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please share this, lets help to breath life into the Orisha that have travelled to London by considering them and appreciating their quintessential essence.
Ossain God of Medicinal Herbs, Leafs and Plants, Usually depicted with a staff that divides into seven heads with a bird perched on top. I will update this post with the folklore tale of Ossain shortly.
Ogún is the god of iron, war and labor. He is the owner of all technology and because this technology shares in his nature, it is almost always used first for war. As Esu opens the roads, it is Ogún that clears the roads with his machete. Ogun is a tall, strong man that wields a heavy machete from side to side chopping everything in his path. He is the one who knows how to manipulate the metal of iron. He is the chief constructor. He is the overseer of labor workers. Without his leadership there is no foundation in anything we do. Ogun is also the technology we use to survive in life. He is the wires that lights up our streets and homes, the cars and buses we drive, the trains and planes we ride. Inseparable friend of Esu and Ochosi who the trio makes up the “The Warriors.” There is a tale of Ogun that says that a long time ago he was working hard in the forest. He arrived back to his town and notice that the people of the town were actually not giving him the recognition that he deserved. Ogun worked all day at this and one day his longtime friend Esu came to visit him. Esu told Ogun that it seemed like no one really paid him any attention in the town and all they did was use him for his talents. Ogun noticing and listening carefully to Esu, stood up and turned off the fire that he used to heat up his metals. He grabbed his machete and oti (liquor) and walked into the forest without saying a word. Elegua looked at his friend that just walked until he disappeared amongst the bushes. Days upon days, the town grew weary and all life came to a stand still. Everyone noticed that Ogun’s house was empty and dark and there was no sign of anyone being there for days. Farmers needed new tools for their plows, soldiers needed new armory. Even the orishas who came to Ogun as well were in need of tuning their essentials. Oya needed her sable sharpened, Ochosi needed new arrow points, Orisha Oko needed a new plow for his crops. Everyone wondered where was Ogun. The orishas called upon Olodumare who came to the town and asked them why are they looking for Ogun. Everyone started to say what they needed, what they wanted and so on. Olodumare then told them, did they ever stop to thank Ogun for his work. Did they ever pay homage to the great orisha who works day and night due to his own curse that he put on himself to work day and night. Everyone stayed quiet as the great Olodumare was talking. Olodumare said that Ogun has retreated deep into the forest and lets see who can get him to come back. Olodumare said he was not going to interfere, that he was going to let the orishas and humankind delegate on how to get Ogun back to civilization. Each orisha, one by one went deep into the forest in search for Ogun. Esu went looking for his friend and found him sitting by a rock sharpening his machete. Ogun saw him and chased Esu until Elegua came out of the forest gasping for air. Oya went to look for Ogun and when she found him, he grabbed her and threw across the woods with one swirl of his arm. Oya came back out staggering. Yemaya went, Ochosi went, Chango went, but none succeeded. All the orishas went but their was one orisha who was requesting to go. Oshun. Everyone laughed at her idea because she was the youngest and least knowledgeable of the woods and to face Ogun with the rage that he was in, it would be dangerous. Olodumare gave her his blessings and Ochun grabbed 5 yellow cloths, her pouch and marched into the woods. Oshun saw Ogun from far working on some tools and she started to use her tactics. She went to the river that was nearby and she got undressed. While all of this Oshun is singing and laughing to herself. Showing the lovely and admirable side of her. Ogun heard the singing and laughing and wondered where it was coming from. He glimpsed Oshun bathing naked in the river and was blinded by her beauty. Oshun came out of the river and caressed her body with her main implement, oni (honey). She rubbed it all over while laughing and singing. Without Ogun’s knowledge, Oshun went behind Ogun and smeared some of her honey on his lips. The great orisha was like a tame beast. He was dumbfounded and was in a trance. Oshun walked slowly while giving a seductive dance and dropped one of the yellow cloths on the ground. Ogun still in a trance slowly grabbed the cloth and followed the seductive orisha. Oshun kept her composure and glimpsed at Ogun from the corner of her eye and noticed that he was coming out of the trance, so she danced up to him and smeared more honey on his lips to reinforce the trance. Ogun was caught again and continued to follow Oshun picking up another cloth. Oshun continued to do this until she got near to the town. She dropped the 5th cloth and smeared more honey on Ogun’s lips and walked him straight into town where everyone was waiting in shock to see that this young orisha was able to bring the great forge man to town.
