In the early 21st century, Shango was worshipped in the Vodou religion of Haiti, the Santería tradition of Cuba, and also in the Candomblé cult of Brazil. Shango’s story Public defender Linda Borus doesn’t have to look far for inspiration as she battles, year in, year out, for men and women she believes have lives worth living outside jail. Street Team INNW, St. Paul, Lawrence Nixon advocated the right to vote, Hazel B. Williams educated many in Kansas City, Blanche Calloway, bandleader and much more. Shango's staff visualizes the unpredictable and violent power of the divine being. Shango is an Osha of the Head's Oshas group. ISBN 0-471-23924-0. He can be a source of both vengeance and justice, of representing both raw a rage and a channeled strength. Shango leads a full red-blooded life and likes to party. He was the only orisha allowed to witness the creation of the universe by Olorun and bears witness to our destinies in the making as well. Shango's followers proclaimed him a god and said the storms were Shango's wrath, avenging his enemies. He is in great demand as a drummer and his dancing talents cause severe outbreaks of funkiness wherever perpetrated. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. All of the stories concerning Shango represent the theme of capricious, authoritative, creative, destructive, magical, medicinal, and moral power. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Take advantage of our Presidents' Day bonus. While Sango was eating, he saw the ear in the food and was infuriated thinking that Oba was trying to poison him. He can be invoked to bring revenge upon enemies. But the Shango story as above will not be acceptable to the priestly house of Koso in Oyo. The Oyo Empire thrived from the fifteenth century until 1835. Perhaps the Shango cult may instead be viewed as a warning of the arrogant use of military power to political leadership. Shango would bring fire, prophecy, dance, strategies of war and battle, understanding, the art of love making and the drums for the music to the orisa. Shango became angry with everybody, mounted his horse and went into the forest. On this date, from 1800, we celebrate the Shango religion, one of many African inspired religions practiced in the Americas. I suspect that this may be partly attributed to oral storytelling. The Story of Shango. I love a man who is not worth my love. Shango was brought from the African Yorba tribe during slavery. While dancing, priests hold a wooden oshe close to their chests as protection or swing it in a wide chest-high arc. The king is a major character in the divination literature of the Lukumi religion. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Practiced primarily in Trinidad, Grenada, and Recife (Brazil) where it is known as Xango, it was developed in the 19th century. He also figures in the religion of the Edo people of southeastern Nigeria, who refer to him as Esango, and in the religion of the Fon people of Benin, who call him Sogbo or Ebioso. We follows Ishan Goran, a youth worker who discovers that he’s the modern incarnation of Shango. He wandered in the forest for a long time and eventually hung himself from a tree. Like all of the Yoruba gods (orishas), He also figures in the religion of the Edo people of southeastern Nigeria, who refer to him as Esango, and in the religion of the Fon people of Benin, who call him Sogbo or Ebioso. Schomburg Center for research in Black Culture Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Obatala retreated and turned himself i… Did this happen to your mother? Other Yoruba gods have their own priests, societies, and cult centers (Forde 1951 : 29). His faithful followers, however, claimed that he really ascended to the heavens on a chain. Check out the locations of our medical & recreational cannabis dispensaries online today. After reading the story of how Ochun tricked Oba to cut off her ear in order to please Shango I thought the following: a) Like Oba – I often people please. Shango ensure quality cannabis products at affordable prices. Shango (or Jakuta)was the third Alafin(king) of Oyo. It’s a microcosm of early ’90s wrestling camp. Shango was the third king of the Oyo Kingdom. Take the quiz. Like all of the Yoruba gods (orishas), Shango is both a deified ancestor and a natural force, both aspects being associated with a cult and a priesthood. Story of Shango 938 52 6. by Prince_miraj. Two new religious movements also bear his name: Trinidad Shango (also known as the Shango Baptists) and the Afro-Brazilian cult Xangô, most prominent in the city of Recife. He is linked to the Catholic Santa Barbara. The New York Public Library, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Pub. Prayer for Shango: Shangó obá adé oko, obá ina, Alafin Oyó aché o Orunmila. Each year the Palais is the scene of a major festival for Shango that ranges from recitation of the Lord's prayer to manifestations of Shango’s spirit and animal sacrifices. In repentance he left his kingdom and traveled to Koso, where he hung himself. Chango is the orisha of drumming, dancing, thunder, fire, male virility, and leadership. Who is Quetzalcóatl’s dog-headed companion? Shango is said to have played bata drums to summon storms; they continue to be used by his devotees for that purpose. He later took on some of the attributes of a preexisting deity, Jakuta, who represented the wrath of God and whose name continues to be associated with Shango in Cuba. His most prominent ritual symbol is the oshe, a double-headed battle-ax. This power is personified through dance. The African American Desk Reference Share. The story explores the blurry line between defending the innocent and punishing the wicked as Ishan fluctuates between being a … Changó (also spelled Shangó, Ṣango, or Xango) is one of the most popular orishas in Santeria and is the king of our religion on earth. When two of his ministers challenged him for the throne, Shango fled into the forest. Omissions? The practice is part of the Yoruba peoples