Orisha Oxalá: in Umbanda, Candomblé, children, greetings, prayers and more!

I hope he is considered the Orisha of life, seen by many as the father of all. Among the Orishas, ​​he is the greatest, being the one to whom everyone bows down. According to his culture, Oxalá is known as the creator of human beings and of the whole world.

Also called by many as Obàtálá, which means the lord of the white mantle, and therefore this name refers to purity and respect. I hope he doesn’t show his strength to others, and imposes himself only through his wisdom and reason.

According to experts, I hope it manifests itself in the life of each one through faith and peace. As he is responsible for people’s mental and physical health, he is invoked a lot asking for intersections for health. The story of this powerful Orisha is very rich, so to better understand all of his details, keep following the reading below.

The history of Oxalá is very rich and very interesting. This Orisha has its importance both within Umbanda and Candomblé. In addition, there are some legends involving its origin and creation. If you really want to understand everything about the origin of this great orixá, follow the following reading carefully.

Considered the greatest Orixá of Umbanda, Oxalá is, according to specialists, Umbanda itself in its full magnitude. This Orisha has the color white, which represents love, peace, kindness and spiritual cleansing. The kingdom of Oxalá is our world, and that is why he has dominion over all people and places.

Within Umbanda, Jesus Christ is the supreme leader, who is added to Oxalá. Because they have a syncretism, it can be said that in this culture, Oxalá and Jesus Christ are the same person, however, with different names. However, in a deeper analysis, some experts believe that they are not the same, because according to the scriptures, Jesus incarnated on earth, while Oxalá is a spiritual being.

Thus, in this part of the story it is common to find some disagreements between specialists. However, in any case, it is known that all Orixás worshiped in Umbanda follow Oxalá, preaching their teachings and doctrines. Within Umbanda it is also known that the way to please Oxalá is by praying and having good conduct as a human being.

Candomblé is a religion that has a single greater God, which is called Olorum. The Orixás are like the angels or saints of Christianity. Thus, it is known that the direct children of Olorum became Orixás, being his first son Oxalá.

This Orisha is considered the father of men, and when incorporated it can take two forms: Oxaguiã, who is a young warrior, or Oxalufan, who is an elderly man who appears with his silver staff.

Conceived by Olorum, Oxalá was in charge of creating the Universe and everything in it. That’s why he is considered the father of men, creator and father of all in general. Against any kind of violence or discussion, Oxalá appreciates order, purity and cleanliness. Very wise and complacent with his children, he always leads them to the paths of victory.

I hope he is the most powerful Orisha of all. However, its original name is Orishala or Abatala in Africa. In Portuguese, the word Oxalá is synonymous with “want god” or “hopefully”. According to experts, this word originates from the Arabic expression “in shaa Allaah”, which means “if God wants”.

Leaving the origin of the word a little aside and returning to Oxalá, it is known that he was the first Orixá to be created, and for that reason he received the mission to create the whole world. This Orisha is still considered regent of the Throne of Faith, and therefore is associated with all matters involving trust in God.

Due to his position, it is said that he ended up becoming somewhat overbearing and demanding. So in some moments he ends up being stubborn and perfectionist.

Olorum, father of Oxalá, entrusted him with the so-called “creation bag”, so that it would be possible to create the world. However, like all Orisha, Oxalá should follow some rules to put the ritual of creation into practice. Because he thought he was far superior, he refused to make a large offering, as he believed that because he was the oldest orixá, there would be no such need.

But that was where he was wrong. Exú, who was responsible for overseeing all entries into the world called Beyond, did not like Oxalá’s attitude and considered it a lack of respect. Thus, when the presumptuous Orisha passed through the entrance of the place, Exú made him feel a great thirst, which made him pierce a palm tree to drink the liquid.