The main accoutrement associated with Oxumaré is the rainbow-serpent. When he created the world he brought together matter and wrapped him/herself around earth and rivers and valleys were formed as a result of slithering through it. This orishá lives under the ocean and takes “the water from seas to the sky, so that rain can be formed – he is the rainbow.” Therefore, Oxumaré’s natural space is water and this essential water cycle accounts for part of the reason why she/he is the orishá of movement and the image of a snake biting its tail not only illustrates the cycle but also how the universe is interconnected. Levy, an educator on Afro-Brazilian Shamanism, points out that that Oxumaré contributes to the cycle of life and fertility which is why one of the minor symbols of the orishá is an umbilical cord, the connection to the supernatural. Those who practice Candomblé do not kill snakes because of the relation to Oxumaré. The dance of this orishá is much like fluid the movement of a serpent, this is mainly achieved by constantly rolling the rib cage. The stance is with arms held out at sides and bending at the elbow with hands (shaped like a snake’s head) pointing away from the body. The feet move in a shuffled box step in the “RLrlrLRlrRLrlrLR” pattern while the serpentine hands strike with every big step. this Video of a woman which you can watch in the below link shows the moving spine signifies the snake that runs through the earth and could possibly reiterate that she/he is orixá of movement. The arms out at the side almost look like balancing scales which makes sense because the deity promotes balance. Also part of the dance is a moment when the performer points up to the sky and down to the earth with an iron snake in one hand to acknowledge that he/she is the connector, thus, Oxumaré holds the universe together. The pointing is also a relating gesture with brother Omolu, since he also points with his hands. Additionally, the up and down movement shows just one example of the many opposites this orishá has to balance such as light/dark and male/female.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUcB3Up1eVU&feature=colike
Ochosi (also known as Ochossi, Oshosi, or Oxosi) is the divine hunter and embodiment of justice amongst the orishas. He is a skilled tracker and the most talented archer in the world. While he can find his way in and out of the jungle where others get lost, he does not live there. He is an urban orisha and lives in Obatala's castle as his personal hunter. He is close friends with Esu and Ogun; the three of whom are called "the warriors". He is an orisha of high moral and ethical standards and encourages his worshippers to be law-abiding, upstanding citizens. He helps his followers to "hit the mark" when they strive to attain goals, and to do so with integrity. He is frequently called upon for issues of injustice and for court cases and legal issues and is considered the patron of police officers and court officials by many followers. Ochosi is usually depicted as a lean, athletic black man dressed in hides, brandishing a longbow. His shrine is in the form of an open ceramic bowl filled with a metal tools, many of which are bows or crossbows, and a rack of antlers and deer feet, along with 18 loose cowries for diloggun divination through which he can speak. There is only one road or avatar of Ochosi, unlike other orishas. One of his stories captures just how blind Ochosi's justice can be. Ochosi had a beautiful guinea hen who was his favorite pet. One day he went hunting and his mother decided to do something nice for her dutiful son, so she took the hen, killed it, cooked it up, and had it simmering in a pot on the stove for when he would return. She then left to tend to other things. Ochosi returned to find his beloved guinea hen cooking on the stove and was so upset that he drew an arrow across his bow, aimed it up to the sky and said, "May this arrow land in the heart of whomever killed my lovely guinea hen!" He let the arrow fly, and it found its true target. Ochosi found his mother killed by his own arrow. Ochosi's ritual numbers are 3 and 7. His beaded necklace is composed of royal blue beads, honey colored beads, and coral beads. His garments are deep blue with gold trim. Animal sacrifice is used to propitiate Ochosi within African Traditional Religions. His sacrifices include: he-goat, roosters, quails, pigeons, guinea hens and all game animals. Altar offerings for Ochosi include anisette liqueur, grapes, and pears. Ochosi has no taboo foods, but he cannot be petitioned to evade the law or to foil justice. In the syncretic practices of Cuban Santeria, in which African orishas are associated with Catholic Church saints, the representative of Ochosi is Saint Norbert. Hoodoo pyschic readers, spirit workers and root doctors who petition the orishas on behalf of clients may work with Ochosi when there are pending court cases and legal issues.
