Orisha Obá: history, qualities, day, greeting, offerings and more!

Obá is known as a warrior and Orisha of great strength. Called the queen of the Niger River, she always appears with her sword in one hand and her shield in the other, armed with what is necessary to fight for what she believes in.

Due to these characteristics, Obá is known for providing the strength for women to overcome obstacles, as she is also seen as the mother who can understand all the heartaches and is always willing to help.

Daughter of Iemanjá and Oxalá, Obá is found in revolting fresh waters, but her characteristics show an Orixá that fights and seeks balance at the same time that she is a great defender of justice. Read more about Oba below!

Because it is known as the queen of revolting fresh waters, whenever a place with strong breaks or pororocas is seen, it is considered the house of Obá. She walks beside Nanã and, like this Orixá, has control over floods and mud.

Obá is also seen as an Orisha full of physical strength and it is because of this representation that she has become a symbol of female fighting power. Other distinct powers in relation to food are also attributed to her.

Her portrayal of a warrior also means that Obá is seen as a less feminine-looking Orisha and her beauty is linked to other aspects, such as her battles and the way she behaves in those moments. Were you curious? Learn more about Oba below!

There are many legends that talk about the stories and origins of Obá and, in general, all of them are surrounded by mysteries that have never been solved. Always fearless, one of the legends of the Orisha indicates that she was once capable of defeating Exu, Oxumaré, Iansã, Oxalá, Orunmila, Oxóssi and Omolú. The only time she lost was against Ogun, who ended up outsmarting her in combat.

In the battle against Ogun, he followed the advice given by Ifá, who made a prediction indicating that to win, he should make a paste with 200 ears of corn and okra. This was supposed to be placed in a corner of the arena. So, Ogun surpassed Obá in battle and this was the first time that the warrior lost.

In general, Obá is seen as a woman who has a sad face. In all her qualities she appears in that same form. Her appearance also demonstrates that she carries a lot of resentment. But even in the face of that, she is an unrivaled warrior.

Obá appears in his representations carrying a sword and a shield. His sword is called Ofange. She can also appear with a bow and arrow, called Ofá.

The connection between Obá and Oxum is shown by the rivalry created between the two for the love of Xangô. Obá always sought to steal the secrets of Oxum’s recipes so that he could prepare them for Xangô. Irritated by this, Oxum created a trap for her and invited Obá to participate in the preparation of a dish that Xangô liked very much.

Oxum deceived Obá by saying that the dish was prepared with his own ears and when Xangô tasted it and felt very satisfied, Obá wanted to repeat it, causing a negative reaction in the Orisha.

Thus, Oxum removed the scarf that covered his ears and showed Oba that he had not plucked them. The two fought and Xangô, irritated, showed all his fury. The two fled and turned into rivers.

Marriage to Xangô turned Obá into jealous and possessive and her love for Orisha made her capable of doing anything for him. Next to Xangô, Obá is much more vulnerable, which is not normally seen in the warlike characteristics of the Orisha.

Due to this attitude, she was deceived by Xangô on several occasions. The legend points out that Obá’s initial anger towards Oxum was due to the jealousy she felt towards the Orisha for being her husband’s favorite.

Obá’s relationship with Ogum was born out of the battle between the two. By following the guidelines given by Ifá, Ogun managed to overcome the Orisha, causing her to slip on the paste made by him and placed in the arena.

The moment he managed to make her slip, Ogun didn’t miss the opportunity and possessed her in that place. Until then, Obá had not experienced true love, which she came to know only when her path crossed with Xangô’s.

Several beliefs recognize the power of Obah. The main ones are Umbanda and Candomblé, both religions of African origin. But due to some other issues, such as syncretism, Obá is also seen through a specific saint in the Catholic Church.

Therefore, the way it is found in different religions and cultures may undergo some changes. But there is a central symbol in the Orisha that shows her strength and the determination with which she faces her battles.

Its attributions in religions show the strength of the Orisha, mainly because it is a female symbol that can even be reflected in the children of Obá.

See more about Obá in various beliefs!

