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Notes on Ifa Deities Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora Name

responsibility

sect

relationships

rituals (ebo, tambour)

Notes

Ààbò ♀

security / protection / hospitality

Ifá

♀ a wife of Ifá1

Aganju

Volcanos

Ifá / diasporai

in Cuba, father of Şango.

Ajala ♂

Olódùmarè.’s ‘porter’ / Ifá creates the Orí

lives with Olódùmarè.

In Cuba, Obàtálá owns alcoholic. May be an all the heads (the skull avatar/ camino / robe? of is white, Obàtálá’s color Obàtálá is white, therefore you can’t go wrong if you assume Obàtálá.)

Ajé ♀

Prosperity (business)

Ifá

daughter of Olókun

Not ajé (wealth) or Àjé - (powerful woman - witch)

Ifá

wife of Ifá

helped him with divination

Akpitibí ♀ Ayan /Anya Aña [Cuba]

drums

Ifá diaspora

Babaluye2 ♂ Obalúayé ♂

King of the Earth. Judge (of people) executes that judgement. epidemics & infectious disease

Ifá & diaspora

guards against death and disease.

eats rooster 1 of 2 òrìşà who can punish people for evil acts.

Obalúayé’s favorite (originally small pox, but foods (and ebo) are he- now has HIV/AIDS) goats, roasted beans, and beans cooked with maize. Symbols include dogs and crutches. Is portrayed dressed in burlap. In diaspora, ebo include white wine, popcorn, sesame seed candy, grains, beans & seeds.

1Ààbò’s story is where Ifá tells her to sell something to buy food for unknown guests. She sells his divination tools, and Esu, death and disease decide not to stay and do things. 2Obalúayé A.K.A. Òrìşa Bàbá (old man), one reason for the corruption of it to Babalou in Cuba. Almost identical òrìşa.

Notes on Ifa Deities Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora Name

responsibility

sect

relationships

rituals (ebo, tambour)

Notes

Bulukuu see

Nana Bulukuu

Eşu ♂ see also Eleguá

gateways/cross-roads / Ifá justice / owns most aşe / Shapeshifter / trickster

gatekeeper between Olódùmarè and all powers, both benevolent and malevolent.

ebo = he-goats, roosters, other male animals, fish, àkàrà, alcohol, highly seasoned food

Eleguá ♂

crossroads / diaspora opportunities / owns most aşe / justice / loves kids

Elegwa / Eleguá (CUBA) Papa Legba (Vodoun) trickster - shapeshiftergatekeeper between Olódùmarè and all powers, both benevolent and malevolent.

ebo = he-goats, roosters, other male animals, fish, àkàrà, alcohol, highly seasoned food, 7-up, candy, cigars and rum.

Has many avatars / camero / robes? Syncretized as Christ Child /

Erinle / Inle3 [Cuba] Inyale

hunter / fisher / patron of homosexuals

student of Yemaya, stays with Yemaya - Cuba

What you want to give to him, offer to Yemaya.

May be gay &/or a crossdresser. Işi’s name means “Earth Elephant”

Ifá / Òrúnmilá ♂

intellectual Ifá development, wisdom /Insight literature / divination / Inspiration / Intuition

Ifá, the òrìşà IS Òrúnmilá

Kola nuts & hen. He will settle for coconut.“ Òrúnmilá embodies literature.”

Òrúnmilá’s name means heaven knows those who will be saved (be prosperous?). Had 61 wives

Ifa / Orunla ♂

literature / divination

diaspora

Ikú

death

Ifá

Iku

death

diaspora / Umbanda?

Ifá and diaspora

Ifá considers Ikú an ajogun / Ajogun = a warrior of darkness

3Inle wanted to learn all that he could from Yemaya. She taught him everything, but then cut out his tongue so he couldn’t tell it and keeps him with her under the sea. He is patron of homosexuals through Yemaya.

Notes on Ifa Deities Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora Name

responsibility

sect

Ilé ♀

Mother Earth, [punisher Ifá of nations]

Inle

[see Erinle]

diaspora

Ìwàpèlé ♀

Good character

Not an òrìşà

Kóórì

young people

Ifá

Nana Bulukuu♀

Oba ♀

hunter

Obalúayé

see Babaluye

Obàtálá ♂

creator / logic / patron of disAbled, (includes mental illness & addiction)

relationships

rituals (ebo, tambour) roosters, turtles, snails & pigeons

Ifá ’s wife Sùrúrù ‘s daughter

Notes When entire nations stop following the path

May not be worshiped as an òrìşà, even as Olódùmarè’s granddaughter and Ifá’s wife! help young folks. She never had children,

but cares for those of others.

