Why does Ozain have only one eye, one arm, and one leg? Pataki

Ozai He is one of the most revered Orishas in the Yoruba religion, for being the one who keeps the secrets of nature, his knowledge is ancestral and sacred.

Who is Ozain?

He is a wise Orisha, brings health and is a great connoisseur of all plants, animals and minerals. He is also divine and a doctor, saves with his plants the worst of diseases, owner of all the secrets of nature and possessor of the Ashe of herbs.

He is the absolute owner of the mountain, the forests and the vegetation that is gathered there, with that energy heals, heals and protects. For his life and his work as a doctor, he knows each herb and its powers and uses them to help men. He takes refuge in the middle of the mountain, where he lives alone, which is why the Yorubas call him "Osain del monte".

The Yoruba pataki (legend) say that due to their confrontation with Shango, the King of thunder, Osain is usually depicted as a man with physical imperfections.

Osain has a single eye, a single leg, a single arm, a large ear and a small one that is why he hears the whispers of the universe.

However Why is it represented in this particular way?

Pataki: The rays of Shango attack Ozain

The pataki tells that osain It has among its best instruments, a güiro that has the ability to predict the future and that is why this Orisha also acts as a fortune teller.

But the goddess of the winds and the dead, OyáHe knew about the güiro and wanted to possess it, so he devised a plan together with the god of thunder, Shango, to obtain it.

The warrior's plan Oyá to steal the guiro

The plan consisted of Oyá in intoxicating osain ad nauseam, so that when he fell asleep, she could take the güiro quietly.

But not everything went as the Orisha of the cemeteries wanted, because while she was stealing the precious güiro, Osain woke up from her lethargy and tried to possess her, resorting to force.

So Oyá He began to scream for the help of Shangó, who has an angry and impulsive character, and blinded by fury, he launched two strong lightning bolts towards Osain.

Ozain takes refuge in the mountains forever

The impact of the rays then took away an eye, a leg and an arm, and thus he took refuge in the mountain that only he knows well, supported by Oggún, owner of the irons, who is his friend and protected him from revenge. of Shango.

Osain did not leave the mountain again. There he stayed learning all the remedies and spells associated with plants and nature in general, and became an extremely wise and respected Orisha, whom everyone turns to when death approaches, to save them with his ancestral spells.