In Candomblé, Obá is seen as an Orixá linked to water and a warrior, who fights for what she believes. Her clothes have different colors and she always appears in possession of her weapons and with her copper crown.

Obá is an Orisha that doesn’t manifest much and that’s why it’s difficult to have high knowledge about her. She is always associated with female strength and representation, in both African-based religions that worship her.

Just like in Candomblé, in Umbanda Obá is seen as a warrior who represents the strength of women. Because she has all this strength, she is usually feared by the other Orixás with whom she has fought and won several battles.

Her warrior stereotype makes her seen as less feminine, even though she is the very representation of women’s strength. Throughout her battles, Obá is seen for her main beauty: her abilities in the fight and for being a true fighter of injustices, something that is seen in her children.

The syncretism of Obá with the Catholic Church shows that this Orixá has a very strong connection with Joan of Arc, known for being a warrior. The two share very strong similarities in relation to their traits, which make both to be seen in a masculinized way.

Joan of Arc is considered a controversial and striking figure. As a young girl, at the age of 13, she claimed to have heard voices. Which, according to her, would be São Miguel, Santa Catarina and Santa Margarida, who appeared to assign four missions to her. For these reasons, the two are often compared and there was syncretism.

Obá has its origins in religions of African origin and is therefore worshiped in places where these religions were born. One of the terms to refer to Orisha even highlights this connection because she is known as the queen of the Niger River or can also be referred to as Oba, as well as her name, which is known as the main river in West Africa.

In this way, the first cults dedicated to this Orixá have their origins in West African locations in which she began to be worshiped, exalted and later other cultures and places, such as Brazil, also began to practice the religions in question.

In religions of African origin, such as Candomblé and Umbanda, it is common for the Orixás to be seen in different ways due to some details or practices. The term to refer to this question is qualities or also archetypes.

Therefore, when referring to the archetypes or qualities of an Orisha, it is these distinct definitions or different forms that he shows himself. In general, the qualities show a connection with an element or with another specific Orisha.

In the case of Obá, all of his archetypes are linked to other Orixás who crossed his path. To know all 7 qualities of Obá, keep reading!

In this capacity of Obá, known as Gìdéò, there is the path in which she connects with Xangô, her first husband. Even if they have differentiations due to their way of acting.

The fearless warrior that Obá has always shown to be strong, even if she is an Orixá who is very resentful of the events in her life, mainly because of her relationship with Xangô, which turned her into a jealous and possessive person over time.

On this path, Obá Syió shows his connection with Xangô and Oyá, also known as Iansã. Obá lived in constant anguish due to the connection between Oyá and Xangô because she believed that her husband had a predilection for his two other wives, who would be Oxum and Oyá.

More and more this consumed Obá, who became more jealous and possessive. For a long time, she made an effort and dedicated herself to attracting her husband’s attention, but Xangô could not resist the pampering of his other two wives, which fueled Obá’s jealousy.

Obá has a strong connection with the Iyami, who are called the great mothers of ancestry.

This association comes from the fact that Iyami is an ancestral symbol of the feminine and because Obá carries the same symbology for her warrior form that wins all battles, the Orisha in this capacity follows the path of the Iyami, who can also be seen as powerful sorceresses. according to the stories.

Obà Lóké comes along with Odé, who is known to be the hunter god and lord of the forests. Hence the link. Obá is a warrior who lives near fresh waters and Odé is also known to be the son of Yemanja and Oxalá, as well as Obá, and therefore, he is Oxossi.

Therefore, their connection comes from the fact that the Orisha is the son of the same parents and, thus, the quality of Obá follows the path of his brother, known as the king of Ketu due to his achievements in saving the local population.

The Obá Tèrá de Obá quality shows the connection that the Orisha has with Ogum, who crosses his path several times. The main moment she connects with Ogum is when he proved to be smarter and set her up to lose the battle.

This was the first moment in the history of the Orisha that she lost. From that point on, their paths crossed for eternity. After losing to Ogun, the two were involved before Obá met her husband Xangô.

Obá Lomyìn has a connection with Oxalá, who is the father of Obá and also of Oxossi. This path shows the Orixá’s connection with her father, who is one of the most powerful Orixás of all.

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