11 - Xango

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umbanda

 · 2 years ago

Perhaps we are facing the most worshiped and respected Orisha in Brazil. This is because he was the first Yoruban God, so to speak, who set foot on Brazilian lands.

Xangô is a very popular Orisha in Brazil and sometimes confused as an Orisha with special ascendancy over the others, in hierarchical terms. This confusion happens for two reasons: first, Xangô is mythically a king, someone who takes care of administration, power and, above all, justice - he represents the constituted authority in the African pantheon. At the same time, in the north of Brazil there are several cults that go by the name of Xangô. In the Northeast, more specifically in Pernambuco and Alagoas, the practice of Candomblé received the generic name of Xangô, perhaps because in those regions there were many children of Xangô among the blacks who came from Africa. In the same line of improper use, one can find the expression Xangô de Caboclo, which obviously refers to what we call Candomblé de Caboclo.

Xangô is heavy, integral, indivisible, irremovable; with all this, it is evident that a certain authoritarianism is part of his figure and of the legends about his determinations and designs, something that is not questioned by most of his children, when questioned.

Their decisions are always considered wise, thoughtful, skillful and correct. He is the Orisha who decides about good and evil. He is the Orisha of lightning and thunder.

In Africa, if a house is struck by lightning, its owner pays high fines to the priests of Xangô, as he is considered to have incurred the wrath of God. Soon after, the priests will turn over the rubble and dig the ground in search of the lightning stones formed by the lightning. Because its axé is generically concentrated in the stones, but mainly in those resulting from the destruction caused by lightning, with Meteorite being its maximum axé.

Xangô has a reputation for always acting with neutrality (except in his personal disputes, present in the legends referring to his love affairs and the like). Its lightning and eventual punishment are the result of an almost judicial process, where all the pros and cons were thought out and weighed exhaustively. His Axé, therefore, is concentrated in the formations of crystalline rocks, in the rocky terrains at the edge of the earth, in the quarries, in the massifs. Its stones are whole, hard to break, fixed and unshakable, like the Orisha himself.

Xangô does not contest Oxalá's status as patriarch of Umbanda, but there is something in common between him and Zeus, the main god of rich Greek mythology. The symbol of Xangô's Axé is a kind of stylized ax with two blades, the Oxé, which indicates Xangô's power, cuts in two opposite directions. The administrator of justice could never look only in one direction, always defending interests from the same point of view. In a dispute, his power can be turned against any of the contenders, this being the mark of independence and completeness of the scope of justice applied by him. According to Pierre Verger, this symbol is very close to the symbol of Zeus found in Crete. Like Zeus, he is a deity linked to strength and justice, holding power over lightning and thunder, demonstrating in the legends about him, an intense love activity.

Other information from Pierre Verger specifies that this Oxé appears to be the stylization of a character carrying fire over his head; this fire is, at the same time, the double axe, and it reminds, in a way, of the ceremony called ajerê, in which the initiates of Xangô must carry on their heads a jar full of holes, inside which a live fire burns, demonstrating through this proof, that the trance is not simulated.

Xangô, therefore, is already adult enough not to get carried away by passions and intemperances, but vital and capable enough to not only serve as a consultant.

Another salient fact about the figure of the lord of justice is his bad relationship with death. If Nanã is, like Orixá, the figure that best understands himself and predominates over the spirits of dead human beings, Eguns, Xangô is the one who most detests or fears them. There are those who say that when death approaches a son of Xangô, the Orixá abandons him, withdrawing from his head and his essence, delivering the heads of his children to Obaluaiê and Omulu seven months before their death, as the degree of aversion you have to disease and dead things.

Several babalorixás linked to their cult disagree with this type of statement, but practically all of them accept as a precept that a child who is an initiate with the Orisha in his head, should not enter cemeteries or accompany funerals.

Everything related to studies, lawsuits, law, contracts, locked documents belong to Xangô.

Xangô would have as his weak point, devastating sensuality and pleasure, being pointed out as a vain figure and intense sexual activity in many legends and songs, having three wives: Obá, the oldest and least loved; Oxum, who was married to Oxossi and with whom Xangô falls in love and makes her leave Oxossi; and Iansã, who lived with Ogun and whom Xangô kidnapped.

In the historical aspect Xangô would have been the third Aláàfin Oyó, son of Oranian and Torosi, and would have reigned over the city of Oyó (Nigeria), since he succeeded after dethroning his own half-brother Dada-Ajaká with a military coup. Therefore, there is always an aura of seriousness and authority when someone refers to Xangô.

