Oya hid below the dead rams and managed to escape Shangos wrath. Each region has their own main Orishas and stories may also vary. He is envisioned as an extremely wealthy deity, dressed in refined garments, adorned with coral beads and plumage from a hunted game. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The following is a list of Yoruba deities Olrn - the supreme creator deity Aganju - Orisha of volcanoes, the wilderness and rivers Aja - Orisha of the forest, the animals within it, and herbal healing Ayao - Orisha of air Babalu Aye - Orisha of the Earth and strongly associated with infectious disease (particularly smallpox, leprosy and AIDS) and healing Egungun-oya - Orisha of divination . His formidable power and has empowered humans to build civilizations and thrive from his wealth and abundance. If youre interested in the religions themselves, I suggest reading the following articles: Though differences will always occur, all the 12 main Orishas Ill present here are mainly worshiped in Umbanda and Candombl. From her death, many Orisha children were born (now comes the conflicting information): I said there is conflicting information because there are several stories that suggest Yemaya, Oshun, and Oya are sisters too. Underneath it, its said he wears black and red colors. While he was bathing, Eshu, the trickster, appeared and saw the situation. Along with her sister Nephthys, Isis acted as a divine mourner, and her maternal care was often depicted as extending to the dead in the underworld. Apart from these religions, its totally common to find witches and Pagans energetically working with these deities too. Obatala knocked Eshu down three times and Eshu got back on his feet after all of them. streams and rivers, embodying love, fertility. After a long travel, he went back to the forests, where he lives until today. Obatala descended from the sky and flipped the seashell on the water. Rituals invoking his spirit require the rapid beating of drums, which often cause his followers to fall into a deep trance. I hope you could get a clearer picture of them and now youre able to familiarise yourself with these forces. Sky Woman: The Overlooked Iroquois Influence on America. By symbolically placing these two double axes on the chest, one can summon Shango for protection. gain a better understanding of them and their ways. The gods of the land keep the peace and the people in check. Osiris, one of Egypts most important deities, was god of the underworld. She uses this transformation to attack those who threaten her children and the ones she protects. All metals and weapons belong to Ogun, the blacksmith Orisha. Eshu used to roam free with no destination at all. In this story, we have Obatala (the Sky) and Odudua (the primordial earth) this is a similar motif found in many other mythologies such as the story of Gaia and Uranos in Greek Mythology and Nut and Geb and Egyptian Mythology. This was a necessity when slave-owners refused to allow slaves to practice African religion. He talked to Obatala and assigned him the task of creating land. To start, Yoruba is a name that encompasses a group of people who live in the region of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo in West Africa. There are more than 400 Orishas out there. She caused strong winds that lifted Omulus clothes, revealing his appearance. He is also the creator of rainbows and a rainbow can also be the personification of Oshumare. Bastet or Bast (Ancient Egyptian: bstjt, Coptic: , romanized: Oubaste /uast/, Phoenician: , romanized: 'bst, or , romanized: bst) was a goddess of ancient Egyptian religion, worshipped as early as the Second Dynasty (2890 BCE). Be sure to check my YouTube Channel and follow me on Twitter too! Both are fighters who protect their followers. Kokou is a warrior god, renowned for his violence and ferocity. The orishas are the emissaries of Olodumare or God almighty. offerings and come to our aid. The origin of Osiris is obscure; he was a local god of Busiris, in Lower Egypt, and may have been a personification of chthonic (underworld) fertility. Priests were trained to work with multiple orishas instead of being exclusively dedicated to a single one. Although she is mostly related to the sea and the salty waters, she is also worshiped by people who live far from the oceans. Ikol means Messenger of the House (of Olodumare). Ochossi is intuitive and emotional. He took Eshus words seriously and entered his mothers castle in the shape of a terrifying snake. relationship. He could see the entire empire from there. Osiris was not only the ruler of the dead but also the power that granted all life from the underworld, from vegetation to the annual flood of the Nile River. 4, 2021, learnreligions.com/who-are-the-orishas-95922. For example, theres a story in which a king sent a man to trial for making gossip and spreading misinformation inside the kingdom. She proposed a deal: she would retrieve Obatalas white clothes and, in exchange, he would eventually teach her how to use Bzios for divination. Eshu did it differently. This way, Eshu not only became knowledgeable but also rich and prosperous. He ordered all the sorcerers of the empire to produce some kind of magical potion for him, but all of them failed. Copyright Ancient Code. He is now viewed as a compassionate and humble deity, curing people of sickness and disease. