The Orixás or "Gods" Worshipped (Nagô Conception)

[Luciana A.Schlei]

Obatalá – the son of Olorum. The father of humanity (ours, of course). An Orixalá, meaning the one who is above the Orixás, is a great god. Later, in Brazil, he came to be called Oxalá (a contraction of the original name). Note: Due to the influence or pressure of the clergy, he was identified with Senhor do Bonfim of Bahia, the same as Jesus. This marked the beginning of what is called syncretism or similitude.

**Xangô** – God of Thunder, Lightning, and Celestial Fire. Within syncretism, he came to be identified with **St. Jerome** of the Church.

**Ogum** – God of Iron, War, and Conflicts. In syncretism, he was associated with **St. Anthony** (in Bahia) or **St. George**, in other states.

**Oxóssi** – God of Hunting, Vegetation, and more. In syncretism, he became identified with **St. Sebastian** of the Church.

**Yemanjá** – Goddess of the Waters. Within syncretism, she was assimilated to **Our Lady of Conception** of the Church.
*(Note: According to a legend among the Nagô people, from Yemanjá’s breasts, the mistress of the waters, two vast rivers were born, which united to form a massive lagoon. From the womb of this lagoon, all these Orixás were born, except for Obatalá, Ifá, and Ibeji, who have other legends and concepts.)*

**Ifá** – The messenger of the gods. The oracle of the Orixás. The diviner.

**Dadá** – Goddess of Vegetation.

**Olokum** – God of the Sea.

**Okô** – God of Agriculture.

**Olochá** – Goddess of the Lakes.

**Obá** – Goddess of the Oba River.

**Agê-Chalagá** – God of Health.

**Oiá** – Goddess of the Niger River.

Well, my Umbanda brother, from here you can begin to analyze the aspects of this "root" and even understand why only five of these Orixás or these representative terms for Forces or Powers, ancient and traditional, are...

**Chapanã** – God of Smallpox, Plagues, and other diseases.

**Okê** – God of the Mountains.

**Ogê-Chalugá** (with another attribute), **Ajá** or **Aroni**, **Oxanby** or **Oxanin** – The gods of medicine, those who had the power to heal, etc.

Well, my Umbanda brother, from here you can begin to analyze the aspects of this "root" and even understand why only five of these Orixás or these representative terms for Forces or Powers, ancient and traditional, are...

**Chapanã** – God of Smallpox, Plagues, and other diseases.

**Okê** – God of the Mountains.

**Ogê-Chalugá** (with another attribute), **Ajá** or **Aroni**, **Oxanby** or **Oxanin** – The gods of medicine, those who had the power to heal, etc.

Well, my Umbanda brother, from here you can start to analyze the aspects of this "root" and even understand why only five of these Orixás or these representative terms of Forces or Powers, ancient and traditional, have been preserved in their emotional concept, internal and hidden, or rather, through hidden adaptation within the astral plane, under the Law of Umbanda. When we get to the issue of the true Lines or the Seven Original Vibrations of this Law, we will see.

In their nation rituals—always exemplifying with Nagô—they played the adarrum, a special type of drum rhythm, to call upon their Orixás. These drums were carefully prepared in secret, involving chants, herbs, and a specific lunar phase. The drums were named RUM (the largest), RUMPI (the medium-sized drum), and the smallest of the three, LÊ. This special rhythm with these three drums was meant to induce a trance (fetishistic animism, according to Nina Rodrigues) or mediumistic possession, whether in the Babalorixá (priest) or a daughter or son of the faith.

This was accompanied by expressive dances (specific to each Orixá), clapping, chants, and what were also known as pontos (sacred songs). Through this routine ritual, the Babalorixá (later called "father-of-saints") or Ialorixá (the "mother-of-saints") or even an Iaô (an initiate, or "daughter-of-saints") could become possessed by their Orixá.

However, if any of them "fell with the saint" (a term for being possessed by a spirit) or by their "Orixá," everyone knew it wasn’t the ancestral Orixá—like Xangô, Ogum, Oxóssi, etc. It was an emissary of the Orixá, representing the Orixá’s power. Whether it was the Orixá, whom they considered (and still consider) a highly elevated spiritual being before Olorum or God, or the intermediary Orixá (the emissary), who was also a highly elevated spirit, neither had ever incarnated; that is, they had never passed through the human condition.

All of this ritual, with its evocations and practices, was (and still is) almost always accompanied by simple or special offerings—later called “comida-de-santo” (saint’s food)—according to the occasion of the feast or ceremony. It was also common, before starting the ritual proper, to perform an ebó (a type of spiritual cleansing or offering), which could range from animal sacrifice to simpler offerings like popcorn and other items.

It should be clear from these general lines that the Africans brought with them well-defined conceptions, with their gods, rituals, practices, and especially an entire system of offerings to the Orixás, involving material elements, including animal sacrifice and blood, etc. (This issue of offerings or "saint’s food" will be analyzed and clarified in the section dealing with magic and offerings.)