Orisha Ibeji: history, children, day, greeting, offerings and more!

Despite being more easily identified as one, the deity known by the name of Ibeji represents two twin brothers. Because it is an important entity in many beliefs, many names are given to this deity in different religions and cultures, but the meaning and its importance always remain the same.

The brothers who form this orixá together are closely associated with birth and the beginning of new cycles, as they are children. Because they are twins, they also represent duality and justice. The magic of Ibeji, in addition to the protection it grants to children and babies, is its childlike look at the world: the joy of a child and the great positivity that permeates the hearts of its children.

In this article, you can understand a little more about the history, aspects and offerings of this orixá. Check out!

If your interest in Ibeji has awakened in you, the time has come to delve a little deeper into the story of this wonderful orisha, which awakens childish eyes and all the joy of the child spirit that inhabits us. Check out its history and aspects below!

Taiwo and Kehinde are the twins represented as the orisha Ibeji. It is believed that he is the most powerful among the orixás, being able to interfere in anyone’s actions.

When human, the twins were very close and brought luck to all those who consulted with them. The childish look of the two helped them to find solutions for almost everything, however, during a mischievous game, one of the brothers fell into a waterfall and ended up drowning.

Suffering a lot from the death of his brother, the second asked in his prayers that the two could be together again – a prayer that was answered. When disincarnating, as a comfort for family members and close people, he left two clay dolls representing them.

Some versions of the legend about the life of the Ibeji brothers say that it was a couple. Others say that there were two boys, or that there were two girls. The fact is that, in most of the images that represent the two, one thing is similar: ornaments and body paint are always present on the dolls.

Thus, the brothers retain their childish traits because they are, in fact, children. The most striking characteristic, however, is the personality: with the always childlike way of being, playful, mischievous and with an easy smile, the regent orixá of the funniest childhood memories and games has a light way of seeing life, with innocence so pure from children.

As they are biological children of Iansã and Xangô and adopted children of Oxum, who found them newborn in a river, the relationship between the Ibeji twins and these orixás is undeniable. But, for being the most powerful orixá, the brothers also maintain relations with the other orixás and are highly respected by them.

Taiwo and Kehinde have the power to undo anything the others do, but no orisha has the same power over the twins’ deeds – what Ibeji does, no one, not even another orisha, is able to undo.

The twin brothers known as the orixá Ibeji have an exciting story to tell: their biological parents are Iansã and Xangô. The mother, however, abandoned them shortly after giving birth, leaving the two babies in the river to fend for themselves.

By chance, the orixá Oxum was near the river when she heard the babies crying and promptly ran to help them. When she found them in the water, her eyes lit up as she noticed the two newborn brothers smiling at her. Oxum then took them home and raised them as his children. She loved them and treated them very well.

Ibeji is present in many religions and cultures, in many different ways. To help you better understand how he is seen in each of them, below are some of the religions that worship the childhood orixá and how they do it. Follow!

It is common that, in umbanda, Ibeji is confused with an Erê. However, although there is a great similarity, Ibeji is the only orisha represented by two different personalities. Its pure essence brings a lot of sweetness and genuine ability to forgive and love.

In addition, being a child orixá, the Ibejis are always present in all the rituals performed, under supervision, so that their pranks do not end up disturbing the work of the fathers and mothers of saint.

Thus, the role of Ibeji in umbanda can even be related to family ancestry, as it has great importance as an ancestral energy, as well as when seen as a disembodied child spirit.

In candomblé, Ibeji is seen as a very strong energy that connects to each person’s orixá, an element of great importance. He is associated with each person in a different way, as he establishes the link between each one of them with their orixá over time, creating a virtually unbreakable bond between the two.

If the Candomblé mother of saint knows how to deal well with Ibeji, his importance increases even more, as he can give consultations, conduct rituals and acquire other very important responsibilities within the terreiro.

Who didn’t like, as a child, that day when sweets are distributed through the streets and schools? São Cosme and Damião, patrons of doctors, are the representation of Ibeji in the Catholic Church.

In Catholicism, twins are seen as saints who, in life, were very kind, as they helped other people through medicine, without asking for anything in return for that. Although the belief in the twin saints is very old, there are relics of the two that remain kept in a church in Rome.

The legend says that Cosimo and Damião would have been persecuted and killed, as they were Christians at a time when Christianity was not accepted in the Roman Empire. It is believed that, because they had such great faith, nothing had caused them injuries, not even the cross. They were then beheaded and buried together.

In Brazil, Ibeji can be seen in many different ways, always representing kindness and sweetness, with images and names that differ between religions. On the continent of Africa, the saints are very important, especially for mothers of twins.

Ibejis are associated with a species of monkey that is very important to the belief of African peoples, the royal colobus monkey. The word Ibeji is also of African origin and means “twins”. In Africa, the Ibeji deity is indispensable and always worshiped, as it has a very strong meaning for families, especially children.

The characteristics associated with the divinity of childhood are present in children, but they are not the only ones who can be considered daughters of Ibeji. Below, check out some of the most striking characteristics of those who are children of this orixá!

What most draws attention to the children of Ibeji is their personality: resembling children, they are usually very sweet people, with kindness in their hearts and childish naivety and fragility. They always carry a light and positive energy about the world around them and the thought that everything will work out.

Thus, the always young and uncomplicated look at life is an advantage that few manage to have, which makes them capable of achieving simple solutions and not letting themselves be easily overwhelmed by the difficulties and obstacles that life can provide. Overcoming them without much effort, they always strengthen their ability and ease of adaptation.

Always very playful, Ibeji’s children can end up being a little heavy on their games and being somewhat inconsequential when it comes to their own pranks. Maturity is not their strong point, and they can be quite stubborn and determined to get what they want.

Everything for the children of Ibeji is seen in a very simple way and, therefore, their personalities and tendency to reduce what happens around them can make them very carefree at inopportune moments for this. So, you can’t expect much seriousness from them or their attitudes, which makes some people upset.

Ibeji’s children don’t usually wait for things to “fall from the sky”: with a lot of joviality and perseverance, they can’t stay still for a long time, because they always overflow energy and disposition. They are always on the move, going after what they want.

Thus, the determination that their personality gives them is capable of making them very active and intense: it is all or nothing, and there is no middle ground for those who are children of Ibeji. Their intensity and concentration give them all the necessary strength to take the initiative and, almost always unshakable, overcome the obstacles that stand in their way. Therefore, they only rest when they reach their goal.

A very striking feature in those who are children of Ibeji is the pure heart. Preferring to always see the goodness in everything, they enjoy a very instinctive ability to forgive other people, which can often end up leaving them feeling hurt.

Thus, they tend to believe a lot in other people’s capacity for change and honesty, and they always have an optimistic outlook, making an easy task that many cannot: granting forgiveness. So, because they are so easy to forgive, Ibeji’s children end up getting very hurt, because of other people’s attitudes, which make them more emotionally fragile.

When it comes to love relationships, Ibeji’s children have a very big emotional fragility in their relationships. Because they are so easy to forgive, they end up keeping some hurt in the subconscious, after being hurt many times.

However, even holding some grudges that they always try to ignore and leave behind, they continue to forgive the other person easily, as they tend to have a very strong emotional dependence on their partners.

Thus, they prefer to “forget” what happened and believe in the change, with the naivety characteristic of the children of this orixá, whose hearts are so pure and determined to be optimistic about forgiveness.

Taking into account the personality similar to that of children, it is important to understand that Ibeji’s children tend to want everything to be the way they think is right and, therefore, can end up being quite stubborn within their relationships.

It is difficult for them to accept some things, which also leads them to have behaviors that…