The Pataki of the Orisha Oranmiyán How was the mainland created?

Perhaps Oranmiyán is not one of the Orishas best known of the Yoruba pantheon. However, his cult is extremely important because it is attributed to him, the creation of the mainland.

This Orisha is the son of Oduduwa and he is considered the creator, owner and defender of the mainland, because according to the myth, in the beginning everything was heaven until he helped to form the surface of the earth and defend it.

He is half the son of Oduduwá and half of Oggun the owner of iron, so he has the combined powers of these powerful deities, few really know all the secrets that his cult contains.

Oranmiyán represents the firmament, the fight for ideals and permanent defense.

Story of Prince Oranmiyan, the defender of the land

This Pataki tells that one day the god of metals, Oggún, devastated a village and kidnapped a maiden who made his wife, but Oduduwá, Orisha of the mysteries, also fought for her, blindly in love with the young woman and finally made her his .

That is why, as a result of those confused loves, Oranmiyán was born, half the son of Oggún and half the son of Oduduwá, half white and half black.

Oranmiyán was considered the creator of the Earth, because it is said that when only heaven existed, Olodumare then created seven crowned princes, who shared all the wealth.

Oranmiyán was the smallest of the princes and being the last in the distribution they only left him a bag with a dark substance, twenty-one iron bars and a chicken.

But the young man did not complain and spread the dark substance over the waters. Thus first arose a mound of dry land on which the hen perched.

Then the hen on that elevation of land began to dig, making it bigger and bigger. Thus arose the mainland, from the hand of this Orisha.

The princes seeing the immense creation of their little brother, wanted to take over the land, but Oranmiyán transformed the iron bars into spears and arrows and thus defended the land, frightening the other brothers and providing protection.

These finally recognized him as the lord and owner of the Earth. That is why despite being a minor Orisha, his cult is so important in the Yoruba religion.