Iansã | Orixá of the winds and nature | goddess of contrast

Orisha of weather phenomena, Iansã it is also known in Umbanda and Candomblé as Oyá. The Orisha represents the strength of the winds and the power of nature, showing her energy when the rain falls from the skies and when the wind crosses the air. With determination and independence as main characteristics, it is Iansã who represents the feminine strength. Her name represents the expression “The mother of the sunset” and in the Christian and Catholic tradition, the religious syncretism of the Orixá is related to Santa Bárbara.

About the mighty Orisha Iansã

Iansã represents the perfect archetype of the warrior woman, the one who is not afraid to go to battle and take risks. She changes her path if she deems it necessary, goes to the fight and goes on as an independent female figure. Those who seek the help of Orixá found the energy of determination and courage to sell and achieve the desired goals.

The fact of being a warrior differentiates her from the characteristics of the other Orixás. Her claw and strength to accompany the battles shows that she was not born to stay at home taking care of the home. She is a woman who fights and is not afraid of judgments.

Despite falling in love often and giving herself completely to love when she finds it, the Orisha is quite faithful to her relationships. Umbanda’s stories tell that her great passion was Xangô. It was even the Orisha of justice who chose her to be named Iansã.

Characteristics of Iansã’s children

The children of the Orixá carry the main characteristics of the warrior in their behavior. They are free people, who love nature and love to travel. They are outgoing and like to have fun with their friends. They are usually authoritarian but powerful. They do not accept being challenged and intimidate their enemies with the gift of speech.

The main colors related to Iansã are yellow and red, present in their clothes. The tributes paid to Orixá are concentrated on December 4th, the same date dedicated to Santa Bárbara, and on Thursday. His greeting is “Eparrei Iansã!”.

The Story of Santa Barbara

Santa Bárbara, with whom Iansã has a relationship, is known in Catholicism for the uncontrolled jealousy that her father, Dioscoro, had for her. According to the story told by the Catholic Church, he was a man who did not accept that his only child lived in the midst of the society of that time that he considered as corrupt.

Because of this, Dioscorus decided to lock his daughter Barbara in a tower. Isolated from everyone else, the girl was taught by tutors her father trusted. For her, that situation was like a punishment. However, over time, the situation began to be seen by Barbara in a different way.

Up there, the young woman began to contemplate nature and perceive natural phenomena, such as the seasons, rain, sun, cold, heat, animals and everything that makes up the environment. These factors made Barbara start to question whether all that was really a creation of “gods”, as her tutors taught her, or if deep down there was someone more powerful behind the creation of the world.

With advancing age, Bárbara began to frequent the city and get to know Christianity, where she identified herself and found answers to her concerns. It was there that she began to question her father, and one day, at her baptism ceremony, she ran away from Dioscorus. Discovered and denounced by a pastor, the young woman was captured by her father and taken to court completely naked. At that moment, a miracle happened. Barbara was miraculously dressed in a sumptuous robe.

However, she ended up being killed by the father who cut off his daughter’s head. When Santa Barbara’s head rolled on the ground, a great thunder was heard by the people and lightning struck Dioscoro’s body, who fell to the ground lifeless. It is believed that nature revolted against the father and took revenge for the Saint’s death.

Iansã and the syncretism with Santa Bárbara

After this event, Santa Bárbara became known as “protector against lightning and storms”. This would be the main relationship of the Christian religious figure with the Orisha Iansã, as she is also remembered during storms. Also, as the lady of lightning, the history of the two entities is related at this point. Finally, both the Orixá and the Santa are deities represented holding a sword.

Now that you know better Iansã and its syncretism with Santa Bárbara, see also: