Orisha Iansã: its history, syncretism, qualities and more!

The orixá Iansã is a deity whose main characteristic is the domination of the forces of nature, having as a representation of its powers the energy of fire and air, moving the winds and bringing storms. Thus, it brings the idea of ​​intensity by the movement of the Earth’s energy.

Iansã is a warrior orixá, associated with war and the battles of the stories that originate African religions. Iansã also has the message of passion very much in mind, using the intensity of love to achieve her conquests. Finally, she is also tasked with communicating with the dead.

In mythology, it is an orisha that represents strength and brings courage, attitude, passion, truth and struggle to those who place their faith in it. She also has her dark side, like all orixás, capable of bringing devastation due to the lack of balance in her vanity and will to win. In this article, you will know much more about this orixá. Check out!

The name Iansã would be a nickname that Xangô, her husband, would have given to Oyá, her original name, which means “The mother of the pink sky”, because she would be as beautiful as the sunset. The story of Iansã says that she would be the Warrior Orisha. Despite being a female orixá, she brings many aspects of battles, something more common to male orixás.

Thus, Iansã and Xangô would be husband and wife in African mythology, being greeted whenever a storm begins. She is asked to calm the winds, and to him that of the rains. It is said that the fire of Xangô does not exist without Iansã.

In other aspects, Iansã also brings dominion over the forces of death, being called the Queen of the Eguns. The Eguns would be all the spirits of death. In addition, she is mistress of the winds and the forces of nature, bringing the energy of the earth through weather phenomena. To learn more about this orixá, keep reading!

Iansã has its origin in Nigeria, on the banks of the Niger River, and its cult was brought to Brazil by slaves. African Mythology tells that Iansã, or Oyá, as it was originally called, walked through many kingdoms in search of knowledge. Due to her strong connection with carnal passion and love, she became involved with many kings, among them Exu, Ogun, Logun-Edé and, finally, Xangô.

For each kingdom she walked and with each one of her loves, she learned powers and knowledge that led her to be a great warrior, queen of the forces of nature, of the kingdom of the dead and of love. Iansã brings the virtues of the warrior woman, who does not submit and who awakens true love.

Among the great and intense powers of Iansã, the one that proves to be the greatest representative of its visible strength to men is the domination of the forces of nature. She is able to control lightning in storms, using it as a fighting tool and a display of power.

The orixá of storms is related to the power of electricity, bringing all the power of this energy, which is creative and destructive at the same time. For this reason, their children and devotees of religion in general faithfully ask the orixá to protect their homes, boats and their families from the evils of the rains. Rain, like Iansã, is synonymous with prosperity or destruction – life and death.

Iansã is called a free warrior, because, despite having been romantically involved countless times, according to mythology, she always goes in search of a new love and does not abstain from her battles to remain in the same kingdom.

Iansã is seen at various times as the free warrior, who is available to face whatever she has and go out on a new adventure or relationship, if that seems the most right in her destiny.

In African allegories, Iansã would be Ogun’s companion in the manufacture of weapons for battles. It tells the story that Oxalá makes a request to Ogun, which he would not be able to fulfill. Iansã, then, is ready to help, blowing the fire to make the hot iron weapons.

Iansã is also the wife of Ogun in a part of the story, in which she would have raised Logun Edé, son of Oxum. However, she runs away with Xangô and becomes his first wife.

In African Mythology, it was Iansã, together with Ogun, who created Logun Edé. Logum Edé would have been the son of Oxum, deity of fresh waters, who would have been lost in the waters due to the fury of Obá, Xangô’s third wife.

It so happens that, due to these power disputes, Iansã and Ogun would have assumed custody of Logun-Edé, until he met his mother, as an adult. There are also mentions that Iansã had a relationship with Logum-Edé at another time, when he learned the arts of hunting and fishing from him.

The Iansã orixá is marked by having experienced many passions, through which she acquires knowledge, to become a strong and wise warrior.

After having a relationship with Exu, Oxossi and Ogun, Iansã goes in search of Xangô, to live off his vanity and the wealth of his kingdom. However, it is in Xangô that Iansã finds true love and gives herself deeply, just like him, who teaches Iansã the powers of thunder and gives her his heart.

Xangô would have had three wives: Iansã, Oxum and Obá. Iansã was the first wife, that Xangô would have loved the most, given his heart. Iansã was the most special of all, beautiful and jealous. Oxum was the second wife, being coquettish and vain.