Ifá & diaspora

see also Yemmu Ifá & Aganju

Ifá

loved Şango, Is a wife of Şango

Ifá

creates the flesh on the body, creator, one of the original 17 òrìşà. fatherly, logical thinker

ebo are white doves, involved justice, long, [the blood goes in a well thought out analysis bowl beside the icon, of the question. not on it], iyan (pounded yam), egussi (melon seeds), coconut, any white stuff, no spices, no alcohol no palm oil,

alcoholic / is fatherly / slow, thought out justice / owns all heads In Haiti, known as Damballah. (Snake as main symbol)

feast day 24 September aja bell [cone shaped bell] animals include the elephant & snail

Òòşláá / Oxala / creator / logic patron of diaspora Òòşàálá / Obàtálá disAbled and different / ♂ King of the White Cloth

very old being. In some In Cuba, Nana stories predates Olódùmarè naive (wacked off her ear) Oşun bad

16 caminos of Obàtálá, 8♀, 8♂. syncretized Cuba as Our Lady of Mercy. In Brazil, Christ Redeemer. Also, St. Joseph, St. Anne.

Notes on Ifa Deities Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora Name Ochosi♀ /

responsibility hunter / owns jails / tracker / detective

sect

relationships

rituals (ebo, tambour)

Notes

Ifá

Wife of Ogún

Beans cooked with Her icon goes in Ogún’s maize. Have her icon cauldron. when feed (crossbow w/ 3 (bolts)) Ogún, you feed her. and say “I give you a house so I will never have to live in your house” [jail]

Ochosi ♂ hunter, owns jails, Oxossi ♂ / Oşoosi Patron of police / ♂ justice

diaspora

best friend of Oggun / “messenger of Obatala”

[added to / conflated with Syncretized to St. Native American] Sebastian / all hunting birds (hawks, eagles, falcons, etc.) are his

Oduduwa

preempts the role of creation from Obàtálá

Ifá

In some stories Oduduwa, is the wife of Òrìşà-nla.ii In others, brother.

Obàtálá / Òrìşà-nla is male. This òrìşà gender ?.

Ogún ♂

iron, war; technology, Ifá surgery, culture; justice destruction & construction.

culture builder; (his symbol is the ebo are 3 pigeons, any knife, which kills or heals) male animal, roasted yam.

He creates the human skeleton (basic frame) swift justice (see fish)

Oggun4

iron, war; technology, surgery, culture, destruction & construction.

diaspora

creates the human skeleton started as blacksmith and farming, now all tech, train, computers ...

syncretized to St. Peter (Santeria) Lucumi feast day is 29 June

Olódùmarè / Olorun no gender

God / the High God / the Almighty primal force, power

Ifá and diaspora

“who breathed the breath of life into them.”

The religion of Ifá does Not He/She, but Ó (no not bother him directly, gender) (in English He / but through Eşu. Ó, She or Işi) who delegates power to the Òrìşà.

Oshumare♀

rainbow?

Ifá diaspora

lives with Olódùmarè.

Snake

4Oggun incarnated at one time as a military officer. Late one night, he came upon a group of soldiers with bottles set up all around them. He asked for some and they just giggled, in part because they were drunk, in part because there was none left. Oggun got angry and killed them all. That is why you turn empty bottles on their sides. [dead soldiers]

Notes on Ifa Deities Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora Name

responsibility

Olókun ♂ see also Yemeja

wealth, silent, hidden power, deep sea

sect

relationships

rituals (ebo, tambour)

Ifá ♂

Ifá’s last wife, he eventually changes his name to hers “Ifá Olókun”

Her ebo are female animals, turtles, hen, pigeons, àkàrà, amala, eburu, and olèlè

Olokun ♂ &/or ♀ wealth, silent, hidden see also Yemeja power, deep sea

diaspora ♀ counter-part of Yemaya

can be the sea floor as opposed to Lives under the Atlantic the ocean waters [which belong to Ocean (in the deeps of Yemaya] the ocean, where the smashed ships all lie)

Onígló - ♂

owner of the forest.

