OYA
from Calendar of the Orishas
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This month, Voice of Thoth celebrates the orisha Oya. Mother of Nine, Cuban Yoruba worshippers traditionally celebrate her feast day on February 2. Below is a brief introduction to the dynamic warrior goddess.

Centuries ago, war threatened Nupé, which lies to the north of Yorubaland. The King asked his diviners what he should do to prevent invasion. They told him that a virgin should be appointed to tear a piece of black cloth in two. The King selected his favorite daughter for the task. She tore the fabric in two and let it fall upon the ground. Instantly, the mighty Niger River was born, which provided Nupé with a formidable obstacle against intruders. The Niger is called "Odó Oya." "O-ya" means "she tore." The Niger is home to the Awesome Orisha of the Winds, Oya.

Oya is a foreign addition to the Yoruba pantheon. According to mythology. She comes from Nupé and is of royal extraction. This story tells how this orisha was borne of a princess defending her homeland against war. Oya is a ferocious warrior. Her worship flourished throughout the land of the Yoruba- Southwest Nigeria, parts of Benin and Ghana. During the Middle Passage, her worship was brought over to the New World by Slaves. In Cuba, the individual orisha were disguised as Catholic Saints. Oya’s most popular masks were Saint Therese and Our Lady of Candelaria. However, she retained her true Afrikan Character under these masks. The religion of the orisha in Cuba came to be known as Santeria, "the way of the Saints." Oya and her fellow orisha have had their worship maintained by Santeria worshippers in Cuba, who spread their worldwide. Today, orisha worship is a rapidly growing religion in the United States. Thousands of Americans are finding out what Oya has to offer them.

• She has many praise epithets in Afrika. An examination of a few introduces some of her key traits. Obini Ya'go: "The woman you make way for when she turns." She is a forceful presence that demands attention and respect.
• Obìrin t’o t’orí ogun dá rùngbon si: "A Woman who grows a beard on account of war." She is a warrior. Although comely in appearance she is able to quickly put on a warrior’s mantle. This idea is repeated in many other Yoruba descriptions of her, such as: "Obini sokoto Penpen," "the woman who wears shorts." This refers to a woman who wears the clothes of a warrior.
• Ayaba Ni Kua: "Queen of death." Oya rules the cemetery. She is not afraid of death. Indeed, she bravely sees people through the transition between life and death. She is mother of Egungun and presides over Yoruba rites having to do with the dead.
• Iya Yansan: "Mother of Nine." In addition to Egungun she bore four sets of twins, Ibeji. Nine is her special power number. Its mystical attributes apply to her.
• Oya Iya'loja: "Owner of the Market." She presides over both the seller and consumer. She oversees transactions and transitions of all kinds. She is "Ayi Lo Da," "The one that turns things and changes them."

She is embodied in the natural forces of the Niger River, Wind (afefe), lightning, thunder. As a wild animal, she is a water buffalo. Unlike other deities, the wild animal is not her familiar but her very self. As indicated by her many unique appellates and manifestations, she is a shapeshifter. She provides her worshipper with a means of changing themselves. She conducts the transference of matter into energy, vital force that fuels existence as we experience it. It is no wonder that a deity powerful as Oya has had her worship endure throughout centuries and across continents!

(from the unpublished manuscript Oya: Santeria and the Spirit of the Wind by Eric K. Lerner)

 

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