Who is the orisha oya

So be it. She is the personification of the Niger River and has the power to shapeshift into a water buffalo and in some stories, other animals in the wilderness. As a Female Warrior, She fights ferociously and is fearless in Her protection of Her children and mates.

OYA is also the Owner of the Marketplace. As Queen of the Dead , She safeguards the spirits of those who have passed and keeps the Ancestral connections, reminding future generations from where they came.

She is the only Orisha that has a foot in Life and a foot in Death. OYA governs the gates of cemeteries and it is there that She receives offerings from Her children and those seeking Her assistance. To Her, I turn for transformation, purification , blowing out energy that no longer serves me. She gives voice and movement to the wild bits of my soul and when I dance and whirl with OYA, I am out of my head and intellect, fully inhabiting the elemental power of SHE. As a storm begins to gather, I feel Her energies … toiling, spinning, bubbling.

Need help? Contact SAGE. With institutional access I can: View or download all content my institution has access to. To enhance your experience on our site, SAGE stores cookies on your computer. By continuing to use this site you consent to receive cookies. He dressed in various fabrics, being fully covered and hid. When the women arrived, he appeared suddenly, running, screaming and brandishing his sword through the air.

From then on men dominated women and expelled them forever from the Eggun cult; today, they are the only ones authorized to invoke and worship him. The symbol of this warrior goddess is the spear. She is also represented by an object made of metal in the form of lightning or electric discharge. When he comes down he carries in his hand a saber and a horsetail or iruke, a symbol of authority.

Her weapon is the black Iruke, which is a stick of hair made from a horse's tail, tied to a wooden or metal bone end, with this weapon she dominates the Eggunes. The airs, winds and storms. It is also associated with other atmospheric phenomena, such as lightning, windstorm, lightning, etc.

She is a slender, stout woman, with a violent and passionate character. She is represented by a beautiful, very feminine, brave and brave woman, with a passionate and violent temperament. Their main weapons are the iruke and the machete. Oshun is the orisha of sensuality, beauty, and fertility. She has the power to heal with water, and is often called upon to cure female ailments. Oshun is a strong and confident woman, but she also has a passionate, easily angered spirt.

Shango is the orisha of masculinity, virility, warriors, thunder and lightning, and fire.