Oxum was unpleasant with the others and, in general, appears as sensual and irresponsible. For this reason, he had a rivalry with Iansã, who was the most special to Xangô and who had raised his son for a while, Logun-Edé.

In African Mythology, the Eguns are the dead and Iansã is the lady of death, also having power over that kingdom.

Thus, she communicates and takes care of the Kingdom of the Dead, being the Lady of the Eguns. According to legend, she would have filled her house with Eguns, to prevent Xangô, her husband, from going out and leaving her. The power over death would have come from a gourd that Obaluaiê would have sent to Xangô and that she had broken without authorization.

Umbanda is a religion of Brazilian origin, which began in 1908, from the religious syncretism between religions of African origin, Catholicism and Kardecist Spiritism. In Umbanda, therefore, there is direct contact with entities and spirits through mediumship.

Thus, in Umbanda, contact with the Orixá is much more direct and there is the possibility of making works and offerings to Iansã. In addition, due to syncretism, there is the figure of Santa Bárbara as a representative of Iansã, to whom faith is also deposited with the same intention as the orixá.

In this way, in Umbanda, Iansã protects its devotees from spiritual attacks, so that energy remains high and there are no losses in physical, mental or spiritual aspects.

Candomblé is a religion of African origin, brought to Brazil by enslaved blacks. In it, there is no incorporation of entities or spirits, as the orixás are only the representatives of a greater God, who governs the world and the forces of nature.

Thus, in Candomblé, Iansã is the orixá of the forces of nature and, therefore, to whom devotees turn to ask for peace through nature, prosperity through rains and other benefits associated with their powers. The children of Iansã, that is, those who understand having the orixá as a guide, recognize their qualities in themselves.

Brazilian religious syncretism, in fact, comes from Umbanda, a religion that was born in Brazil in 1908, from the union of the foundations of African religions, Catholicism and Kardecist Spiritism. For this reason, syncretism brings the religious equivalence of the figure Iansã in Santa Bárbara and his day is celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout Brazil.

In addition to Santa Bárbara, the main syncretized figure, Iansã is also recognized in other equally important figures. The idea of ​​the warrior woman, the power of knowledge and love, and the relationship with the occult forces of the world of the dead make her extremely versatile and potent in the religious imagination.

In addition, it is possible to observe syncretism not only in religion, but also in relation to ancient mythologies, in general, such as Nordic and Hindu. Even comic drawings that feature gods constitute a form of syncretism.

Next, we will show some of the main syncretic figures of Iansã, from Santa Bárbara, the most common in Umbanda and to which many faithful are devoted, to Ororo, a cartoon character who has the same fantastic qualities as Iansã. Check out!

In the Catholic Church, Iansã corresponds to Santa Bárbara. She is the Catholic saint who would have died, after converting to Christianity, murdered by her own father. After her death, however, lightning fell on the head of Barbara’s father, as a form of divine compensation for her unjust act, which ended the life of the one who would become a saint.

Due to the appearance of lightning in her story, as well as the sword that Santa Bárbara usually has, she is related to Iansã in the Afro culture, who also carries a sword in her hand. Both bring the same elements: the forces of nature and the warrior heart.

Due to religious syncretism, it is possible to find Iansã like Santa Teresa. This is a Catholic saint who, however, appears more strongly in Santeria Cubana, a religion that is the result of the union of the Yoruba religion, Christianity and the religions of indigenous peoples of the Americas.

Saint Teresa was a Catholic saint from Renaissance Europe, known as the Mother of Spirituality, for having contributed to Christian mysticism and Catholic spirituality. She is closely associated with Iansã, for bringing the message of Queen of life and death, for knowledge and control over the supernatural world and, therefore, over the dead.

With regard to Nossa Senhora da Candelária, in the religious syncretism of the Catholic Church with the African religion, Iansã is associated with her by Santeria Cubana, which also mixes elements of the indigenous religions of the Americas.

In Brazil, Nossa Senhora da Candelária is associated with the orixá Oxum. In any case, it is the Saint who would have appeared in Spain and who brings healing to the blind, being, therefore, Our Lady of Light. She is, ultimately, the Virgin Mary, mother of God.

Our Lady of the Annunciation is, in the Catholic Church, the saint who makes reference to the greatest act of faith ever recorded, which is the yes of the Virgin Mary to the angel Gabriel, after he came to announce that she would be the mother of the son of God.

In religious syncretism, Iansã…