Olosa is The Orisha of Lagoons. She is another wife of Olokun. She represents the lagoons that precede the ocean. Her symbol is the crocodile and she also, like Aje, lives in an urn that resembles that of Yemoja or Olokun. Her beads are milky white, dark blue, translucent blue, as well as coral. Olosa supplies her votaries with fish, and there are several temples dedicated to her along the shores of the lagoon, where offerings of fowls and sheep are made to her to render her propitious. When the lagoon is swollen by rain and overflows its banks she is angry, and if the inundation be serious a human victim is offered to her-, to induce her to return within her proper limits. Crocodiles are Olosa's messengers, and may not be bothered. They are supposed to bring the goddess the offerings which the faithful deposit on the shores of the lagoon or throw into the water. Some crocodiles, selected by the priests on account of certain marks borne by them, are treated with great veneration; and have crude sheds, thatched with palm leaves, erected for their accommodation near the water's edge. Food is regagularly supplied to these reptiles every fifth day, or festival, and many of them become sufficiently tame to come for the offering as soon as they see or hear the worshippers gathering on the bank.
Olokun is the owner of all waters, his symbol is the seven seas. All riverine divinities in the Yoruba pantheon fall under his authority. As owner of the seas, all rivers by their movements pay tribute to him, the ocean, and deposit gold and other riches at his door. Olokun is the owner of the phenomenon of nature that covers 71 percent of the earth. He is the highest form of Orisa after Obatala, whom he concedes the right to rule out of respect for Obatala's wisdom age, and tact, and because Olofin decided that this was to be the order of things. This order is recounted in the tale of the competition between Olokun and Obatala. In the beginning, there was only Olorun and Olokun. Olokun was the origin of Yemayá. For a long time Olorun and Olokun fought for dominion of Earth. Whenever Olorun sent something to the Earth, Olokun took control of it. Olorun wanted to reign everywhere and Olokun, in order to demonstrate his power to him, caused the sea to raise. It was necessary to cool Olokun so that the Earth returned to existence. So terrible and powerful is Olokun that when Olorun separated from him he went to up to the highest point and Olokun remain beneath. It was then when Obatalá had to tie him up with 7 chains because, when he saw that people were neglecting their worship, Olokun wanted to drown to the whole of humanity including all the animals. Olokun lives at the bottom of the ocean, next to a great marine serpent that shows its head when there is New Moon. Some believe that he is half man, half fish. Still anchored down as he is, with 7 chains, whenever he is enraged, he causes great damage, and for that reason Obatalá was very prudent in leaving him moored so that men would not forget their worship. Olokun was amphibious, and for this reason did not want to have relations with his great love, Orisha-Oko, in order not to be the object of ridicule. He asked for the advice of Olofi whom a assured him that Orisha-Oko was a serious and reserved man. Olokun took confidence and it went away to live with the orisha farmer, but he saw that he had birth defects in his nature and he told it to the world. The shame caused Olokun to hide in the bottom of the ocean, where everything could be ignored and where nobody would be able to reach him. Others say that he became a siren or a great marine serpent.
Orisha Oko (oko, farm, garden, plantation) is the god of Agriculture, and is one of those who sprang from the body of Yemaja. Although his first care is to promote the fertility of the earth, he is also -the god of natural fertility in general, for he is a phallic divinity, and his image is always provided with an enormous phallus. An emblem of Orisha Oko is an iron rod, and honey bees are his messengers. It is probably with reference to his phallic attributes that he has the title of Eni-duru- "the erect personage." One of his functions is to cure malarial fevers, to which those who disturb the soil in the process of cultivation are particularly liable. There is an annual festival to Orisha Oko, held when the yam crop is ripe, and all then partake of new yams. At this festival general licence prevails, the priestesses give themselves indiscriminately to all the male worshippers of the god, and, theoretically, every man has a right to sexual intercourse with every woman he may meet abroad. Social prejudices have, however, restricted the application of this privilege, and it is now only slave-girls, or women of the lowest order, who are really at the disposal of the public, and then only if they are consenting parties. At this festival all kinds of vegetable productions are cooked and placed in vessels in the streets, for general use.
