PIERRE
MVUYEKURE
THE GRIOT
IOWA
[email protected]
thesoultown.com
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FEBRUARY 2019 • CELEBRATING 2 YEARS OF CONNECTING OUR CULTURE TO OUR CYBER & CONSCIOUS COMMUNITIES • THESOULTOWN.COM