Notes on Ifa Deities

Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora

Name responsibility sect relationships rituals (ebo, tambour) Notes

Ààbò security / protection / Ifá ♀ a wife of Ifá1 guards against death and
♀ hospitality disease.
Aganju Volcanos Ifá / diasporai in Cuba, father of Şango.
Ajala Olódùmarè.’s ‘porter’ / Ifá lives with Olódùmarè. In Cuba, Obàtálá owns alcoholic. May be an
♂ creates the Orí all the heads (the skull avatar/ camino / robe? of
is white, Obàtálá’s color Obàtálá
is white, therefore you
can’t go wrong if you
assume Obàtálá.)
Ajé ♀ Prosperity (business) Ifá daughter of Olókun Not ajé (wealth) or
Àjé - (powerful woman
- witch)
Akpitibí ♀ Ifá wife of Ifá helped him with
divination
Ayan /Anya Aña drums Ifá eats rooster
[Cuba] diaspora
Babaluye2 King of the Earth. Ifá 1 of 2 òrìşà who can punish Obalúayé’s favorite (originally small pox, but
♂ Obalúayé Judge (of people) & people for evil acts. foods (and ebo) are he- now has HIV/AIDS)
♂ executes that diaspora goats, roasted beans,
judgement. epidemics and beans cooked with
& infectious disease maize. Symbols
include dogs and
crutches. Is portrayed
dressed in burlap. In
diaspora, ebo include
white wine, popcorn,
sesame seed candy,
grains, beans & seeds.

1Ààbò’s story is where Ifá tells her to sell something to buy food for unknown guests. She sells his divination tools, and Esu, death and disease
decide not to stay and do things.
2Obalúayé A.K.A. Òrìşa Bàbá (old man), one reason for the corruption of it to Babalou in Cuba. Almost identical òrìşa.
 Notes on Ifa Deities
Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora

Name responsibility sect relationships rituals (ebo, tambour) Notes

Bulukuu see Nana Bulukuu
Eşu ♂ gateways/cross-roads / Ifá gatekeeper between Olódùmarè ebo = he-goats,
see also Eleguá justice / owns most and all powers, both benevolent roosters, other male
aşe / Shapeshifter / and malevolent. animals, fish, àkàrà,
trickster alcohol, highly
seasoned food
Eleguá ♂ crossroads / diaspora Elegwa / Eleguá (CUBA) ebo = he-goats, Has many avatars /
opportunities / Papa Legba (Vodoun) roosters, other male camero / robes?
owns most aşe / justice trickster - shapeshiftergatekeeper animals, fish, àkàrà, Syncretized as Christ
/ loves kids between Olódùmarè and all alcohol, highly Child /
powers, both benevolent and seasoned food, 7-up,
malevolent. candy, cigars and rum.
Erinle / hunter / fisher / patron Ifá and diaspora student of Yemaya, stays with What you want to give May be gay &/or a cross-
Inle3 [Cuba] of homosexuals Yemaya - Cuba to him, offer to dresser. Işi’s name means
Inyale Yemaya. “Earth Elephant”
Ifá / Òrúnmilá intellectual Ifá Ifá, the òrìşà IS Òrúnmilá Kola nuts & hen. He Òrúnmilá’s name means -
♂ development, wisdom will settle for coconut.“ heaven knows those who
/Insight literature / Òrúnmilá embodies will be saved (be
divination / literature.” prosperous?).
Inspiration / Intuition Had 61 wives
Ifa / Orunla ♂ literature / divination diaspora
Ikú death Ifá Ifá considers Ikú an
ajogun / Ajogun = a
warrior of darkness
Iku death diaspora /
Umbanda?

3Inle wanted to learn all that he could from Yemaya. She taught him everything, but then cut out his tongue so he couldn’t tell it and keeps him with
her under the sea. He is patron of homosexuals through Yemaya.
 Notes on Ifa Deities
Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora

Name responsibility sect relationships rituals (ebo, tambour) Notes

Ilé Mother Earth, [punisher Ifá roosters, turtles, snails When entire nations stop
♀ of nations] & pigeons following the path
Inle [see Erinle] diaspora
Ìwàpèlé Good character Not an òrìşà Ifá ’s wife May not be worshiped
♀ Sùrúrù ‘s daughter as an òrìşà, even as
Olódùmarè’s
granddaughter and Ifá’s
wife!
Kóórì young people Ifá help young folks. She but cares for those of
never had children, others.
Nana Bulukuu♀ Ifá & diaspora see also Yemmu very old being. In some In Cuba, Nana
Ifá & Aganju stories predates
Olódùmarè
Oba hunter Ifá loved Şango, Is a wife of Şango naive (wacked off her ear)
♀ Oşun bad
Obalúayé see Babaluye
Obàtálá ♂ creator / logic / patron Ifá creates the flesh on the body, ebo are white doves, involved justice, long,
of disAbled, (includes creator, one of the original 17 [the blood goes in a well thought out analysis
mental illness & òrìşà. fatherly, logical thinker bowl beside the icon, of the question.
addiction) not on it], iyan
(pounded yam), egussi
(melon seeds), coconut,
any white stuff, no
spices, no alcohol no
palm oil,
Òòşláá / Oxala / creator / logic patron of diaspora alcoholic / is fatherly / slow, feast day 24 September 16 caminos of Obàtálá,
Òòşàálá / Obàtálá disAbled and different / thought out justice / owns all aja bell [cone shaped 8♀, 8♂.
♂ King of the White Cloth heads bell] syncretized Cuba as Our
In Haiti, known as Damballah. animals include the Lady of Mercy. In Brazil,
(Snake as main symbol) elephant & snail Christ Redeemer.
Also, St. Joseph, St.
Anne.
 Notes on Ifa Deities
Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora

Name responsibility sect relationships rituals (ebo, tambour) Notes

Ochosi♀ / hunter / owns jails / Ifá Wife of Ogún Beans cooked with Her icon goes in Ogún’s
tracker / detective maize. Have her icon cauldron. when feed
(crossbow w/ 3 (bolts)) Ogún, you feed her.
and say “I give you a
house so I will never
have to live in your
house” [jail]
Ochosi ♂ hunter, owns jails, diaspora best friend of Oggun / Syncretized to St. [added to / conflated with
Oxossi ♂ / Oşoosi Patron of police / “messenger of Obatala” Sebastian / Native American]
♂ justice all hunting birds
(hawks, eagles, falcons,
etc.) are his
Oduduwa preempts the role of Ifá In some stories Oduduwa, is the Obàtálá / Òrìşà-nla is
creation from Obàtálá wife of Òrìşà-nla.ii In others, male. This òrìşà
brother. gender ?.
Ogún iron, war; technology, Ifá culture builder; (his symbol is the ebo are 3 pigeons, any He creates the human
♂ surgery, culture; justice knife, which kills or heals) male animal, roasted skeleton (basic frame)
destruction & yam. swift justice (see fish)
construction.
Oggun4 iron, war; technology, diaspora creates the human skeleton syncretized to St. Peter
surgery, culture, started as blacksmith and (Santeria)
destruction & farming, now all tech, train, Lucumi feast day is 29
construction. computers ... June
Olódùmarè / God / the High God / Ifá and diaspora “who breathed the breath of life The religion of Ifá does Not He/She, but Ó (no
Olorun the Almighty into them.” not bother him directly, gender) (in English He /
no gender primal force, power but through Eşu. Ó, She or Işi)
who delegates power to
the Òrìşà.
Oshumare♀ rainbow? Ifá lives with Olódùmarè. Snake
diaspora

4Oggun incarnated at one time as a military officer. Late one night, he came upon a group of soldiers with bottles set up all around them. He asked
for some and they just giggled, in part because they were drunk, in part because there was none left. Oggun got angry and killed them all. That is why you turn empty
bottles on their sides. [dead soldiers]
 Notes on Ifa Deities
Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora

Name responsibility sect relationships rituals (ebo, tambour) Notes

Olókun ♂ wealth, silent, hidden Ifá ♂ Ifá’s last wife, he eventually Her ebo are female Queen of the Atlantic
see also Yemeja power, deep sea changes his name to hers “Ifá animals, turtles, hen, Ocean
Olókun” pigeons, àkàrà, amala,
eburu, and olèlè
Olokun ♂ &/or ♀ wealth, silent, hidden diaspora ♀ can be the sea floor as opposed to Lives under the Atlantic
see also Yemeja power, deep sea counter-part of the ocean waters [which belong to Ocean (in the deeps of
Yemaya Yemaya] the ocean, where the
smashed ships all lie)
Onígló - ♂ owner of the forest. Ifá
Òrúnmilá see Ifá Ifá
Osain Cuba - holds all syncretized to St.
♂ medicine Francis of Assisi
Òşanyìn ≠ Osain Òşanyìn had a gift Ifá Òşanyìn is an herbalist. half- Òşanyìn had a gift for He does not control ALL
♂ identifying properties blind, having only one eye. He identifying the medicine. Òşanyìn and
of plants. was also deformed, having one properties of plants. medicine are NOT
leg and one arm. (later, all natural things) synonymous.
Oşun ♀ sweet water (rivers and Ifá loves (& is married to) Şango, brings sacred water to Oşun♀- only female of
springs), love, money, among many other men. new bodies. loves the original 17 Òrìşà
conception honey, pumpkins,
squash, any yellow fruit
or vegetable, spinach,
and female animals.
Oshun sweet water5 / love / diaspora wife of Chango loves little brass bells syncretized to Our
♀ money / conception / ebo = honey, pumpkins, Lady of Charity /
“Mother of protects shipwrecked squash, any yellow fruit youngest orisha
Secrets” sailors. or vegetable, sweets &
Erzulie in Cuba champagne. symbols
include fan, mirror &
peacock

5sweet water includes rivers, springs, lakes, waterfalls and rain.

 Notes on Ifa Deities
Orisha / Lwa Africa and the diaspora
Name responsibility sect relationships rituals (ebo, tambour) Notes
Oya6 ♀ tempest and strong Ifá - most wife of Ogún until he broke all Her foods are white Once a buffalo, / Drop
winds. warrior, powerful òrìşà three vows7. later wife of Şango hominy, eggplant and dead gorgeous but doesn’t
stronger,deadlier than Şango She has an anger management she-goat. Symbols care.
problem. include the whisk and
pinwheels.
Oya ♀ “mother of warrior, strong winds & diaspora Yansa in wars by Shango’s side symbols include masks guardian of cemeteries.
9" tempest / Voudon [from Iya & a horse tale fly-
n’sla] whisk
Pombagiraiii Sacred Harlot / patron Candomblé only wife of Exu - many of işi’s Pombagira is an orixá "the court of last appeal".
of prostitutes, so far attributes are the same as Erinle’s unique to Brazil. Işi will help you when
transsexuals you are desperate
Şango thunder & lightning / Ifá wives Oya, Oba, many others ebo are ram, rooster, warrior. supposed to
♂ strategy / power (many stolen from Ogún)8 bitter kola nuts (not stand up when you say his
surges / like obi), àkàrà name
likes listening to the
bata drums
Shango / Chango see also Şango diaspora In Cuba, son of Nana and Aganju ebo are green bananas Warrior King/feast day =
thunder, drums & dance [Ifá was Nana’s husband at time] (plantain?), hot 4 December
syncretized as St. Barbara cornmeal, okra & red
apples. animals include
the rooster & turtle
Sarepegbe public relations - spin Ifá
doctor.
Sùrúrù patience “patience is Ifá first born son of Olódùmarè.
♂ the litmus test of good
character”
Yansa see Oya diaspora
9
Yemmu - see Nana diaspora Cuba

6[add an accent under the O]

7Don’t roll mortars, don’t drink and don’t tell my secret (I’m a buffalo)
8Şango is handsome, a spif dresser, and is a great dancer. He also has a wonderful palace.
9Yemmu married Ifá She got knocked up by Aganju (not totally voluntary) She had Şango. Neither “father” wanted to acknowledge him. She got so
angry she burst in two. Those two bits were Yemaya, the water, and Nana, the moon.
i Some understandings of diaspora versions of the orisha faiths are from Charles Butler III.,
Martha, and Mohamed. Martha & Mohamed discussed it with us at the Ifá class at UUCL during
Autumn 2006. Charles & I have discussed it at Ecumenicon and via e-mail.
ii Lawson, E. Thomas; Religions of Africa: Traditions in Transformation :(Religious Traditions
of the World) (San Francisco, CA, Harper & Row, 1984) [ISBN 0-06-065211-X] 58.
iii Pombagira is not widely known. I learned about hir from Charles. My on-line source
for most information has been alt.religion, particularly
http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/bldefpombagira.htm