Agallu is the orisha that represents the nature and wrath of the volcano. He is a very tall gigantic man who lives alongside the rivers. Agallu/Agayu, Bi Yaya or Agallu Sola which he is also known, is represented by earthquakes, the energy and core of the earth. The lava and magma is associated with him, due to his mother Oroiña. He is the heat that comes from within all and keeps the earth moving. Agallu is the cane that holds all of the orishas Pataki on Agallu One day Agallu was working hard by the river. He was doing what he loves, helping people across the river waters. Day by day, people would come and ask the great gigantic orisha to take them to the other side of the river. After being fooled one day by non paying customers, Agallu vouched that he will demand payment of anyone who wanted to cross the river banks. So it was known that to cross the river Agallu would do it but you had to pay your fare and you would cross with no problem. One mid day a woman approached his vessel and asked to be taken to the north side of the river. When Agallu glanced at this woman, he saw her as a beautiful woman. She was dressed all in white from head to toe and her head wrap glistened with purity. Agallu grabbed the women by her delicate hand and guided her onto his vessel. Being dumbfounded by her beauty he did not ask her for his fare not yet. He was kind of shy to even talk to her. This woman sat perched at the front edge of the vessel with every crease of her skirt in tact. He noticed how her skin was soft as cocoa butter and the silver from her bangles reflected against the river water. She did not say a word and kept her composure as the great ferryman took her to her destination. Agallu was approaching the north river bank and he was reluctant to ask her for his payment. She started to rearrange her garments and fix her shawl to get off the boat. When Agallu pulled up the bank he grabbed her hand and asked her politely for his fee. The women walked off the boat, turned and looked at him. Agallu was wondering if she was going to pay him but he did not get loud because he was so entrapped in her beauty but he remembered the past he had with non paying customers. Before he could say something else, she took her big white shawl and laid it on the grassy area by the river banks. She slowly took off her garments and hung then neatly by a tree. Agallu was noticing all of this but he was lost for words. The women then laid herself on the white shawl in a seductive pose and called Agallu over to her. Agallu who was in heat for her since the beginning of the trip didn’t hesitate and walked up to her and the woman grabbed Agallu and started to kiss him. These two made passionate love by the river banks for hours. After it was all done, Agallu laid there while the woman bathed herself in the river water. Agallu was so in love with her but he still did not know who she was. The payment was forgotten as he just got paid. She came out of the river and proceeded to put on her garments. While she was getting dressed, Agallu took a dip in the river to wash up as well and the lady grabbed her shawl and started to wrap her head in her elegant way. She walked to the edge of the river and looked into Agallu’s eyes and told him that he just had the pleasure of making love to the great Yembo (a path of Obatala). Agallu stayed with a confused look while Yembo vanished right before his eyes. Years passed and one day a young boy was walking thru the forest. He grew very tired and hungry and came across a door. He did not know where the door led him to but he was looking for somewhere to rest. He walked through the halls of the immense fortress. This place was the inside of a volcano which was the house of Agallu. The young boy saw that there was food abundant inside and proceeded to eat all he could put his hands on. After consuming a lot of food the young boy fell asleep on the bed of the great orisha. Agallu coming home from another long day of work entered his house and smelled something fishy. He looked around and saw that there were food bits thrown on the floor. He immediately grabbed his oshé and went on the search for this intruder. He walked up to his where his bed was at and saw something under the covers. He quietly approached the bed and with his oshé in one hand he swiftly grabbed the covers back ready to strike the intruder. Once the covers where off he saw the body of a young boy who was scared to see this gigantic person standing over him. Agallu asked him who was he and why did he intrude into his house. Agallu grabbed him by the foot and began to drag him down to the middle of the fortress. All the while the young boy is shouting to release him He said his name was Chango, the son of the great Yembo. Agallu