Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post provides some information about the orishas (orisas) Shango, Oya, & Oba.
Some YouTube videos of these orishas are also included in this post.
The content of this post is presented for cultural and religious purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Maferefún orishas.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in these videos.
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*Here's a definition for the word "maferefún" from a 1997 announcement about a Cuban cultural performance http://www.afrocubaweb.com/ccsmaferefun.htm
"Maferefún Cuba (the word is Yorubá and has many meanings -- it is a greeting, it confers a blessing, it invokes the power of the spirit world) is a multi-media exhibit of Cuban art that uses the symbols and practices of African-based religions as part of its aesthetic. Afro-Cuban culture draws on a wide variety of traditions like the Lucumí of Yoruba origin (often referred to as Santería in the U.S.), the Bantú of Congolese origin, the Abakuá from the Calabar region of West Africa and the Dahomey-based tradition of the Arará. It represents one of the richest manifestations of African traditions in contemporary Latin society and its influence reaches well beyond the borders of Cuba to the rest of the Americas, especially New York."
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I was motivated to publish this pancocojams post after watching Nigerian singer Davido's video "1 Milli". That video which is given in the Addendum below features elements of traditional Yoruba orisha/Afro-Brazilian culture.
A number of commenters in that video's discussion thread wrote that the women who were prominently shown in that video represented river goddesses. From my reading about Nigerian Orishas I think that the women wearing yellow or gold (including the fiance wearing a yellow wedding veil) represented adherents of the orisha Oshun and the women (and males) wearing white represented the orisha Yemaya.*
I wonder whether one of the three women briefly shown at .53 in that "1 Milli" video represent Oba, the first wife of the orisha Shango. (Shango later married Oshun and Oya.) That woman wears red with her face covered by a veil. According to the excerpts about the Orisha Oya given below, one of Oya's colors is red and she is often depicted wearing a veil. Another woman in that scene her entire body covered with a blue and white cloth, and the other woman wears blue and doesn't have her face covered. Unlike the other people who are shown joyously celebrating in this video, the woman whose face isn't covered has a stoic or sullen facial expression. If that woman represents Oba, who do the other two women represent?
I also wonder if the man in that video shown at 1:02 who is wearing a red hat and holding the reins to a horse that a woman is seated on is a representation of Shango. And is the woman riding the horse a representation of Oba or Oya?
As of the date of the publication of this pancocojams post I've only read one comment in the discussion thread for the official video of Davido's "1 Milli" that mentions Shango. And I haven't read any comments in that discussion thread that mentions the Orishas Oya, Oba, or Yemaya.
If these guesses are incorrect, this post still provides an opportunity to share information about and videos of the orihas Shango, Oya, and Oba.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/04/youtube-discussion-thread-comments.html for Part II of a pancocojams series about Davido's "1 Milli" song/video. That pancocojams post is entitled "YouTube Discussion Thread Comments About Orishas & Afro-Brazilians Influences In The Official Video Of Nigerian Singer Davido's Song "1 Milli" ".
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORISHA SHANGO
Excerpt #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shango
"Shango (Yoruba language: Ṣàngó, also known as Changó or Xangô in Latin America; and as Jakuta or Badé) is an Orisha. Genealogically speaking, Shango is a royal ancestor of the Yoruba as he was the third Alaafin of the Oyo Kingdom prior to his posthumous deification. Shango has numerous manifestations, including Airá, Agodo, Afonja, Lubé, and Obomin.[1][2]...
In the New World, he is syncretized with either Saint Barbara or Saint Jerome.
[...]
Veneration of Ṣàngó
Nigeria
Ṣàngó is viewed as the most powerful and feared of the orisha pantheon. He casts a "thunderstone" to earth, which creates thunder and lightning, to anyone who offends him. Worshippers in Yorubaland in Nigeria do not eat cowpea because they believe that the wrath of the god of iron would descend on them.[6] The Ṣàngó god necklaces are composed in varying patterns of red and white beads; usually in groupings of four or six which are his sacred numbers. Rocks created by lightning strikes are venerated by Ṣàngó worshipers; these stones, if found, are maintained at sacred sites and used in rituals. Ṣàngó is called on during coronation ceremonies in Nigeria to the present day.[7][8][4]
The Americas
Ṣàngó is venerated in Santería as "Chango". As in the Yoruba religion, Chango is the most feared god in Santería.[7]
In Haïti, he is from the "Nago" Nation, and is known as Ogou Chango. Palo recognizes him as "Siete Rayos".
Candomblé
Ṣàngó is known as Xangô in the Candomblé pantheon. He is said to be the son of Oranyan, and his wives include Oya, Oshun, and Oba, as in the Yoruba tradition. Xangô took on strong importance among slaves in Brazil for his qualities of strength, resistance, and aggression. He is noted as the god of lightning and thunder. He became the patron orixa of plantations and many Candomblé terreiros. In contrast Oko, the orixá of agriculture, found little favor among slaves in Brazil and has few followers in the Americas. The main barracão of Ilê Axé Iyá Nassô Oká, or the terreiro Casa Branca, is dedicated to Xangô. Xangô is depicted with an oxê, or double-sided ax similar to a labrys; and a brass crown.[9][4][10]"...
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Italics were added to highlight that portion of that sentence.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORISHA OYA
Excerpt #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%BB%8Cya
"Ọya (Yoruba: Ọya, also known as Oyá or Oiá; Yansá or Yansã; and Iansá or Iansã in Latin America) is an orisha of winds, lightning, and violent storms, death and rebirth.[1] She is similar to the Haitian god Maman Brigitte, who is syncretised with the Catholic Saint Brigit.
In Yoruba, the name Oya means "she tore."[2] She is known as Ọya-Iyansan – the "mother of nine" — due to the Niger River (known to the Yoruba as the Odo-Ọya) traditionally being known for having nine tributaries.[3]
[...]
Colors: red, purple and black"...
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Excerpt #2
From https://thesevenworlds.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/oya-shango-oya/
...Oya is the third wife of Shango, the Orisha of fire, lightning, dance, and martial arts. It is said that after the big rivalry between Oba (Shango’s first wife) and Oshun (Shango’s second wife) blew up into an all out war, Shango banished them both, determined that his next companion, if at all, would be a balanced and supportive woman.
[...]
There are seemingly conflicting views on the appearance of Oya. Some say she is incredibly beautiful, and wears a veil or mask so that men aren’t distracted by it. Some say she is so horribly scary and hideous that she wears a veil or mask because otherwise, people would die from seeing her. I personally think it may be a bit of both. Perhaps she wears a veil or mask because how she looks depends on who is looking, and she would rather be in control of what reaction she gets from whom.
Oya’s Symbols
Oya has a few symbols associated with her. Among them are the lightning bolt with crossed arrows, the vector or hurricane symbol, nine violet feathers carried by a spiralling wind, nine veils each of a different color, a necklace or skirt with nine colors, and a spiral wind chime made of nine ornamental spearheads.
Oya’s Colors
Oya’s colors vary from place to place, but the main one is purple or dark burgundy or maroon. She is also symbolized by the nine colors, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, black, white, and brown. Depending on her function at a given time, she may wear purple and orange to work a storm, dark red to motivate a group of warriors or sportsmen to work as a team, all colors to make a tornado, etc."...
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORISHA OBA
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%BB%8Cba_(orisha)
"Ọba (known as Obá in Latin America) is the Orisha of the River Oba whose source lays near Igbon where her worship originates.[1] During the wars of the 19th century, her centers of worship moved to the more secure town Ogbomosho.[2] She is traditionally identified as the senior wife of Shango (the third king of the Oyo Empire and an Orisha). Oba was tricked by Oya or Oshun into cutting off her ear and trying to feed it to Shango.[3] She is syncretized with Saint Catherine of Siena.
[...]
Myths of Oba's Ear
Oba's humiliation by a rival co-wife is one of the most well-known tales associated with this Orisha. While William Bascom's study identified several unusual variations of it, the most popular myth found in West Africa, Brazil, and Cuba has Oba cutting off her ear to serve to her husband Shango as food, because one of her co-wives (most often Oshun) has convinced her this will secure Shango's attention. Once Shango sees the ear and realizes Oba has mutilated herself, he chases her from his house and into permanent exile. Bascom notes that though this story is known in many parts of Yoruba country, it was not recognized by her priest in Ogbomosho.[5]
[...]
Symbol lightning, the sword or machete, the flywhisk, water buffalo
Color purple or burgundy, the rainbow"...
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I haven't found any YouTube videos of the Orisha Oba.
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SHOWCASE VIDEOS OF OYA AND SHANGO
Video #1: OYA. Callejon de Hamel. 2010
solea1038, Sep 21, 2010
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Video #2: Yoruba Andabo - Changó
AyvaMusica, Jan 11, 2014
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Video #3: Chango, Santeria
Anibal Lopez, Jan 11, 2014
Regla, Havana, Cuba
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ADDENDUM- Davido - 1 Milli (Official Video)
DavidoVEVO, Mar 3, 2020
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