Doctrines

Doctrines Until recently, the Serpents of the Light had very little contact with the rest of their clan. Their cult began as an offshoot of the West African Cult of Damballah, but over the centuries its doctrines drifted even further from core Setite beliefs. The Serpents of the Light believe in a supreme Creator deity, but (like other African and Voodoo faiths) also believe that the Supreme Deity does not interact with the world in any way. The Damballans have no quarrel with him. The Voodoo religions say that after death, powerful people can become gods; the Cobras want to do this in the flesh, rather than as spirits. If one of them becomes powerful enough to kill Damballah and take his place as ruler of the earth’s dark places, so much the better. They do not believe that the Creator would stop them. The Cobras borrow gods from other Afro-Caribbean cults. From Palo Mayombe they take Zarabanda, the messenger-god who provides access to the spirit world (often identified with the Voudon god Legba); El Cristo Negro, the king of the dead (similar to Voudon’s famous Baron Samedi, but more dignified); and La Madre de la Luna, goddess of the Moon and the sea (identified with Voudon’s Yemanya). Santería provides Chango, god of fire, lightning and kingship; and Osanyin, god of herbs and the forest. Haitian Voudon supplies Damballah the Serpent and his wife Aïda-Wedo, goddess of the rainbow; Ogoun, god of war and metal; and many other gods. Cobras refer to gods as Loa, Saints or Mystéres and syncretize them with Catholic saints or other Christian figures. For instance, they identify La Madre de la Luna with the Virgin Mary and Chango with St. Barbara. The bloodline-cult’s leaders have no problem with the myth of Caine. They recognize him as the king from their own origin myth, although they also cast Set in the same role. The Cobras interpret other Antediluvians as brothers and sisters of the king, who persuaded him to share his stolen power but now seek his death and fight amongst themselves. The Cobras accept that the Antediluvians really exist and will devour all their descendants when they awaken. Since they do not want to become an ancient vampire’s dinner, they help the Sabbat hunt the Antediluvians and their presumed minions, including their parent clan.