hearing this threw the young Chango near the pool of lava that was near the middle of his home. Agallu told Chango that he knew of Yembo and he was with her years ago. Chango remembered his mother talking about his father that he was a tall gigantic man who rode the currents of the river. He told this to Agallu and Agallu got into a range and told Chango that he was not his father. Chango said that yes he was because his mother told him so. Agallu’s rage grew bigger and bigger and he was determined to end this one way or the other. With one stomp of Agallu’s foot, Chango bounced into the boiling hot lava. Agallu’s rage was so intense that the pool of lava containing Chango rose to the top of the volcano. Once it reached the top, the volcano erupted and Chango was thrown miles upon miles until he was deposited in the ocean. Chango frantically tried to reach the surface of the ocean. He did not know how to swim and he was sinking. Right then a beautiful mermaid came to Chango’s rescue and brought him to the surface. She took him to shore and cleaned him up. Chango explained to her what had happened with the great orisha Agallu. He told her that he was the son of Yembo and that Agallu denied being his father. Yembo appeared to her son and this beautiful mermaid and told her son that he shouldn’t have gone to look for his father but as a young warrior she knew this day would come when he wanted to know. Yembo told Chango that she was returning to the sky and that if he wanted to come with her. Chango said no that he wanted to see what the earth had in store for him Yembo turned to the mermaid and asked her to watch over and raise the young Chango. She agreed and Chango was introduced to Maselobi (an aspect of Yemaya) his adopted mother. Maselobi took Chango to Agallu’s house. When Agallu saw Maselobi he bowed down to her as she is part of the kingdom of the ocean. Maselobi told Agallu that he was wrong for shooting not only a young boy but his own son out of the mouth of this volcano. Agallu looked at Chango and thought if it was possible. Maselobi showed Agallu that Chango was not even harmed from the hot lava. She told Agallu that he has his genes of being sustained to fire. Chango is the fire god, she told Agallu and he is your son that you had with the great Yembo years ago. Agallu with a tear from his eye picked up Chango and apologized. He gave him access to his fortress at any time and he gave him anything that he wanted. Chango was happy that his father recognized him. Masleobi was happy and told Agallu that she was going to raise Chango with the permission of Yembo and that he can come visit him whenever. Agallu agreed and he and Chango became inseparable.
There are no journeys that can begin without Esu. He is the keeper of the gates; He stands at the cross roads, guiding us in the right direction. It is in the natural order that we take our first steps glancing and keeping the Trickster happy. When humanity was born Ollodumare summoned all the major Orisas to the heavens. He told them they must all contribute to the care and evolution of humanity, and therefore decide what each would be responsible for. They came back days later and presented their decisions to Ollodumare: Oggun carried iron from the earth's core and the tools of progress and war; Obatala brought peace and tranquility, and the enlightened arts; Ossain brought ewe(herbs) and the knowledge of their powers; Oya brought the marketplace along with the winds that carry spirits on the passage of death. When Ollodumare reached Esu, he saw he was empty handed and asked Esu in a firm voice: " Where is your responsibility?" Esu responded, "Ollodumare, you who is also known as Oba Orun (King of the Sky), know that Orisas are above man, and more powerful. "Why should we then serve them, when humanity should be serving us?" Ollodumare firmly told him to leave and not to return empty handed. Esu came back wearing a feather on his head, and nothing in his hands. At this site Ollodumare began losing his patience, and asked Esu if this was defiance he saw. Esu pointed to the feather on his head and said, " Ollodumare, you who is Olorun, Owner of the Sky, this is my responsibility." I ask you to let me be the one to test humanity, to trick them, and see where their heart, and limits, are at. " Let me be the one to travel back and forth bringing light or darkness, confusion and clarity." Ollodumare was impressed by the young Orisa and decided to name him Divine Messenger and Trickster. The feather on Esu's head represents his ability to travel between light and darkness, therefore the keeper and opener of all doors and paths; be it the path to balance or the road to self-destruction. He is the beginning of life and it's unpredictable end.
