Tradition / Region: Benin Mythology
Also Known As: Ayida Wedo, Ayida-Wedo
Category: Snake
The Myth
Ayida-Weddo is a great rainbow serpent in Fon mythology, believed to have existed before the creation of the Earth. The serpent served the creator deity Mawu-Lisa and helped shape the world at the beginning of time.
According to the myths, Ayida-Weddo carried Mawu-Lisa in its mouth while the goddess formed the Earth. As the serpent moved across the world, its immense body created rivers, valleys, canyons, and mountains. The serpent possessed two natures: a red male half and a blue female half.
The female aspect of Ayida-Weddo was associated with rainbows, storms, clouds, rivers, springs, and rain. The male aspect coiled beneath the Earth itself, supporting the weight of the world and preventing it from collapsing into the abyss below. Legends say that when the serpent shifts beneath the Earth from exhaustion, earthquakes occur.
Some traditions claim the serpent feeds on iron to maintain its strength. One prophecy warns that if Ayida-Weddo ever consumes all the iron in the world, it will begin devouring its own tail, causing the Earth to sink into chaos and destruction.
In other stories, Ayida-Weddo descends from the heavens together with the first humans created by Mawu-Lisa. The serpent is strongly connected with life, fertility, rain, blood, and creation, and is often portrayed as a cosmic being linking the heavens, the Earth, and the waters beneath the world.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Ayida-Weddo. In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 10, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayida-Weddo