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Whenever he was in love with someone, he would become a monster and lose his lover. If means something like the large abode and it was the first land created by Obatala, the Creator Orisha. Ossain became known as a doctor! This name, meaning Foremost of the Westerners, was adopted by Osiris as an epithet. The orishas are the gods of Santeria, the beings that believers interact with on a regular basis. On his head was the atef-crown, composed of the white crown of Upper Egypt and two ostrich feathers. Learn Religions, Mar. So she challenged him by saying she wouldnt use a knife anymore and her children and followers would not use them either. Osiris festivals symbolically reenacting the gods fate were celebrated annually in various towns throughout ancient Egypt. In his early days, he was very hostile, inflicting disease upon those who transgressed him. In the Greco-Roman period she was identified with the Greek goddess Aphrodite and her cult spread as far west as Great Britain and as far east as Afghanistan. Using these sacred materials, he created fields, forests, hills, and valleys. babbling brook and the flash flood reflect her changeable moods. Oshosi is the third member of the group known as the Guerreros or So, whenever you make a purchase through an Amazon link on this website, I may earn some commissions. Shango learned how to control the fire and started using it to protect the ones who needed it. Peacocks and vultures are hers and we use One day she simply decided she wanted to learn the art of divination using Bzios (the divination tool I mention at the beginning of this article), but this art could not be taught to her. strong-willed orisha that loves all the pleasures of the world: dance, It made little sense or practicality for a slave community to focus on a single orisha in that scenario. Interestingly, most of them share things in common in one way or another. According to the Osiris myth, Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris, magically conceived after the murder of Osiris by his brother Seth. Shango, the impulsive, only had a stone. Orunmila is the orisha of wisdom and divination. The goddess Hathor was usually depicted as a cow, as a woman with the head of a cow, or as a woman with cows ears. Olodumare Now, Oshun became the first woman able to play the Bzios and to obtain the power of divination! Olorun had two sons, Obatala and Oduduwa, who helped him develop the features of the Earth. He calmed down and Oya went back home. Res cult was centered in Heliopolis, now a suburb of Cairo. She took the less ferocious form of a domestic cat in the first millennium BCE. In this region, the powerful Oyo Empire flourished. Once, he wanted to enhance his powers in an absurd way. The origins of Isis are obscure. Ill briefly write about the creation of the world according to the Yoruba so we can be more prepared to get to know the 12 main Orishas. Slavic Svarog, Possibly god of celestial fire and blacksmithing. Like the volcano, Aganju is noted for his legendary strength and his ability to bring about drastic change. (Sincerely, I would have done the same!). He was the only orisha Here are a few of the most important deities to know. In the New World, Africans from many city-states were thrown together into common slavery. Anubis was concerned with funerary practices and the care of the dead. Orisha Yemaya wears white and blue dresses. Hes the one who provides food and protection for all people. After this, she fled to the top of a mountain, but he followed her. He tried to create humans from air (his element), from wood, and from many other types of material, but he was not successful. Osiris festivals symbolically reenacting the gods fate were celebrated annually in various towns throughout Egypt. Aganju by Robert Love She protects women, children, and fishermen. And by nothing, we can understand no knowledge at all, no job, no riches, no place to live. We are also blessed from time to time in the religion with the In Shango's case, he was considered the grandson of the Orisha Oduduwa in Yoruba mythology. Thanks. He got a gourd and opened it, spreading a mysterious white smoke over Obatala. Depicted as a falcon or as a man with a falcons head, Horus was a sky god associated with war and hunting. For When they were all amazed by the situation, the man exchanged the baked yams for proper yams. all riches which she freely gives to her little sister Oshn. Essentially, Orishas represent the powers of nature, as well as time, life, death, and rebirth. According to the myth, Osiris was a king of Egypt who was murdered and dismembered by his brother Seth. There was a time when they conducted a power struggle against Olorun and tried to persuade him to abdicate for sixteen years. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The two animals started to spread the earth, covering a large area. Yoruba is no different. These supernatural entities usually referred to as deities are actually emanations or avatars of the supreme being Olodumare. Her name, a himself and is recognised by the numbers 3 and 21. Yemaya is her mother (in some accounts they are sisters). Osiris, also called Usir, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. Ochossi was saved! gold and her number is five. Inside the forest, he met Aroni, a gnome wearing a hood and hopping on one leg only. Oduduwa joined with the humans and begat a new bloodline of kings (the Yoruba called him Ooni of Ife, the progenitor of the Yoruba people). though through which he enforces justice in the world. Hes deeply related to magic, macumba, miraculous