Oshumare

Oshumare (known as Oxumaré in Brazil or Ochumaré in Cuba/Haiti/Puerto Rico) is an Orisha. Oshumare is the divine serpent spirit of the rainbow. "Òṣùmàrè" in the Yoruba language signifies both the intangible "rainbow" and the mythic serpent that devours its own tail. Òṣùmàrè is also symbolically represented by the python (ere), thus also referred to as a "celestial python";. There also seems to be some connection to the Yoruba celestial deity Olódùmarè, whose name might be etymologically derived from ere (snake/python). The oshumare of the Yoruba is somewhat equivalent to the "Dan Aìdó-huedó" (Ayida Wedo) of the Fon people of Benin, however, even closer parallels are evident in the Brazilian orixa Oxumare which derives directly from the Yoruba orisha Oshumare, and the Haitian Iwa Damballa Aida Wedo which descends from the Fon vodun Aida Wedo.