The yoruba people are based in nigeria, benin, and togo. their faith dates lower back to the stone age but become influenced via the spread of agriculture from the center east around 600 bce.
initially their gods represented the uncooked factors of nature, inclusive of rivers, storms, and forests, but with the appearance of farming, metallurgy and metropolis constructing, the yoruban gods took on a more anthropomorphic appearance.
the twelve goddesses described right here are referred to as the orisha (divine spirits) who are defensive deities, often teaching their fans the secrets and techniques of the natural world. the orisha are stated to be manifestations of an all-effective god, (a belief known as pantheism).
nana buluku is a creator goddess, exceptional-grandmother of all of the yoruba pantheon. she is a client of herbs and spell-craft. she used these magical equipment to create the cosmos, such as the human race. her first youngsters were the cosmic twins mawu (moon goddess) and lisa (solar god) who had been stated to be the first man and female.
mawu changed into also a creative goddess, who turned into tasked with fashioning all different life on the planet. with the help of an aido hwedo, a primeval serpent, and awe, a divine monkey, they fashioned all of the worlds living creatures out of clay.
some other daughter of nana is olokun, an ocean goddess. she possesses an unfathomable expertise and governs over an esoteric international of goals, psychism, meditation, and restoration. she courses her followers between the sector of the lifeless and the living, preserving the reminiscences in their ancestors.
olokun is the mom of odudua, an historical earth goddess, and battle maiden. she presides over womanhood, fertility, and existence. as a parent of the earth, she has been recognised to take the guise of a formidable warrior when necessary to protect those she loves. she is the mom of yemaja.
yemaja is a mom goddess, patron of being pregnant and youngsters. she resides over the ogun river, whose waters are stated to cure infertility. her son, orungan, raped her when her guard was down, and in grief she exploded, her self-sacrifice developing fifteen orishas. they consist of her daughters ayao and oya.
ayao is an air goddess. she can take place as a mild breeze or in the attention of a raging twister. she works intently with osain and is a fierce warrior. ayao has amongst her implements a crossbow with serpent arrows, a quill, and nine stones.
oya is a storm goddess who wields hearth and magic (which she stole from her husband, shango). she will be able to summon lightning and tornadoes be whirling her skirt in a dance. along with her negative features, she brings change to the cosmos, an important detail of the stability of lifestyles. she is likewise a mum or dad to the underworld, supporting people transition from the world of flesh to the area of spirit.
oshun is the goddess of affection, intimacy, and marriage. she is type and generous to her fans, however when added to anger she can motive untold destruction. as orisha of love, oshun is represented as a beautiful, fascinating and coquettish young girl. in a few tales, she is said to be a mermaid. she is married to shango, the sky god, who preferred her for her exceptional cooking and abilties in bed.
oba is a domestic goddess, also married to shango, who presides over the house. at a time while the gods were starving, she presented him her ear to eat, and he scorned her. grieving, her tears created the oba river which intersects with the oshun river. the rapids fashioned among these two rivers symbolize the rivalry among the 2 better halves, a maximum turbulent dating.
aja is a consumer of the forest and all the animals inside it. she holds the secrets of botany and is a master of potions and recovery herbs. she exceeded this skill to the yoruban human beings, who exercise her craft to this very day.
aje is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. she often confers riches and properly fortune on his fans. her emblem is a massive seashell which she uses as a foreign money. she is also the purchaser of dyes and colorations.
egungun-oya is a goddess of divination. her fans regularly hold fairs in her honor to commemorate the useless. these masquerades are carried out two times a yr, in addition to throughout funeral rites. her masquerades include the making of services as well as the honoring of ancestors in thanks for beyond and future useful resource.
the orishas located their manner into the brand new international thru the atlantic slave change hundreds of years in the past, and are actually worshipped in many traditions inclusive of santeria, umbanda, candomblé, and has even the vodou faith. the orisha deities now revel in a international following, flourishing in many components of africa, south the united states, and the caribbean.