History of Iemanjá: its origin, itans, names, how it died and more!

Iemanjá is considered the most famous orixá in Brazil, being the only one that has holidays and parties in her honor. She is recognized as the patroness of fishermen and queen of the sea, as she is able to decide their fate every time they venture into the sea.

Brazil is a huge country and has a huge coastline, so fishing is one of the best known commercial activities in the regions. Thus, fishermen always ask for Iemanjá’s protection so that fishing can be successful and safe.

The fishermen’s families also pray to her, so that she can intercede for their loved ones in their daily fishing. In this article, you will see everything about Iemanjá – its history, its names, its itans and much more. Check out!

Yemanja has countless qualities: she is obstinate, protective, passionate, faithful and dedicated. She has a great sense of hierarchy and is very motherly. Next, you will learn more about the mother of the orixás and the queen of the sea. Follow!

The story of Iemanjá arrived in Brazil with the arrival of enslaved Africans. She is an orixá of a religion of the Egba people, natives of Nigeria, and her name means “mother whose children are fish”.

The Egba lived near the Yemanja River in southwestern Nigeria. In the 19th century, there were many wars between Yoruba peoples. Due to this, the Egba had to migrate, but continued to honor and worship Iemanjá, who, according to them, moved and started to live on the Ògùn river.

Iemanjá, daughter of Olokum, was married to Oduduá and, from this relationship, had ten orixá children. Because she had to breastfeed them, her breasts ended up getting huge and Iemanjá was very ashamed of them.

Thus, he was very unhappy in his marriage and decided to leave his city and go to live in Ifé. On any given day, when she left towards the West, without any pretense, she bumped into King Okerê and soon fell in love.

Orisha Iemanjá was very ashamed of her breasts and asked her husband Okerê never to speak ill of her. Therefore, he agreed. However, one day, he got drunk and started to offend Iemanjá, who got very upset and decided to run away.

While fleeing, Iemanjá knocked over a pot that she had carried with her since she was a little girl. The pot contained a potion, which turned into a river flowing towards the sea. Okerê did not want to lose his wife at all. Then, it turned into a mountain, to bar the passage of the river.

So, to be able to escape, Iemanjá called his son, Xangô, who, assuming a ray, split the mountain in half. After that, the river was able to flow freely into the ocean and she became the queen of the sea.

Unfortunately, Iemanjá had several problems with her children. Ossain, one of his, left home very early and decided to go live in the woods to study vegetables. He made a potion and gave it to his brother, Oxossi, but Iemanjá advised him not to drink it. Still, he did not obey his mother.

After taking the potion, Oxossi went to live with his brother in the bush. After the effect wore off, he wanted to go back to his mother’s house, but her mother was so indignant that she threw him out. Thus, Ogun criticized her for having fought with her brother, which made Iemanjá desperate for being in conflict with her three children.

In this version of the story, she cried so hard that she melted and formed a river, which flowed straight out to sea.

According to its origin, one of Iemanjá’s sons, Orungan, ended up falling in love with his own mother. He waited one day, when his father was not around, and tried to rape Iemanjá, but she managed to escape and ran away as fast as she could.

Orungan ended up reaching her, but Iemanjá fell to the ground and ended up dying. On the ground, his body began to grow a lot and his breasts ended up breaking. From them, two rivers came out, which originated the seas. From his womb came the Orishas responsible for governing sixteen directions on the planet.

In Brazil, Iemanjá can be known by different names: mermaid of the sea, princess of the sea, queen of the sea, Dandalunda, Janaína, Inaé, Ísis, Mucunã, Maria, princess of Aiocá and many others.

In Christian religions, Iemanjá can be known as Nossa Senhora das Candeias, Nossa Senhora da Piedade, Virgin Mary, Nossa Senhora da Conceição and Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes.

Other itans tell legends and stories about Iemanjá. One of them claims that she was the daughter of Obatlá and Odudua, and that her brother was Aganju, whom she married. Next, you will better understand the stories of the queen of the sea. Check out!

A legend tells that, one day, Oyá, Oxum and Iemanjá went to the market. Exu entered the market too, but he was carrying a goat. With that, he approached Iemanjá, Oyá and Oxum and said that he had an appointment with Orunmila. Exu said that he would leave the city and asked them to sell their goat for twenty cowrie shells, but he said that they could keep half the price.

Thus, they separated the ten shells of Exu, Iemanjá counted the ones that were left. But when dividing by three and realizing that there was one left out, they started to fight. Iemanjá wanted to keep the conch, because she was the oldest.