happenings, and divination. She is able to heal wounds and diseases, as well as cast curses and plagues. Part of this comes from the fact that these stories come from a variety of different African cities, each of which had their own ideas about the nature of the orishas. Oya is married to Shango, a warrior Orisha who also has fire as an element. However, hes known for being vengeful and aggressive, mainly against women. She recognises herself in the colors yellow and Olorun sent them Ogun, god of crafts, to find a suitable habitat. She was the one who gave mud to Obatala when he was creating humans. Eshu did it. Oshumare met Eshu, the trickster Orisha. Eshu is intrusive and sometimes aggressive. Basically, in the beginning, there was only water. All was lost. After trials and errors, he finally managed to create human beings who populated the land and worshiped the Orishas as their creators and natural sources of power. Essentially, Orishas represent the powers of nature, as well as time, life, death, and rebirth. with Oy and Oshn. Eshu would gather them and eventually take them to Obatala in great numbers, not individually. Yes, they are The idea that rebirth in the next life could be gained by following Osiris was maintained through certain cult forms. and others. Some describe the orishas as being manifestations or aspects of Olodumare. This changing nature made Oshumare a versatile one. He was also the embodiment of the divine kingship, and in some eras the reigning king was considered to be a manifestation of Horus. With time, he felt like this was a curse imposed by his mother, Nan. Ill start with the male ones, the Orisha Gods as we can call them. Hes a healer who rules over the forests. opportunity to meet the orishas face to face during a bemb Are the Egyptian historical references in Stargate SG-1 based on actual All my work here is free. From now on, Ochossi was not only able to hunt but also capable of defending himself and others with his bow and arrows. Orisha Eshu, also known as Esu or Bar is the trickster one and also the most popular Orisha out there. One day, Olorun, the supreme creator, thought about creating firm land. In the end, he finds Ochossi and peacefully brings him back home. One powerful talisman of Polish Catholicism. However, it was not enough to make him free of problems or curses. Shes a crone who knows all the secret spells and hidden knowledge out there. most often approach to aid us in money matters. The exact number of orishas is not known . The number of orishas varies among believers. To get Oya, Shango entered a battle against Ogun. over the forces of nature and the endeavors of humanity. He represents the power of fortune. Olorun by Sanjana Baijnath Shango called Eshu, then. process). 11. https://www.britannica.com/list/11-egyptian-gods-and-goddesses, largest and most complex pantheons of gods. Elegba (also referred to Eleggua or Eleggu) is the owner of the Orisha Oshumare is calm and tranquil. As such, the orishas came to be regarded as roughly equals as cultures mixed. Santeros (Santeria priests) do not believe that the orishas and the saints are identical. Many scholars now believe that no such animal ever existed and that the Seth animal is some sort of mythical composite. Osiris, also called Usir, one of the most important gods of ancient Egypt. Oy on Earth for a time. Obatala noticed Eshu but I was too late. Orisha: the 12 most powerful Gods from Yoruba Mythology The Orishas: Aganyu, Babalu-Aye, Chango, and Eleggua, The God of Wealth and Other Deities of Prosperity and Money, What Is Mysticism? And, of course, he got mad. Omissions? The saint is a mask of the orisha, and it does no work the other way around. They may not participate in all the customs, but they do know and praise these Gods too. Orisa ojenia: the orisha that made and created life and existence to mankind. He usually has a long snout and long ears that are squared at the tips. When one sees the quickness with which lightning Orisha Oshun, also known as Osun, is the Orisha of Rivers and Love. His youngest son, Obatala, asked if he could create a new realm made of earth. Bastet - Wikipedia The intention of this site is not to indoctrinate anyone. He then shouted: Is the king a king even when he wears no clothes?. In any form, hes a wise one. The 4th-dynasty architect Imhotep was deified after his death as a son of Ptah. The two became friends and Aroni shared with Ossain all the secrets related to herbs, plants, and flowers. Revisiting the Yoruba Ethnogenesis: a Religio- Cultural Hermeneutics of It is said he punishes all those who lie and deceive others. She seduced Eshu, slept with him, and took Obatalas clothes back. However, a deal was made. They were originally divine spirits who incarnated as earthly human-like beings and became heroes of their people. makes short work of a tree or a fire rage through an area, one has Ossain started roaming the lands. And he spat more fire. Children are the Fish" to reflect the fact that her children are One day, Obatala was so busy that he asked Eshu to guard his house and prevent people from entering to offer him gifts. During his lifetime, he was married to three wives (Oshun, Oba, and Oya). Seths appearance poses a problem for Egyptologists. Nut, in Egyptian religion she is a Goddess of the sky, frequently portrayed alongside the African God of the earth, Geb. For example, one of the most famous ones tells how the seas and oceans were created.
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