Olodumare, even though he was king of the other gods, had a mortal fear of mice. The other gods thought that a king, especially their king, should not be afraid of anything as unimportant and weak as a mouse. "Olodumare has turned into a weak old woman," they said, for they believed it shameful to fear mice. "It's time that we took away his power and named another king." Besides, they wanted total dominion of the world. Things continued as they were until the principal Orishas got together again. "We must take away Olodumare's power," they said. "He is getting old and weak." Everyone agreed, again. There was a problem, though. Olodumare was old, but he certainly was not weak. He was fierce and terrible and not one of the other Orishas would dare to challenge him in combat. The Orishas thought and talked and thought some more until one, no one knows who came up with an idea. "Let's scare Olodumare to death," said the unknown Orisha. "How do you propose to do that?" asked the other Orishas, since they themselves were deathly afraid of Olodumare. "Olodumare is afraid of mice," said the Orisha. "Everyone knows that," exclaimed the disappointed Orishas. "We thought that you had an idea." "If he is afraid of one mouse," continued the Orisha, "what would happen if we invite him over to our house and fill it with mice?" "Tell us," said the other Orishas. "If Olodumare finds himself in a house full of mice, he will be so afraid that he will run away from here or die. We'll take over his house and we will be the masters of the world." "That's a wonderful plan," they all exclaimed. Putting their heads together, the Orishas began to plot how they were going to lure Olodumare to their house and scare him to death with mice. They forgot that Elegua was by the door. He lived by the door, since he is the Orisha that rules roads, routes and entrances. They had forgotten all about him. He heard all their plans. What did Elegua do? What did the trickster Orisha do? He knew the day that Olodumare was coming. He had listened to the other Orishas' plans. He waited and hid behind the door. Olodumare arrived, happy to have been invited to a party. He knew that he was not as popular among the Orishas as he used to be. Little did he know that the other Orishas were hidden, waiting to release hundreds of mice. The moment he stepped inside, the door was slammed shut at Olodumare's back. The mice were released. Olodumare was terrified and ran around the house screaming, "The mice are attacking. The mice are attacking!" He tried to find a place to hide, but every box he opened and every closet he ran into just had more and more mice. Olodumare ran head first at the door, ready to demolish it, just so that he could escape the tormenting rodents. Just as head and door were going to meet, Elegua stepped out and stopped his panicked rush. "Stop, Olodumare," said Elegua, putting his arms around the terrified old Orisha. "No mouse will harm you." "Yes they will. Yes they will," cried Olodumare. "Watch," said Elegua. He started eating the mice. Elegua ate and ate and ate until he had eaten all the mice. Olodumare, whose fear had turned to fury, demanded, "Who dared do this to me?" Elegua said nothing. Smiling like a happy cat, he pointed out the hiding places of all the plotting Orishas. Olodumare immediately punished them in a very terrible and painful manner. After he grew tired of watching them hop and scream, he turned to Elegua and said, "Now, what can I do for you?" Elegua scuffed the floor and shook his head. "Oh, nothing," he said. "Nothing!" roared Olodumare. "You saved me and you saved my crown and you want nothing?" "Well," said Elegua, "maybe just a little thing." "You can have whatever you want," said Olodumare firmly. "I want the right to do what I want," said Elegua. He went on with more conviction, ignoring Olodumare's raised eyebrows. "I want the right to do what I will. I want the right to do what I want, whatever that may be." Olodumare wished it so, and so it was. From that moment on, Elegua is the only god that does as he wills without restraints or limits.
The Golden Chain Long ago, well before there were any people, all life existed in the sky. Olorun lived in the sky, and with Olorun were many orishas. There were both male and female orishas, but Olorun transcended male and female and was the all-powerful supreme being. Olorun and the orishas lived around a young baobab tree. Around the baobab tree the orishas found everything they needed for their lives, and in fact they wore beautiful clothes and gold jewelry. Olorun told them that all the vast sky was theirs to explore. All the orishas save one, however, were content to stay near the baobab tree. Obatala was the curious orisha who wasn't content to live blissfully by the baobab tree. Like all orishas, he had certain powers, and he wanted to put them to use. As he pondered what to do, he looked far down through the mists below the sky. As he looked and looked, he began to realize that there was a vast empty ocean below the mist. Obatala went to Olorun and asked Olorun to let him make something solid in the waters below. That way there could be beings that Obatala and the orishas could help with their powers. Touched by Obatala's desire to do something constructive, Olorun agreed to send Obatala to the watery world below. Obatala then asked Orunmila, the orisha who knows the future, what he should do to prepare for his mission. Orunmila brought out a sacred tray and sprinkled the powder of baobab roots on it. He tossed