Omulú in umbanda: learn about the history and characteristics of this Orisha!

Also known as Obaluaê, Omolú is one of the strongest Orixás and worshiped in African-based religions. He is considered responsible for earth, fire and death, due to his great power.

In both Candomblé and Umbanda, this Orixá is the most feared, as it is impossible to hide anything from him. Omolú can see everything about anyone’s life.

In addition, he is responsible for taking care of the sick because he understands people’s suffering since he himself knows the pain of carrying an illness, as his story shows. For this factor, it ends up being linked to healing. Learn more about Omolú below!

Omolú is a powerful Orisha and seen with fear for his great power. But he is also seen as the hope for those who hope for a cure. Something that describes this Orisha a lot is the fact that he is capable of generating an epidemic, but he also has the power to end it.

This power that helps him on his journey comes from his wooden spear that he carries with him to scare away all the bad energies in the world and protect those in need.

Omolú is the mediator between the spiritual world and the material world, because his power is wide and this Orisha is able to guide everyone who needs his help to go through their journeys, because he knows sadness in depth and carries with him the wisdom that everything can be won. Read some more details about this Orisha below!

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Omolú is the son of Nanã and Oxalá and brother of Oxumaré. As a result of the mistakes made by his mother when confronting his father, he was born with a serious illness, which made him full of smallpox throughout his body. That’s why he was abandoned by the sea.

The life of the Orisha is surrounded by many mysteries. But due to this story, he has always been considered the Orisha of death and ills, as he understands pain, but also knows that it is possible to overcome problems, no matter how bad they are.

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The visual characteristics of Omolú show him covered by Filá e Azé, a garment made of straw, used to hide the marks of the wounds he faced since his birth.

This Orisha is also seen always bent over, like a person facing intense pain. This is also due to Omolú’s symbolism regarding the illnesses he faces. In addition to his straw clothes, he always appears with his wooden spear, the Iagidibá and the Xaxará in hand.

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Omolú’s story shows that he is capable of mastering death. He was abandoned by his mother shortly after being born precisely because of the illnesses he had in his body. Later he was found by Iemanjá being devoured by crabs. She felt sorry for the situation and adopted the Orisha, raising him as her son.

Omolú grew up full of scars, which made him feel ashamed and that’s why he hid under a straw garment. Thus, he grew up shy and hidden from everyone. This situation made him become a serious, focused and thoughtful Orisha, being seen as moody.

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Omolú connects with other Orixás, such as his adoptive mother, Iemanjá. But along his path, he also crossed the lives of others who changed his journey.

Like Iansã, queen of the winds, who one day was intrigued by the fact that Omolú was always hidden under his straw clothes and decided to cause a windstorm to see what he was hiding. So everyone was scared by the boy’s beauty, who shone brighter than the sun. After that, the two teamed up to fight death and disease in the world.

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In one of Omolú’s stories, he was passing through a village, hungry and thirsty. People didn’t know who it was and denied him even a glass of water because he was covered in his straw clothes. Omolú felt sad and disappointed.

A while later, the village fell into misery and believed it to be the fault of the unknown. Repentant, the local leaders collected the food they still had and took it to the Orisha to ask for forgiveness. Soon after, the place came back to life again. Therefore, Omolú is considered the Orisha of death, as he has the ability to control it.

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There are several qualities in which Omolú relates to other Orixás and appears with a different appearance in each of them.
Afomam – He carries with him two bags from which he takes his wounds. Relates to Ogun.
Agorò – His straw clothing is white.
Akavan – Dresses in a fully patterned outfit. Relates to Iansã.
Ajágùnsí – Has a stronger connection with Nanã and Oxumaré.
Azoani – Dressed in a red straw garment. It relates to Iansã, Oxumaré and Iemanjá.
Azonsu – He carries a spear and appears dressed all in white. He relates to Oxalá, Oxumaré and Oxum.

