Much has been said of the enormous powers of the Queen of the Waters YemayaMother of the World and of all things on this Earth, impetuous woman who, like the waves of the seas that belong to her, attacks the world when men are disrespectful.
She is the most powerful of the Orishas and as old as the father of the world Obatala. And although by his raptured character and his uncontrollable anger he lost the hegemony of the world, he is the one who controls all the natural energy that emanates from the salty waters and now governs the surface of the seas.
But for his immense powers even other Orishas owe him immense respect. And so the great Shango, owner of thunder and drums, who according to Yoruba legends, was the foster son of Yemayá.
Patakí de Yemayá and his son Shango
The Pataki says that Yemayá was the foster mother of King Shango and that the impulsive young man adored her in every way.
But one day Yemayá decided to go to the bottom of the sea and spent a lot of time there without anyone seeing her, spending her time meditating and organizing her ideas.
Yemayá was in the depths of the waters, ordering her world between snails and fish, so Shango spent a long time without seeing her again since she left.
And the Queen of the Seas also began to miss the land and her loved ones. One day she heard the sound of drums that called her to participate in the party by calling the Wemilere.
So the goddess wanted to return to the world of men and dressed in her best blue clothes to get to the party.
Shango does not recognize his mother
When she came to earth she began to laugh and dance and her beauty and the time without seeing her made Shango not recognize her. The god of thunder that night played, sang and danced for her, and decided to seduce the beautiful girl dressed in blue.
Yemayá, being aware of the situation, decided to trap him and with a sweet voice, invited him to visit his ilé (house). Shango followed her, but when he reached the seashore, he stopped and told her with regret that he did not know how to swim.
But the goddess convinced him that he had nothing to fear and he decided to continue out to sea blinded by her beauty.
At a good depth, Yemayá jumped out of the boat and made the waters boil, turning them into eddies. And so Shango fell out of the boat and began to fight the waves to keep from drowning.
He began to beg Yemayá for help, but she was not paying attention to him and was watching him sink into the water.
When he was about to die, she rose above the waters and said, “Now you know me! Respect me! "
Shango recognized her then and asked her forgiveness. Thus, Yemayá saved him from the sea and gave him a lesson in respect that the god of thunder would never forget.
Prayers to Shango to ask for justice and prosperity Take care of us, great king!
Works with Shango to defeat enemies
