Bida Serpent
Bida is the sacred seven-headed serpent of the Mande people, associated with the ancient Ghana Empire (Wagadu). According to legend, the prosperity of Wagadu depended on the serpent Bida, who demanded an annual sacrifice of a virgin maiden in exchange for abundant gold and three days of rain each year. The serpent lived in a well or cave near the capital, Koumbi Saleh. The pact was broken when a brave young man named Mamadi Sefe Dekote (or Amadu Sefe) rescued the intended sacrifice by decapitating Bida. As the serpent died, it cursed the land — the gold disappeared, the rains failed, and Wagad