Learn Religions. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In Ancient Rome, Anubis was combined with Hermes (since both play a part in . One story suggests that Osumare disliked this changing nature because he couldnt have any stable relationships. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Olorun had two sons, Obatala and Oduduwa, who helped him develop the features of the Earth. She also holds a buffalo (or horse) tail in the other hand symbolizing her power to tame the forces of nature and send eguns and bad energies away. As the goddess of the sky, Nut engulfed the sun at night and brought it back again at the beginning of the day. In some traditions, Aganju is seen as the father or brother of Shango, god of thunder and lightning. Ptah was the head of a triad of gods worshipped at Memphis. Olorun was responsible for having the idea of creating firm land. Slavic Svarog, Possibly god of celestial fire and blacksmithing. Res cult was centered in Heliopolis, now a suburb of Cairo. And then Ill follow with the female ones, the Orisha Goddesses. Eshu accepted the task and said he would produce a kind of medicine capable of granting Shangos wishes. This dual role was combined with the Egyptian concept of divine kingship: the king at death became Osiris, though the living king was identified with Horus, a god of the sky. 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. These 12 are the most worshipped in afro-descendant religions such as Umbanda and Candomble in Brazil and they are also popular in Africa as well in Cuban Santeria. Osiris was not only ruler of the dead but also the power that granted all life from the underworld, from sprouting vegetation to the annual flood of the Nile River. Corrections? Their union gives birth to Aganju (earth . People would wait for him to heal them. Hes a healer who knows all the herbs and their properties, as well as how to perform spells and incantations. Some describe the orishas as being manifestations or aspects of Olodumare. Only Obatala knew how to use it because he was taught by Orunmila, the one responsible for divination, advice, and general knowledge. roads. T. the human and the divine, as he is child-like messenger between the two His wife, Isis, reassembled his body and resurrected him, allowing them to conceive a son, the god Horus. Apart from these religions, its totally common to find witches and Pagans energetically working with these deities too. other things which they like to receive as offerings and gifts. List of Yoruba deities - Wikipedia The heaven realm is the domain of Olorun, a sun god. 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. Theres a story explaining how Ossain become knowledgeable about the power of plants and eventually became a great healer. These devotees often commit violent acts of self-harm to demonstrate their tolerance to pain. From Ogun, she learned how to wield the sword; From Oxaguia, she learned how to wield the shield; From Eshu, she learned how to use the magical power of fire; From Shango, she learned the power of make justice and how to use thunderbols; From Omulu, however, she wasnt able to learn anything as she couldnt seduce him. She protects women, children, and fishermen. He then shouted: Is the king a king even when he wears no clothes?. Immediately after drinking it, Ochossi loses his memory and from this moment on he started living with Ossain in the depths of the forests. Over time she grew in importance, though, eventually becoming the most important goddess in the pantheon. This dual role was in turn combined with the Egyptian concept of divine kingship: the king at death became Osiris, god of the underworld; and the dead kings son, the living king, was identified with Horus, a god of the sky. Ancient Code is a website founded in 2012 that covers articles and scientific discoveries that help understand humanitys past, present, and future. Eshu by Akili Mansa Richards. gain a better understanding of them and their ways. Ogun is revered as a mighty god, called upon by warriors for strength in battle. Living humans were the third category, and the most anting him with a profound wisdom. This was not enough, he continued to be teased and provoked. Orisha Yemaya wears white and blue dresses. Definition and Examples, Haile Selassie Biography: Ethiopian Emperor and Rastafari Messiah, M.A., History, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Elegba (also referred to Eleggua or Eleggu) is the owner of the relationship with the orisha of divination, Orunmila. Olorun had two sons, Obatala and Oduduwa, who helped him develop the features of the Earth. Orisha Oshumare is calm and tranquil. orisha rules their head, must go to the river and give account of what One day, Obatala decided to bathe in a river. Hes the one who provides food and protection for all people. He wears light-green and light-blue clothes and he also has the seven colors of the rainbow around him. Orisha Obatala always wears white clothes. So, today were talking about African Pantheons. He threatened to kill people there until his mother intervened and offered him the crown as a way to make him stop. He continues going. Humans provide ashe through blood or other ritual actions, and the orisha becomes a conduit of ashe from Olodumare to the petitioner to assist in the petitioner's endeavors. observe the orishas at work in the world and in your own lives you will However, a deal was made. Today, we refer to these areas as Yorubaland. This changing nature made Oshumare a versatile one. In any form, hes a wise one. Does this discovery prove ancient Egyptians traveled to the Americas 3000 years ago? He is married to Obba but has relations He also symbolized death, resurrection, and the cycle of Nile floods that Egypt relied on for agricultural fertility. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You have entered an incorrect email address! Beyer, Catherine. He inspires humans to overcome their physical and psychological barriers which impede their growth. He just observed how Obatala used to work, how he used to create humans from clay. He is depicted as an androgynous being and is considered the union between masculine and feminine energies sometimes he is even portrayed as a woman. Ossain is calm, emotive, and has lots of intuition. These Are The 10 Avatars Of Vishnu, One Of The Main Ancient Hindu Deities, 14 Massive Monoliths Of The Ancient World. Ossain became known as a doctor! The 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. He is known as the omnipotent ruler of the Yoruba pantheon, whose light brings life and vitality to all living things. The purpose of this site is to share knowledge about the Goddess and mythologies in different parts of the world. He has a warrior side From here on, every offering dedicated to Obatala should be delivered at