Many of the Yoruba deities intertwine their stories in various patakies (Yoruba stories) that show them as close beings who shared experiences, joys and sorrows.
Two of the most relevant figures of the Yoruba pantheon are:
- Elegua, orisha Lord of the Paths and Destiny. Messenger of deities and holder of the keys of happiness.
- Shango, King of Thunder, Lord of Fire and Drums
Eleguá, is the prince of the Ocha (Santeria)He is the first Orisha to be received and acts as a guide and protector for those who are new to the Yoruba religion.
This deity play with luck and open the doors of love, health and prosperity to those he considers worthy of his blessings. He should always be greeted and entertained first, otherwise he can block the offerings and messages that we allocate to other members of the Yoruba pantheon.
Eleguá and Shangó are seen in many Yoruba patakies as powerful brothers and warriors, possessors of immense strength and cunning.
history where Eleguá frees Changó from certain death
It is said that the day Orula was born, his father, baba (Obatalá) without saying anything, took him away from the house with the intention of killing him. But Eleguá, one of his eldest sons, saw him leave and followed him secretly, disguising himself as a mouse and without making noise to see what he was going to do with the little one.
Hidden in the undergrowth, he witnessed Obbatalá stop and begin to dig a fairly deep hole at the foot of an iroko or ceiba tree. There he buried Orula up to his waist with his arms under the ground and left.
Elegguá ran to tell his mother Yemayá and between the two of them they decided not to let Orula die.
But soon Shango was born who was a strong and beautiful child. And since Obbatalá had made the promise that all the children that were born after the affront that Oggún made would be killed, he decided the same fate for little Shango.
Eleguá upon learning of Obbatalá's intentions, gave Shango to Dada, his older sister, to raise him. She took him to Dada, dressed all in red, and asked him to raise him.
She did so and several years passed and Dada wanted Shango to meet her parents. But Yemayá, seeing her son arrive, began to cry and Obbatalá also cried knowing that he was her father. The old man sat Shango on his legs to play with him.
The boy, who was very alert, asked his father why his mother was crying so much and seemed not happy about his visit.
Baba replied that it was not true that she was crying because of his presence and told him that one day he would calmly tell her everything, since he himself did not remember well all the things that had happened before his birth.
"The power of forgiveness" Reconciliation between Obatalá and his children
One day Shango decided to ask her mother the reason for crying, because she always received it with tears in her eyes. In addition, his brother Osun never left his position in front of the door of the house.
Given the concern of his son Yemayá, he replied that he could not tell him what was happening in the family, because the true secret of everything was his brother Elegguá.
And since he and Elegguá loved each other very much and got along very well, Shangó decided to ask him about his family's situation.
Elegguá told him: “Take the mass of three güiros, three pieces of coconut, three parrot feathers, rainwater and corojo butter, prepare all this together with a Ceiba tree, leave it for three days and three nights, when you take them out make a paste with the shell of ground egg and since you are the only one that Baba carries and allows him to get close to him, when he opens his mouth, put a little on his tongue, temples and eyes.
Shangó followed Elegguá's instructions to the letter and shortly after spreading all these things to Baba, he began to remember everything that had happened and began to tell Shangó everything, regretting having wanted to kill his children.
Thus, he recovered Orula, who had hidden in the roots of the ceiba and had become a powerful fortune teller. Although she did not want to return to her family, Orunmila forgave her father and her mother.
Obbatalá also forgave Oggún, who made him a promise to work tirelessly all the time to make up for his mistakes.
The story of how Eleguá saved Changó teaches us the importance of truth in our lives. Through his cunning and determination, Eleguá revealed the hidden truth and allowed reconciliation and forgiveness to flourish in Obatalá's family.
This story reminds us that the truth has the power to heal deep wounds, to rebuild broken ties and to open the way to harmony and love. It teaches us that, despite the difficulties and buried secrets, it is essential to be brave and seek the truth, since only through honesty and transparency can we find true peace and fulfillment in our lives and relationships.
two gods Yorubas who protect us every day
Let's remember that Shango is the Orisha of lightning, thunder, large electrical charges and fire. He is virile and daring, but also righteous; he punishes liars, thieves, and wrongdoers.
It is said that Eleguá is his adviser and both guide men along the path of life, until they reach their destination.
Shangó and Eleguá are considered among the most popular and revered orishas in the Yoruba pantheon and are two of the most powerful African powers to which devotees turn.
Shango is considered, a King in the Rule of Osha, because according to history, he was really the fourth king of Alafin who, when he died, became an Orisha.
He is also an Orisha of justice, dance, and of great virile strength, owner of the Batá, Wemileres, Ilú Batá or Bembés drums, of dance and music, Shangó represents the need and joy of living, the intensity of life, masculine beauty, passion, intelligence and riches.
while, to Elegguá is known as the prince of the pantheon Yoruba, as a legend indicates that he was of royal blood at the time of finding his powers.
The little Eleguá is mischievous and also represents joy and vivacity. Both They are powerful warriors who defend those who follow the spiritual path.He and who watch over their children and devotees to keep them away from dangers and misfortunes.
- Know more Changó Orisha (click here)
- Learn more about the little one of the roads Eleguá