sixteen palm kernels onto the tray and studied the marks and tracks they made on the powder. He did this eight times, each time carefully observing the patterns. Finally he told Obatala to prepare a chain of gold, and to gather sand, palm nuts, and maize. He also told Obatala to get the sacred egg carrying the personalities of all the orishas. Obatala went to his fellow orishas to ask for their gold, and they all gave him all the gold they had. He took this to the goldsmith, who melted all the jewelry to make the links of the golden chain. When Obatala realized that the goldsmith had made all the gold into links, he had the goldsmith melt a few of them back down to make a hook for the end of the chain. Meanwhile, as Orunmila had told him, Obatala gathered all the sand in the sky and put it in an empty snail shell, and in with it he added a little baobab powder. He put that in his pack, along with palm nuts, maize, and other seeds that he found around the baobab tree. He wrapped the egg in his shirt, close to his chest so that it would be warm during his journey. Obatala hooked the chain into the sky, and he began to climb down the chain. For seven days he went down and down, until finally he reached the end of the chain. He hung at its end, not sure what to do, and he looked and listened for any clue. Finally he heard Orunmila, the seer, calling to him to use the sand. He took the shell from his pack and poured out the sand into the water below. The sand hit the water, and to his surprise it spread and solidified to make a vast land. Still unsure what to do, Obatala hung from the end of the chain until his heart pounded so much that the egg cracked. From it flew Sankofa, the bird bearing the sprits of all the orishas. Like a storm, they blew the sand to make dunes and hills and lowlands, giving it character just as the orishas themselves have character. Finally Obatala let go of the chain and dropped to this new land, which he called "Ife", the place that divides the waters. Soon he began to explore this land, and as he did so he scattered the seeds from his pack, and as he walked the seeds began to grow behind him, so that the land turned green in his wake. After walking a long time, Obatala grew thirsty and stopped at a small pond. As he bent over the water, he saw his reflection and was pleased. He took some clay from the edge of the pond and began to mold it into the shape he had seen in the reflection. He finished that one and began another, and before long he had made many of these bodies from the dark earth at the pond's side. By then he was even thirstier than before, and he took juice from the newly-grown palm trees and it fermented into palm wine. He drank this, and drank some more, and soon he was intoxicated. He returned to his work of making more forms from the edge of the pond, but now he wasn't careful and made some without eyes or some with misshapen limbs. He thought they all were beautiful, although later he realized that he had erred in drinking the wine and vowed to not do so again. Before long, Olorun dispatched Chameleon down the golden chain to check on Obatala's progress. Chameleon reported Obatala's disappointment at making figures that had form but no life. Gathering gasses from the space beyond the sky, Olorun sparked the gasses into an explosion that he shaped into a fireball. He sent that fireball to Ife, where it dried the lands that were still wet and began to bake the clay figures that Obatala had made. The fireball even set the earth to spinning, as it still does today. Olorun then blew his breath across Ife, and Obatala's figures slowly came to life as the first people of Ife.
Oya is the orisha of storms and changes. She is a much feared orisha due to her powers as she can create a storm so powerful that she can destroy towns upon towns. The winds, tornadoes and lighting are at her every command. Oya also known as Xansa, Oya Yansa (Mother of Nine) was the wife of Ogun before Chango took her away from him. Oya is said to be a lovely tall amazonic woman who is dressed in a wine color dress with a belt that holds a grass skirt with 9 different color cloths. Oya is also the owner of the market place where she would go and sell her goods to maintain her children. Oya's main home or domain is the cemetery. Now a lot of people say or believe that she is the owner of the cemetery. That's all not true. Oya is the gatekeeper. She stands at the cemetery gates and she lets the dead into the cemetery where her sisters Obba and Yewa tends to the body. Oya is a great warrior who loves to go to battle alongside her husband Chango. Stories say the Oya would put on a pair of pants and grow a beard just to fight like a man at war. Oya has a younger sister named Ayao who is the orisha that resides in the clouds in the sky. It is Ayao that gives her sister Oya the ability to take the spirits of the dead to go fight alongside her which makes up her powerful army. Oya has brought down many men, many towns and many lands. But as a warrior she protects her children with a strong look and with her destruction she brings changes. Whenever there is a storm that brings destruction, change is needed to rebuild. Sometimes the land is expanded for new homes or new business. That's Oya. She has helped all the orishas in one time or another. As well she has feuded with the orishas at one time or another. Oya is the one that convinced Obba to cut her ear to feed to Chango. Oya is the one that brought down Osain’s gourd where he kept most of his secrets of the herbs.