Seven Orishas from the Yoruba Pantheon


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Eleggua
Obatala
Oloddumare
Oshun
Oya
Yemalla
Shango

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This is just the beginning of our Dictionary. 
More information will come in the following weeks.



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Eleggua

The owner of the roads and opportunities. He is the messenger between 
human beings and the other orishas. He is always the first one to be 
honored during any ceremony because without his approval, nothing can be 
accomplished. Also a healer and master magician, he can be extremely 
generous as well as cruel. That's why he is associated with the devil in 
the Brazilian Candomble tradition. However, in the Yoruba tradition he 
is not seen as evil. His tricks are simply opportunities to learn 
lessons. He is the trickster. In Santeria, Eleggua is the one who 
protects the home against dangers. Most santeros keep him in the house 
close to the front door. They give him offerings every Monday and on the 
third day of the month. His favorite gifts are candies, candles, toys, 
rum and cigars. 

Obatala

The orisha of peace, harmony and purity. He is the father of most 
orishas and the creator of humankind. He is the owner of the world. He 
represents clarity, justice and wisdom. Everything that is white on 
Earth belongs to him: the snow, the sky, the bones and the brain. In 
some paths, Obatala manifests as a female. Some people see him as an 
androgynous deity that contained both male and female energies 
representing respectively heaven and earth. Obatala is invoked for 
health, peace and harmony. An Altar to Obatala/Oxala 

Oloddumare

The central creative force worshipped in the Yoruba tradition and in the 
Yoruba-based religions such as Santeria and Candomble. He is the concept 
of God. 

Oshun

The goddess of love, sexuality, beauty and diplomacy. She is the owner 
of the sweet waters. With her sweetness, she overcomes the most 
difficult tasks. She is the protector of the abdominal area and the 
teacher of pleasure and happiness. She is a great giver, but when she is 
angry, it is very difficult to calm her down. She is often invoked in 
matters of love and money. 

Oya

is the goddess of the wind, fire and the thunderbolt. As the female 
warrior of the Yoruba pantheon, she represents female power. She is 
strong, assertive, courageous and independent and is always willing to 
take risks. When she is enraged, she can create tornadoes and 
hurricanes, but these also happened when she is ready to make changes. 
Oya is a great witch and the guardian of the gates of death. She is 
invoked when there are serious illness or when transformation is 
necessary. 

Yemalla

The goddess of the sea and the moon. She is the mother archetype and the 
provider of wealth. As the one who gives life and sustains the Earth, 
she is extremely generous and giving. She is the nurturing energy that 
sooth anyone. But like the ocean, when she is angry, she can be 
implacable. Therefore, she represents the mother who gives love, but 
does not give her power away. Yemaya is also the owner of the collective 
subconcious and ancient wisdom, since she holds the secrets that are 
hidden in the sea. She is often invoked in fertility rituals for women 
and in any ritual concerning women's issues. 

Shango

Once the fourth king of Yoruba, and inmortalized as the thunder god, 
Shangє is legendary across the African Atlantic world. Shangє's storms 
and lightning bring a purifying moral terror encapsulated by the 
boldness and inmediacy of his art and altars. Shangє attracts many 
followers, as his entensive entourage represented on his altar. 
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Bibliography
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