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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,
Shango is legendary across the African Atlantic world. Shango`s storms
and lightning bring a purifying moral terror encapsulated by the
boldness and inmediacy of his art and altars. Shango attracts many
followers, as his entensive entourage represented on his altar.
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Bibliography
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