Some cultures worship other qualities of Omolú, called Jagun:

Jagun Agbá – Relates to Iemanjá and Oxalufan.
Jagun Ajòjí – Relates to Ogun, Oxaguian and Exú.
Jagun Arawe – Relates to Iansã and Oxaguain.
Jagun Igbonà – Relates to Oxaguian and Obá.
Jagun Itunbé – He doesn’t like black beans. It has a strong relationship with Oxaguian and Oxalufan.
Jagun Odé – Relates to Ogun, Logun and Oxaguian.

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Invocations are a way of celebrating and worshiping the Orisha. They are used by religions like Umbanda and Candomblé. In the case of Omolú, the one dedicated to him is usually: “Atotô Obaluaê” due to the other name by which he is called.

The meaning of this phrase is “Silence for the great King of the Earth”, a way of celebrating and demonstrating the power that this Orisha has and how he is celebrated by these religions and those who believe in his power.

Like most Orishas, Omolú has its own characteristics and is seen differently in each religion. Even for the fact that this Orisha has several qualities and some are not even worshiped in all religions that he is part of.

The main known religions in Brazil that worship Omolú are Candomblé and Umbanda. In their practices, even though they have similarities, the two differ a lot, but the way they see the power of the Orixás is very similar.

Knowing more about religions and Orixás makes it possible to understand how they will be worshiped and celebrated, as there are practices within the two specific religions for this, since they differ in several aspects. See more about Omolú in religions and cultures!

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Known for being the Orixá of disease and healing, Omolú is worshiped and celebrated at different times in Candomblé. However, in August one of the most important ceremonies takes place and is considered the most emblematic related to the Orixá, the Olubajé.

This event only takes place as a result of the money that devotees ask for in the streets and in exchange they give people a handful of popcorn. Popcorn is one of the biggest symbols of Omolú. In Candomblé, this Orixá is also linked to yours, due to the Filá, the straw covering that it carries over itself, which also brings this symbolism.

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Omolú has two syncretisms in relation to the Catholic Church. This happens because this Orisha acts on two different lines. In the first, he accompanies Nanã, called Obaluaê, while she erases people’s memories and he helps them make the passage from the material world to the spiritual. In this way, he is syncretized with São Roque.

In the other form, it is Omolú, he has a connection with Iemanjá and assumes an older form. Along with Iemanjá, Omolú brings incarnation to life. His syncretism is made with São Lázaro due to the history of the saint and because he is considered the protector of lepers and beggars, even if he carries his own wounds.

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Omolú is worshiped in several religions. In Santería, this Orisha is known by the name of Babaluaiê. The rituals and narratives used in practice bear several common characteristics of the Orisha because they talk about the earth, diseases and suffering, as well as death and resurrection.

In some practices in the Americas, this Orisha is seen in a particular way and other acts can also be attributed to him, through secrecy and revelation, which show a contrast between speech and silence and permeate all the worship of Babaluaiê.

The Orixás have their own characteristics that differentiate them. Thus, their children, the people who practice devotion to them, end up absorbing their main characteristics. Therefore, the children of Omolú have some very great similarities with their father in their ways of acting and thinking.

As Omolú appears to be more serious and even moody to some, the Orisha is seen as much more experienced because he went through very difficult situations on his journey. His children may also demonstrate some of these aspects. Next, see more about what the children of Omolú are like!

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Omolú’s children always appear to be older than they really are. This is because the Orisha carries with it an experience and sadness due to its difficult journey, which made it harden very quickly.

This way of looking at life shows a depressive aspect on the part of these people due to the strong influence of the Orisha on their personalities. But, at the same time, they carry a life experience as if they had lived many years, even if they are young people and at the beginning of their lives.

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As much as they are mainly seen for their serious appearance, the children of Omolú are very kind and dear people, just like this Orisha. Even in the face of so many dramas and problems, these people are very sweet and affectionate, something that is notable for everyone around them.

Even with all the ills suffered in life, the children of Omolú show themselves to be dear people, even if this side takes a while to be perceived and only appears when he establishes some bond of trust with people.

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One of the most notable characteristics of Omolú’s children is that they do everything to help those around them. They dedicate much of their lives to their friends and the people who are part of their circle of trust receive all their care.

If you trust a person who is Omolú’s daughter, know that he will do everything to help you, even if it seems impossible. These people are the best friends in the world and they are very dedicated to the ones they love.