history. Defeated in the eyes of the majority of his subjects, Shango left Oyo and committed suicide by hanging himself. In some locations in the Caribbean and South America, African slaves and their descendants were able to reestablish Shango’s worship. A variation on this story says that Yemayá was the foster mother of Changó, and Obatalá (in a female avatar) was his birth mother. Send to Friend. In one account regarding the oshe shango, the female figure who balances the ax, the sign of Shango's power, is equated with the "caprice and creative experience of human sexuality.". Those who cross him risk death by fire or electrocution. Aganju, the ferryman and Undergod of fire, refused him passage. At the festival, an entranced devotee, the elegunshango, dances to the sharp staccato rhythms of the bata drum and waves the staff, oshe, with violent and threatening gestures--and then suddenly draws it to himself in a motion of quiet serenity. A bata drum is another ritualistic item that would be meaningful to Shango. STORY of SHÀNGÓ, ÒGE & ÒRÚNMÌLÀ: How SHÀNGÓ became King of Kings: This Story was given orally by the Spirit TATA G, Emissary of Baba Oduduwa at ÈGBÉ ÓDÙN OLÓFIN - The Spiritual Family of OLÓFIN'S SECRET. Oral tradition describes him as powerful, with a voice like thunder and a mouth that spewed fire when he spoke. According to the myth, she entered the forest wearing a belt of five yellow handkerchiefs and carrying a gourd… His reign ended when he inadvertently destroyed his palace with lightning. There are still more stories of Oya and Shango which point to a celestial foundation associated with the constellations Virgo and Hercules. His Obini Oba Nani would bring the kingdom culture, the art of the hearth of the home, music , math and everything relating to teaching and education . Although I have never mutilated my body I can relate to the symbolic gesture. Shango was a powerful king, but some of the people in the Oyo Empire thought he was unfair. The son has amazing abilities that help Shango succeed. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Stories about Shango's life exemplify some major themes regarding the nature of character and destiny. One account asserts that Shango was fascinated with magical powers. After Shango died, his enemies' houses were set on fire, probably by Shango's friends. When his enemies cast contempt upon his name, a rash of storms destroyed parts of Oyo. Shango's Son is a short story based on ancient African knowledge (Yoruba Ifa). Shango has a son who becomes his companion and protector. There is a dearth of children ’s books on classic African cultures. Oshun had heard the rumors of Oya's problems with Shango because he was a womanizer and often slept with other women in the kingdom. Animals associated with Shango are dogs, turtles and roosters. His special Feast Day is 4th of December and during this time he has a piper employed to play all the latest hits. Olu Shango, a career diplomat working in the Nigerian embassy oversees every foreign international arriving in the country. Shango is one of the most popular Oshas of the Yoruba pantheon, great warrior, he is the king of the religion. His numbers are 6 and 12 and his sacred nature area is the royal palm tree. Suddenly a green-black ooze starts leaking from Warrior’s head; he starts shaking as only the Warrior could before screaming to the heavens. The deity, orisha, whose power is represented by the images of thunder and lightning. In the story of Shango and Oya and the hanging of Oya's skin in the rafters, I believe the constellation Coma Berenices fits the identification of the skin better than the nearby Northern Crown. In one set of stories, Shango is the son of Aganju and Obatala when in female form. During thunderstorms, both Oya and Shango ride out, destroying buildings and tearing up the landscape. According to legend, Shango was the fourth king of the Yoruba nation, Oyo. He inadvertently caused a thunderstorm and lightning struck his own palace killing many of his wives and children. Orunmila is the orisha of wisdom, knowledge and divination. by Prince_miraj Follow. The axe-head stones, also known as celts, are symbolic of this important personage in Yoruba mythology. As the legendary fourth king of the ancient kingdom of Oyo, Shango's rule was marked by whimsical use of power. That’s right. The religious worship centers on the Chapelle, a small cult house, and the Palais, a tent where ceremonies and healing take place. The story was part of a feud between Warrior and Papa Shango, a voodoo priest character. “Look, Papa,” he cries in his native tongue, “Shango!” ~~~~~ The reference is to Shango, the orisha (or god) of lightning and thunder. In some traditions, Aganju is seen as the father or brother of Shango, god of thunder and lightning. Who are the group of maidens who serve the god Odin? Did your grandmother wake up for no good reason in the middle of... DID THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR MOTHER?DID YOUR SISTER THROW UP A LOT? Share. He was once a living king on earth as the fourth Alafin of Oyó in Yoruba land. Shango’s followers eventually succeeded in securing a place for their cult in the religious and political system of Oyo, and the Shango cult eventually became integral to the installation of Oyo’s kings. Additionally, Oya would use Shango’s fear of the dead to keep in his place. There are other Star Myths we could look at which make this identification the likely answer to the celestial source of this sacred Yoruba story. He reigned for seven years, constantly waging battle against other nations, bringing prosperity to the Oyo Empire. Share via Email Report Story Shango was the forth king of the ancient Oyo Empire, the West African center of culture and politics for the Yoruba people. Corrections? All of the stories concerning Shango represent the theme of capricious, authoritative, creative, destructive, magical, medicinal, and moral power. He is an arrogant, violent, and risk-taking orisha.