Ọya
Yoruba oriṣa of winds, storms, lightning, and the dead.
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Ọya is a principal female deity in the Yoruba pantheon, known as the oriṣa of winds, lightning, and storms.[1] Babalú Ayé granted Ọya the unique ability among oriṣas to govern the Eégún, or spirits of the dead.[1]
Life and work
The human Ọya originated from the settlement of Ira, located in what is now Kwara State, Nigeria, and was married to Shango, the Alaafin of Oyo.[2] Traditional Yoruba poetry often portrays Ọya as a buffalo, as she was thought capable of transforming into that animal.[2] Because the buffalo is a key emblem of Ọya, her priests are prohibited from killing one.[2] After a period of barrenness, Ọya bore nine children with her third spouse Oko, earning her the title Ọya Ìyáńsàn-án, or "mother of nine."[2]
The Niger River, called Odò-Ọya by the Yoruba, has Ọya as its patroness.[3] Iansã is characterized as an invincible warrior whose attributes encompass intense emotions, powerful sensations, and allure.[4] Iansã is syncretized with Saint Barbara and is also credited with mastery over the mysteries concerning the dead.[4]
What the cited sources add
The same source notes that the ball-like patty is fried in dendê oil and is a traditional offering to Iansã in Candomblé.[5][6] The work "Let's Make Some Noise" by University Press of Mississippi, published in 2008, is also cited for those Candomblé attributes.[4][7] In Bahia, Brazil, a plain, unseasoned acarajé is employed in rituals, whereas a seasoned version is marketed as street food.[5][6] The "Dicionário de Umbanda" additionally mentions ipeté and bobo de inhame as foods linked to Iansã.[5][6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Ọya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: https://guardian.ng/life/oya-the-yoruba-rain-goddess/; Fatunmbi, A. F. (1993). Oya: Ifá and the Spirit of the Wind. United States: Original Publications. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ọya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Sexuality and the World's Religions", ABC-CLIO, 2003 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ọya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: A Bahia de Santa Bárbara (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ọya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Obaràyí : babalorixá Balbino Daniel de Paula", Barabô Design Gráfico e Editora, 2009, p. 568; Henry, "Let's Make Some Noise: Axé and the African Roots of Brazilian Popular Music", University Press of Mississippi, 2008; Barbosa, "Dicionário de Umbanda", Anubis, 2015, p. 108–109, 240 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ọya" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Barbosa, "Dicionário de Umbanda", Anubis, 2015, p. 108–109, 240 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Open Library record, ISBN 9788567855264 ("Dicionário de Umbanda"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
- Open Library record, ISBN 9781604730821 ("Let's make some noise"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Ọya (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Supernatural beings identified with Christian saints
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ọya (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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