How does Eleguá deceive Oshún to save her from misery?

Oshun She is a head Orisha of Yoruba mythology and is part of the Yoruba Pantheon, the waters of the river of the same name run near Nigeria, in Ijesá and Ijebu.

Oshún is the Goddess of Love and Rivers, who is also known for her power to control fertility and fecundity, so there are many women who when they seek motherhood ask this divinity for a healthy and strong child. .

Meanwhile, Eleggua he is the messenger of the gods, the warrior who opens the roads and owner of human fortune. In many of his ways, this deity joins the Orisha of the Rivers and they have a good friendship relationship.

Elegguá is Oshún's protector and the one who accompanies her through mountains and roads to keep her safe.

Patakí from Elegúa and Oshún

Count the yoruba legend that after the ibeyis, people began to curse Oshún and say that only the animals gave birth to more than one child. They offended her so much that the young mother fell into an intense depression and gifted her children to Yemaya, the mistress of the sea, entrusting them with her care.

She, for her part, stayed living on the streets. That is how Elegguá found her one day, plunged into utter misery and starving.

Elegguá had always been Oshún's unconditional friend and decided to protect her, picked her up from the streets and took her home.

Once home, Elegguá wanted to give her friend some food to lift her spirits. But he realized that he only had male goats instead of the goats that Oshún always ate, with soft and delicate meat.

Elegguá's deception

But Eleguá could not see Oshún starve, so he gave him the meat of the goats and never really told him what he was eating.

So many days passed until Oshún discovered Elegguá's deception and decided to castrate all the goats so that their meat became sweet and juicy.

And since then, in gratitude to Elegguá for saving her from the streets and as a reminder of the time she spent at home, Oshún eats goats and castrated goats.