Legend has it that when he was defeated by his enemies, he took refuge in the forest, always accompanied by the faithful Iansã, hanged himself and so did she. His body disappeared underground into a deep hole, from which an iron chain emerged - the chain of human generations. And he became an Orisha. In his divine aspect, he is the son of Oxalá, having Yemanjá as his mother.

Xangô also generates the power of politics. He is monarch by nature and called by the term obá, which means King. On a daily basis, we find Xangô in forums, police stations, political ministries, union leaders, associations, political movements, campaigns and political parties, in short, in everything that generates skill in dealing with human relations or in governments, in general.

Xangô is the ideology, the decision, the will, the initiative. It is rigidity, organization, work, the discussion for improvement, social and cultural progress, the voice of the people, the uprising, the will to win. Also the sense of royalty, the imperial, monarchical attitude. It is the noble spirit of the people, the so-called “blue blood”, the power of leadership. For Xangô, justice is above all and, without it, no achievement is worthwhile; respect for the King is more important than fear.

Xangô is an Orisha of fire, son of Oxalá with Yemanjá. Legend has it that he was king of Oyó. Powerful and proud king and he had to face rivalries and even fight with his brothers to keep himself in power.

Features

Assignments

Xangô is the Orixá of Justice and his preferred field of action is reason, awakening in beings a sense of balance and equity, since only by raising awareness and awakening to the real values of life evolution takes place in a continuous flow.

The Characteristics of the Children of Xangô

For the description of the psychological and physical archetypes of the people who correspond to Xangô, a basic word must be kept in mind: Stone. It is the rock that they are closest to in the natural world and all their characteristics are marked by the ability to see both sides of an issue, with exemption and granite firmness that they present in every way.

The Xangô type is attributed a strong physique, but with a certain amount of fat and a slight tendency towards obesity, which can be manifested less or more clearly according to the Ajuntós (second and third Orixá of a person). On the other hand, this tendency is almost certainly accompanied by a well-developed bone structure that is firm as a rock.

Will tend to be a stocky type, with a strong, broad torso, well-developed, clearly defined shoulders as opposed to short stature;

The woman who is the daughter of Xangô may have a strong tendency to lack elegance. It's not that he doesn't know how to recognize beautiful clothes - he has, thanks to the intrinsic vanity of the guy, a special fascination for exquisite and expensive clothes, knowing very well what is best in each case. But his best quality lies in knowing how to choose clothes in a shop window and not in wearing them. One should not be surprised by his somewhat masculine way of walking and behaving and this fact should never be understood as an indicator of sexual preferences, but in a daughter of Xangô it is a behavior process to be carefully established, since her body can approach more masculine than feminine cultural archetypes; broad shoulders, developed bones, decisive bearing and heavy steps, always remembering its stone consistency.

In sexual terms, Xangô is a completely womanizing type. Their children, therefore, usually bear this mark, whether men or women (who are among the most ardent in the world). Xangô's children are seen as great conquerors, they are strongly attracted to the opposite sex and sexual conquest assumes an important role in their lives.

They are honest and sincere in their most lasting relationships, because for them sex is something vital, irreplaceable, but the sexual object itself is not worthy of so much attention after satisfying desire.

Psychologically, Xangô's children show a high dose of energy and enormous self-esteem, a clear awareness that they are important, worthy of respect and attention, mainly, that their opinion will be decisive on almost all topics - awareness that a little egocentric and unrelated to their real social role. Xangô's children are always heard; on occasions by people more important than themselves and even when they are not considered experts in a subject or in fact qualified to issue an opinion.

However, the planter who lives within them makes them not accept the questioning of their attitudes by others, especially if they have already considered the matter under discussion closed by their determination. Therefore, they like to have the last word in everything, although they know how to listen. When thwarted, however, they quickly become violent and uncontrollable. At that moment, they solve everything in a devastating and fast way, but, once the law is made, they return to their more usual behavior.

In summary, the archetype associated with Xangô is close to the enlightened despot, the one who has power, exercises it inflexibly, does not admit doubts about his right to detain it, but judges everyone according to a strict and solid concept of values. clear and undisputed. Variable in mood, but unable to consciously commit an injustice, make choices driven by passions, interests, or friendships.

Xangô's children are extremely energetic, authoritarian, like to exert influence on people and dominate everyone, they are leaders by nature, fair, honest and balanced, but when contradicted, they are possessed by violent and uncontrollable anger.

