Ibeji | Candomblé | Characteristics and History of the Orisha of Joy Ibeji

the Orisha Ibeji is represented by two beings who are the twin deities of life. He carries happiness in his heart and sees life through the eyes of childhood. Protector of children, the Orixá symbolizes birth and life.

It is also known to represent the survival of continuity, as in Africa the children of Ibeji are considered a gift and source of great joy, as they guarantee that the history and descent of a family will continue. In religious syncretism, Ibeji is related to São Cosme and São Damião. Learn more about this powerful Orisha!

About Ibeji – The Orixá of happiness and protection

In both Umbanda and Candomblé, Orixá Ibeji is seen as the son of Oxum’s creation and, therefore, the rituals dedicated to Oxum are also dedicated to Ibeji. The main characteristic of the twins is the power to undo works carried out by other Orixás. And everything they did, can never be undone by any other Orisha.

Ibeji in Umbanda represents contradiction, duality and opposites that complement each other. He makes us realize that all things, in their most varied circumstances, have two sides. For this Orisha, justice only happens if the two opposites are weighed, heard and understood.

It is believed that the energies of the Orisha Ibeji are in children and that the purity of their spirit is capable of healing. That’s why Ibeji’s children are very playful, happy and serene. They are often found in gardens, large lawns or parks. After all, the characteristics of the strongest Ibeji’s children are usually childish and agitated, just like their father’s.

Characteristics of Ibeji in Umbanda

Cheerful and jovial, they are impulsive and inconsequential people, hardly reflecting before taking an action. They like dynamics and movement, so they don’t wait for something to happen. They go and do. In addition, they are very agitated and love to play, moving the world around them.

Sunday and Monday are the days of the week dedicated to the Orisha. Despite liking everything very colorful, the main colors that relate to Ibeji are pink, blue and green. Your greeting is “Omi Kissed! Kisses! farami sóibeji!”.

Ibeji and its syncretism with São Cosme and São Damião

When related to the figures of the Catholic tradition, the Orixá is syncretized with São Cosme and São Damião. The two are twins, like the African entity, and have dedicated their lives to the work of healing people through faith and medicine. Not only the fact that they are twins connects them, but also the gift of preserving life.

Born in Arabia, Cosimo and Damião learned the Christian faith from their mother and since then Jesus has become the central point of their lives. When they got older, they chose to bring people closer to Christ through the exercise of the profession they chose: medicine.

With love, charity and competence, they played the role of doctor passing the faith to patients without charging for the work. It was believed that they didn’t care about money, but in reality they were aware of the place of currency in their lives. The healing of people’s body and soul was what mattered most to them.

The story of Saint Cosimo and Damião and their resemblance to Ibeji

In the same period that they worked with the medicine and teachings of Jesus, the emperor of the lands in which they lived began a great persecution against the Christians. As a result, they were arrested and accused of witchcraft and spreading a forbidden religion. The brothers were forcibly removed from their work environment and taken to court.

There, they demanded that they renounce their faith in Jesus Christ and change their discourse with patients, talking only about the Roman gods. Cosme and Damião refused to comply with the request and did not renounce the Gospel. Consequently, they were sentenced to death by stoning and arrows.

The penalty was carried out, but they did not die. Then they were ordered to be burned in the public square. However, the fire did not reach them. While all this was going on, they didn’t stop praising God and praying to Jesus Christ. Upon seeing the situation, the patients who were treated by them and had not yet converted, began to believe in Christianity. So it was decided to drown both of them, but angels saved them. Finally, they died by cutting off their heads.

For this reason, São Cosme and São Damião are still considered the patron saints of doctors, pharmacists and medical schools. With tributes on September 27, they have the story of struggle for life related to Ibeji.

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