Oggun He is the Orisha who represents strength, work and rough and initial strength, an Orisha who spends all his hours dedicated to working for the Ocha. That is why it is said that he is the force that encloses the box of the human body, the thorax, where all the vital organs are.
In nature it is symbolized by iron, all metals and the enormous virility in the human being. He owns the tools and chains and is the boss of all those who work with iron.
Oggún is an Osha from the Orisha Oddé group, commonly called The Warriors. This group is made up of Eleguá, Oggún, Oshosi and Osun and they are the first Orishas and Oshas that the devotees receive.
He is Oggún, the decisive Osha in the ceremonial of the confirmation of the Oloshas (Pinaldo) and in the confirmation ceremony of the Awó ni Orunmila (Kuanaldo), in addition, he is the one who has the preferential right to sacrifice, since the knife belongs to him. with which this ceremony is performed.
He owns the mountain together with Oshosi and the roads together with Eleguá and his name comes from the Yoruba Òggún (war) and he is greeted saying, Oke Oggun! Oggun Kobú Kobú, Aguanilé!
Who is Oggún Arere? Oshún's companion
There are many Yoruba legends that link the great warrior Oggún to the sensual Yoruba goddess of love Oshún.
On this path of the iron king, Oggún Arere lives near the mountain that surrounds the rivers and has direct contact with the Orisha Oshun, who is always by his side. He is in love with the beautiful goddess, but is very jealous, violent and possessive.
For this reason it is said that this path externalizes one of the negative sides of Oggún. His jealousy and his great anger made him mistreat women and then banish them from his lands. And for that reason Yemayá, the Queen of the Seas, cursed him.
It was Yemayá Sara Magua who confronted him in the mountain where Oggún Arere was hiding, with the intention of making him feel the mistreatment that he caused to the females who walked unprotected in the middle of the undergrowth.
Enemies for love: Oggún Arere and Shango
Oggún Arere is a butcher and a great warrior and protector, virile and owner of the mountain and the iron, but as in many other roads, his patakíes reflect him as a sworn enemy of Shango, God of Thunder
On this path, Arere is an enemy of Shango due to his closeness to Oshún, a war of love and hate between the two orishas.
However, they say that Oggún offered the Lord of Fire a truce to end the long wars that they frequently waged and that caused serious problems to the lands in which they fought.
Offering with Oggún for the expiration of visible and invisible Enemies
«Addimú a Oggún» to overcome problems and find work