Ritualistic cuisine

Pigweed

Boil the dried shrimp, peel it and pass it through the grinder. Peel the roasted peanuts, garlic and onion and also pass through the grinder. Mix all these ground ingredients and sauté them in palm oil, until they start to brown. Add the washed, dried and cut okras into very thin slices. Mix with a wooden spoon and add a little water and enough palm oil to cook the okra. If necessary, add more water and palm oil while cooking. Taste and season with salt to taste. Stir the pigeon pea with a wooden spoon throughout the cooking time. When the okra is cooked, add the fresh cooked shrimp and the fried fish (this one in large flakes), give it another boil and serve, very hot.

ajebo

Cut the okra into very thin slices in a trough, and beat them as if you were putting them together with your hands, until you create a very homogeneous league.

Oxtail

Cook the oxtail with onion and palm oil. In a separate pan, sauté palm onions, separate 12 okra and cut the rest into thin slices,
add the cooked oxtail. With the cornmeal, make a polenta and line a trough with it, place the stir-fry and garnish with the 12 okra, sticking them upside down in the amalah.

Legends of Shango: The Justice of Shango

Once, Xangô was seen accompanied by his armies face to face with an enemy who had orders from his superiors not to take prisoners, the orders were to annihilate Xangô's army, and so it was done, those who fell prisoners were barbarously annihilated, destroyed, mutilated and their pieces thrown at the foot of the mountain where Xangô was. This provoked the wrath of Xangô who, in a quick movement, hits the stone with his ax, causing sparks that looked like lightning. And the more it hit, the more the lightning gained strength and the more enemies it hit. There were so many lightning bolts that all enemies were defeated. By the strength of his axe, once again Xangô had won. To the prisoners, the ministers of Xangô asked for the same treatment given to their warriors, mutilation, atrocities, total destruction. With that he did not agree with Xangô.

- No! My hatred cannot go beyond the limits of justice, they were warriors following orders, their leaders must pay!

And raising his ax again towards the sky, he generated a series of rays, directing them all against the leaders, destroying them completely and then freeing all the prisoners who, fascinated by Xangô's way of acting, began to follow him. him and be part of his armies.

The Legend of the Wealth of Obará

There were sixteen brothers, Okaram, Megioko, Etaogunda, Yorossum, Oxé, Odí, Edjioenile, Ossá, Ofum, Owarin, Edjilaxebora, Ogilaban, Iká, Obetagunda, Alafia and Obará. Among all, Obará was the poorest, living in a straw house in the middle of the forest, with a humble and simple life.

One day the brothers went to make the annual visit to the babalawo to make their consultations, and the babalawo promptly asked: Where is the poorest brother? The other brothers told him that he was sick and could not attend, but in fact they were ashamed of the poor brother. As was usual, the babalao presented each brother with a souvenir, simple but from the heart and after the consultation they all went home. As they walked, did they curse the gift given by the babalao, Morangas? Is this a gift to give? pumpkins? .

Night was approaching and Obará's house was close, so they decided to spend the night there. Arriving at his brother's house, everyone entered and was very well received, Obará asked his wife to prepare food and drink for everyone, and they ended up with everything there was to eat in the house. At daybreak, the brothers left without thanking him, but first they left him the pumpkins as a gift, as they refused to eat them.

At lunchtime, Obará's wife told him that there was nothing else to eat, just the pumpkins that were not good, but Obará asked him to make them anyway. When they opened the pumpkins, inside them there were several riches in gold and precious stones and Obará prospered.

Some time later, the brothers of Obará were going through times of misery, and they went to Babalaô to try to solve the situation, when they got there they heard the crowd saluting a prince on his white horse and many servants in his entourage entering the city, when they looked at the prince realized that it was his brother Obará and asked Babalaô how it could be possible and he replied: Do you remember the pumpkins I gave you, inside there were riches in stones and gold but vanity and pride did not let you see and today who was the most poor became the richest.

Then the brothers went to Obará's palace to try to recover the pumpkins and when they got there, they told Obará to return the pumpkins to them and Obará did so, but before he emptied them all and said: Here are my brothers, the pumpkins they gave me to eat , now it is you who will eat them. And when the babalawo visiting the palace of Obará said to him: As long as you don't reveal what you have, you will always have it. And this is how the reason that those who carry this Odú cannot reveal what they have because they run the risk of losing everything, like the brothers of Obará.