Ifá

Òrúnmilá

see Ifá

Ifá

Osain ♂

Cuba - holds all medicine

Òşanyìn ≠ Osain ♂

Òşanyìn had a gift identifying properties of plants.

Oşun ♀

Oshun ♀ “Mother of Secrets” Erzulie in Cuba

Notes Queen of the Atlantic Ocean

syncretized to St. Francis of Assisi Ifá

Òşanyìn is an herbalist. halfblind, having only one eye. He was also deformed, having one leg and one arm.

Òşanyìn had a gift for identifying the properties of plants. (later, all natural things)

sweet water (rivers and Ifá springs), love, money, conception

loves (& is married to) Şango, among many other men.

brings sacred water to Oşun♀- only female of new bodies. loves the original 17 Òrìşà honey, pumpkins, squash, any yellow fruit or vegetable, spinach, and female animals.

sweet water5 / love / money / conception / protects shipwrecked sailors.

wife of Chango

loves little brass bells syncretized to Our ebo = honey, pumpkins, Lady of Charity / squash, any yellow fruit youngest orisha or vegetable, sweets & champagne. symbols include fan, mirror & peacock

diaspora

5sweet water includes rivers, springs, lakes, waterfalls and rain.

He does not control ALL medicine. Òşanyìn and medicine are NOT synonymous.

Name Oya6 ♀

Notes on Ifa Deities Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora sect relationships

responsibility tempest and strong winds. warrior,

Ifá - most powerful òrìşà

stronger,deadlier than Şango

Oya ♀ “mother of warrior, strong winds & diaspora Yansa in 9" tempest / Voudon [from Iya

rituals (ebo, tambour)

Notes

wife of Ogún until he broke all three vows7. later wife of Şango She has an anger management problem.

Her foods are white hominy, eggplant and she-goat. Symbols include the whisk and pinwheels.

wars by Shango’s side

symbols include masks guardian of cemeteries. & a horse tale flywhisk

n’sla]

Once a buffalo, / Drop dead gorgeous but doesn’t care.

Pombagiraiii

Sacred Harlot / patron of prostitutes, transsexuals

Candomblé only so far

wife of Exu - many of işi’s Pombagira is an orixá attributes are the same as Erinle’s unique to Brazil.

"the court of last appeal". Işi will help you when you are desperate

Şango ♂

thunder & lightning / strategy / power surges /

Ifá

wives Oya, Oba, many others (many stolen from Ogún)8

warrior. supposed to stand up when you say his name

Shango / Chango see also Şango diaspora thunder, drums & dance

Sarepegbe

public relations - spin doctor.

Ifá

Sùrúrù ♂

patience “patience is the litmus test of good character”

Ifá

see Oya

diaspora

see Nana

diaspora Cuba

Yansa 9

Yemmu -

ebo are ram, rooster, bitter kola nuts (not like obi), àkàrà likes listening to the bata drums

In Cuba, son of Nana and Aganju ebo are green bananas Warrior King/feast day = [Ifá was Nana’s husband at time] (plantain?), hot 4 December syncretized as St. Barbara cornmeal, okra & red apples. animals include the rooster & turtle

first born son of Olódùmarè.

6[add an accent under the O] 7Don’t roll mortars, don’t drink and don’t tell my secret (I’m a buffalo) 8Şango is handsome, a spif dresser, and is a great dancer. He also has a wonderful palace. 9Yemmu married Ifá She got knocked up by Aganju (not totally voluntary) She had Şango. Neither “father” wanted to acknowledge him. She got so angry she burst in two. Those two bits were Yemaya, the water, and Nana, the moon.

i Some understandings of diaspora versions of the orisha faiths are from Charles Butler III., Martha, and Mohamed. Martha & Mohamed discussed it with us at the Ifá class at UUCL during Autumn 2006. Charles & I have discussed it at Ecumenicon and via e-mail. ii Lawson, E. Thomas; Religions of Africa: Traditions in Transformation :(Religious Traditions of the World) (San Francisco, CA, Harper & Row, 1984) [ISBN 0-06-065211-X] 58. iii Pombagira is not widely known. I learned about hir from Charles. My on-line source for most information has been alt.religion, particularly http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/bldefpombagira.htm