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Do you know why goat capon is given to Oshún? And other sacrifices

Oshún capon goat

Oshún is the queen and Orisha is the owner of the river waters, of the tasty honey, of everything sweet and of the laughter that brightens life, but with its power it also kills and punishes those who offend and disobey it.

This beautiful African goddess of the Yoruba pantheon is passion, tenderness, love, but she is also crying and punishment, because she went through many humiliations and sufferings.

The beautiful orisha Oshún can transform adverse situations in life and nature into pleasant situations through her energies of love.

She is the goddess of love and foreman of the Egún (spirits), who with her energy participates in the creation of the fetus in the womb and is the safeguard of women in a state of pregnancy.

Oshún with his great power saved several Orishas from dangers:

  • He saved Asojano from death, from the world of destruction and disgrace,
  • saved to Oyá the goddess of the spark of her kidnappers,
  • he saved the love of Oggún the master of iron and Yemayá the goddess of the sea.

And all this she achieves in exchange for her beautiful and sensual body, which is why at the same time she is very suffered.

Being the youngest of the Yoruba Pantheon, she can supply the other Orishas and is considered by all of them.

Animals are sacrificed to Oshún in the Osha-Ifá Rule as:

  • Goat (ounko), but capon (castrated),
  • chickens (bye),
  • dove (eyelé),
  • guinea (etu)

In specific cases in our Yoruba religion there are "treaties" with the Orishas depending on their path and the Oddun they are born.

In the case of Oshún in these treaties he is also sacrificed:

  • Owiwi (owl),
  • Eyá Bo (Snapper),
  • Ayapa (jicotea),
  • Agbeyami (peacock),
  • Eiye Oba Orere (pheasant),
  • Arukó (chicken coop).

Pataki: The Yoruba story of why Oshún eats capon goat

There is a pataki where it is said that a woman named Adifa lived together with the marriage of orunmila and Oshún.

Orunmila always told Oshún that if she died one day, he was going to castrate himself so that he would not have more women in his life.

One day Oshún dies and becomes a river, but Orunmila forgets his promise and begins to live with Adifa.

Ozain one day sings:

«Okurin Kuele eko Adifayoko Oshún»

And Orunmila, upon hearing it, remembers what was promised to Oshún.

He is consulted and the Oddun Ogbe Yono comes out, where Oshún claims what he promised himself.

So Ifá advises him to buy a goat and cast it and wrap his testicles in one of his breeches and give them to the tiñosa (alakasó), to take them to Olofin as proof of his promise.

Orunmila shouts everywhere that he is sick and that they had to look for the castrated goat, dress him in his clothes and deliver him to the river so that Oshún could receive him.

This is how Oshún agrees and from that day on, Oshún capon goat is offered to him.

Treaty of the goat capon of Oshún

The goat that is offered to Oshún must have been coated some time before so that it does not have that strong smell that Oshún does not like.

In case it is not covered and it is needed at that time, the goat carries a prayer before entering the room of Sodo Orisha (Osha's Seat Ceremony), but it is forbidden to hide it at the door of the room. 

Learn more about the Orisha Oshún, the goddess of love in Santeria:

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