So the three argued for hours and came to no conclusion. When Exu returned to the market and asked where part of it was, they gave it to him and asked him to share their cowries himself. Thus, Exu gave three to each and, for the last conch, he made a hole in the ground, hiding it there.

The orixá said that the conch would be for the ancestors. Thus, Iemanjá, Oyá and Oxum agreed that Exu was right and, soon, they accepted the buzios.

Yemanja has an itan related to shame. According to him, Euá was a young and chaste princess, very hardworking, graceful, pure and silent. But one day, she met a young warrior, who got her pregnant after seducing her. Euá decided to hide the pregnancy from everyone.

So she was very desperate and when she was in labor she ran away into the forest because she had no one to confide in. There, she gave birth to a male child, but, alone in the woods, she fainted. The newborn was then picked up by Iemanjá, who took him to his kingdom and named him Xangô.

Euá, when she woke up and did not see her son, was desolate and hid in the cemetery, covering her face so that no one could recognize her.

The Iemanjá orixá is related to the story of the award-winning trip. In it, Nanãmburuque made a trip to Africa and, when he returned, ended up giving birth to a boy, who named him Obaluaê.

Unfortunately, Obaluaê had leprosy and, when Nanãnburuque realized this, he didn’t want him anymore and abandoned him. Thus, Iemanjá, who is the sister of Obaluaê, was very sorry and decided to take care of him. She created Obaluaê and named it popcorn with honey.

According to one of her itans, Yemanja was warned that she should not let Odé, her son, go into the woods, as he would get lost and terrible things would happen. Soon, Iemanjá warned him about this, but Odé, stubborn, did not want to listen.

Thus, Odé ended up getting lost and was collected by Ossaim, who was enchanted by him. Ossaim dressed him in many feathers and taught him how to use a bow and arrow. Iemanjá, missing her son, went looking for him with the help of Ogun.

However, Odé was only found after three years and told Ogun that he did not want to return, as he was in love with Ossaim. When he returned, he continued to use the bow and arrow.

According to one of Yemanja’s itans, Orunmila was one of the most handsome and charming men, who had all the women, but who didn’t want a relationship with any. He was the keeper of the night’s secrets and needed to be stopped, as he kept bewitching people.

So, I hope he wanted to remove this evil from Orunmila and have his secrets, but for that he needed a very beautiful woman who could charm him. Thus, Oxalá called Iemanjá to seduce Orunmila and, together, they made a deal: she would do whatever he wanted, as long as, later, she could return and reign with him.

However, Iemanjá fell madly in love with Orumnila and they could not live far from each other. Thus, she took away all his spells and secrets and they had many Orixá children.

In one of Iemanjá’s stories, when Obá saw his reflection, either in the mirror or in the waters of the river, he saw the deformity caused by Oxum and, therefore, decided to take revenge. Logunedé was a very mischievous boy, who lived with his grandmother, Iemanjá, and was the son of Oxum with Odé.

Yemanja was his adoptive mother and took very good care of him, but one day he managed to escape her eyes and went for a walk around the world. He walked a long way and came across a lady in riding clothes, on top of a rock in the river, and she asked what the name of the boy was.

When Logunedé replied, Obá, who was the lady, went crazy to carry out his revenge and kill the drowned son of Oxum. Thus, Obá invited the boy to ride a sea horse and called him to enter the river.

But, when Logunedé was approaching the stone where Obá was, a hurricane that took him and led him to his grandmother passed by. Thus, Obá explained to the mother that she saved the boy and apologized.

Oxalá (heaven) and Oduduá (earth) had two children: Iemanjá and Aganjú. Thus, the children related and, from this union, Orungan was born.

Iemanjá’s son, Orungã, fell in love with his own mother and took advantage of his father’s absence to kidnap and rape his mother. However, Yemanja, very distressed and terrified, managed to break free from Orungan’s arms and flee.

Olodumare ordered Iemanjá to be responsible for taking care of the house of Oxalá – taking care of the housework and the children. Thus, Iemanjá felt exploited and complained a lot about being the least favored, since all the other gods received offerings and she lived in slavery.

From complaining so much about the situation, I hope he ended up going crazy about it. The ori, which is the head of Oxalá, could not bear all the whining of Yemanja. Thus, I hope he ended up getting sick and Yemanja, seeing the harm he did to her husband, tried to cure him. She used ori (vegetable lard), esó (fruits), omitutu (water), obi (cola fruit), eyelé-funfun and sweets.

Iemanjá managed to cure her husband and he, grateful, went to Olodumare, to ask him to let Iemanjá have the power to take care of everyone’s heads. That is why, to this day, Iemanjá receives offerings and homage on the day of the bori, which is a propitiatory ritual for the head.

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