the crossroad to Eshu. When the pilgrims who traveled to this land entered in conflict with the native beasts that lived on it, the Originators, the heroes that rose among the humans were ascended to gods on faith. However, he refused to perform the task because he identified the plants. The Orisha And The 12 Gods Of Yoruba Mythology - The Ancient Code Back to Oyo, Oya delivered Shango the red powder. Both continued fighting and Obatala eventually won it. For example, one of the most famous ones tells how the seas and oceans were created. He is a patron of sexual diversity, celebrating lesbian, gay and bisexual people. This way, Eshu not only became knowledgeable but also rich and prosperous. Oshun went after Eshu and, when she found him, she asked the clothes back. He stood up using his walking stick and touched each one with it. In this universalized form Osiriss cult spread throughout Egypt, often joining with the cults of local fertility and underworld deities. So these are the 12 most powerful and important Orishas, Gods from Yoruba Mythology and religions derived from this amazing culture. The next step was the creation of all life. He takes an active role in the affairs of both heaven and earth. Humans themselves dont have the power or knowledge to play alone. She caused strong winds that lifted Omulus clothes, revealing his appearance. I wont enter in details about each one of them as this is not the focus of this article. Scholars have suggested that the Greek word Aiguptosthe source of the name Egyptmay have started as a corruption of Hwt-Ka-Ptah, the name of one of Ptahs shrines. Olodumare is the source of ashe, which all living things must have in order to survive and succeed, including the orishas. As Elegba opens the roads, it is A central feature was the construction of the Osiris garden.. shortened version of Yey Omo Eja means "Mother Whose For For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consult individual encyclopedia entries about the topics. Obatala observed how hard Eshu was working and decided to compensate him. name. The others were dancing and drinking a lot. Most had a principle association (for example, with the sun or the underworld) and form. Immediately, Ogun, even though he was tired, initiates a fight against all the invaders and defeats them all! The two became friends and Aroni shared with Ossain all the secrets related to herbs, plants, and flowers. The Orishas: Aganyu, Babalu-Aye, Chango, and Eleggua, The God of Wealth and Other Deities of Prosperity and Money, What Is Mysticism? . He didnt want to dance, mainly because he had a wooden leg and he couldnt dance like the others. Her other name, Iansa or Ians, means mother to 9 children. And also, everyone who visited Obatala should pay tributes to Eshu when leaving. I write this page as a way to honor these forces. He understands the secrets of dreaming, meditation, psychic ability and healing. As a spirit of Chaos and Trickery, he frequently tempts mortals from their moral path. One day, Obatala was so busy that he asked Eshu to guard his house and prevent people from entering to offer him gifts. Agemo - the chameleon servant of the supreme god Olorun. most often approach to aid us in money matters. He is an extremely hot blooded and Of course, he drinks it! allowed to witness the creation of the universe by Olorun and bears they are of one heart. There are several stories about Yemaya and some of them have some conflicting pieces of information. In the Osiris myth, he is the murderer of Osiris (in some versions of the myth, he tricks Osiris into laying down in a coffin and then seals it shut.). Oy is the ruler of the winds, the whirlwind and the gates of Unlike many gods, she cant be tied to a specific town, and there are no certain mentions of her in the earliest Egyptian literature. Oshosi is the third member of the group known as the Guerreros or Horus was raised to avenge his fathers murder. According to the form of the myth reported by the Greek author Plutarch, Osiris was slain or drowned by Seth, who tore the corpse into 14 pieces and flung them over Egypt. The two animals started to spread the earth, covering a large area. During the night, Shango took the mysterious red powder and climbed to the top of a mountain. Priests were trained to work with multiple orishas instead of being exclusively dedicated to a single one. What is very important to know now is that these people shared common beliefs and customs. Up there, he put the red powder in his tongue and started spitting fire. He was represented as a mummified king, wearing wrappings that left only the green skin of his hands and face exposed. the root of all the paths or manifestations, Olokun is the source of The shell contained a magical soil and a divine cloth. Hes related to death and also to magic. Eshu is intrusive and sometimes aggressive. He is the owner of all The orishas are the gods of Santeria, the beings that believers interact with on a regular basis. As the wife of the god of the underworld, Isis was also one of the main deities concerned with rites for the dead. Aganju by Robert Love Osiris, one of Egypts most important deities, was god of the underworld. Eshu stood at a crossroad and stopped everyone on Obatalas behalf. Erinle by Mod Nomad This way, Ossain was capable of identifying them easily. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Each orisha has its own distinct personality and has a wide variety of strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Hathor embodied motherhood and fertility, and it was believed that she protected women in childbirth. Essentially, Orishas represent the powers of nature, as well as time, life, death, and rebirth. His priests, the babalawos or "Fathers of the Although Im not a practitioner of any religion, I have already worked many times with their energy and I also know people who are deeply connected to them. though through which he enforces justice in the world. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Through the Table of If He is often depicted as an animal or as a human with the head of an animal. Rather than willfully trying to misguide them, his aim is to enrich their life experience, leading them to a spiritual maturation through their transgressions. One day, Obatala and Eshu argued about who was the oldest Orisha of all. From this argument, a fight started. Oya wears a red dress and holds a sword in one of her hands. 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Ogun always wears dark blue clothes and may also wear pieces of armor. The Orisha And The 12 Gods Of Yoruba Mythology. He refused. All the touched ones became severely sick! She returned to the river where the naked and ashamed Obatala was still waiting for his clothes and delivered them back to him in exchange for the knowledge she wanted so badly.