What Oxalá didn’t know was that the liquid in question was a wine. Unknowingly, he drank so much that he got drunk and fell asleep. While he was sleeping, his brother and great rival, Oduduá, found him and stole the famous creation bag. The Orisha took the object to his father and told him everything that had happened.

Thus, according to legend, Olorum allowed Oduduá to create the world. Following the correct ritual, Oduduá made the offering and created the first city called Ifé, in which he ended up becoming king.

When he woke up, Oxalá looked for his father, indignant. The Orisha received the punishment of never being able to drink again. However, Olorum was touched by Oxalá’s annoyance and allowed him to create man through clay.

When you incorporate one of the forms that Oxalá can assume is that of Oxaguiã, a young warrior. Knowing this, there are some legends in his name, one of the most interesting is perhaps that of the “Castle of Ogum”.

One beautiful day Oxaguiã accompanied Ogun through the wars. Thus, he started rebuilding all the places that the war had destroyed, making the places even more prosperous. In this way, Oxaguiã was able to spread prosperity around the world, in addition to forcing everyone there to work, with the aim of prospering.

Once, between one battle and another, Oxaguiã went to the city of Ogun to get supplies, and there he found a castle that had been built by the people as an offering to Ogun. Oxaguiã then asked the people what they would do now that they had finished construction. The people replied that they would rest.

However, the Orisha warned that the king would still take a while to return, and they should build an even bigger castle. Oxaguiã then drew his sword and knocked down the castle. Times later he returned to the city, and the people had built an even bigger castle. Oxaguiã repeated the old feat, demolished the castle and ordered the people to build an even bigger one.

Time passed and Oxaguiã returned to the city of Ogum, the orixá repeated the previous feat, tearing down the castle and ordering the construction of a bigger one. This situation repeated itself thousands of times. According to legend, this happened so many times that those people ended up becoming great builders, developing enviable engineering and architecture.

Afro-Brazilian religions are widespread in different regions of Brazil. Throughout the country there are numerous tributes and offerings to the Orixás. It is worth remembering that each of them has its own greeting. Thus, many African deities like Oxalá and many others, became part of Brazilian culture, bringing with them their mystical meaning in parties, food, colors, etc.

Thus, in order to know the will of the orixás, paies and Mães de Santo throw the shells on a table, to carry out the reading. However, nowadays, Oxalá and the other orixás, in addition to being present in religious rituals, are also present in popular Brazilian festivals, such as carnival, for example.

A very important figure within Umbanda and Candomblé, Oxalá has a certain syncretism with other fundamental religious figures in the history of the world. Thus, it has a connection from Jesus Christ, passing through Mohammed, Buddha, until arriving at Nosso Senhor do Bomfim, among many others.

Therefore, if you are really interested in the story of Oxalá, it is essential that you follow the reading and understand all its syncretisms.

In Bahia there is a strong syncretism between Oxalá and Senhor do Bomfim. There are some similar characteristics between both that can explain this. Both one and the other are worshiped in the mountains. In addition, both are linked to the creation of the world, as well as the origin of human beings.

Because of this fact, Oxalá and Senhor do Bomfim are considered those who make dreams come true. Due to this information, the religious syncretism between the two entities possibly originated due to the similarity of the places that are worshipped, linked to the origin of creation.

Thus, Oxalá is worshiped by the faithful in heights and responsible for the creation of humans. As Lord of Bomfim, represented by the figure of Jesus, he is also worshiped in the hills, and recognized in the Scriptures as the creator of the world.

When it comes to the syncretism between Oxalá and Jesus Christ, some experts differ a little on this subject. First there are those who believe they are both the same person. This is because within Umbanda there are records that consider Jesus Christ as the supreme leader, something that also happens with Oxalá.

According to experts, all Umbanda spirits have an enormous devotion to Jesus and follow his teachings. That’s why many consider the syncretism between Jesus and Oxalá perfect, believing that they are the same, just with different names.

On the other hand, those who believe that both are not the same, remember that according to the Scriptures, Jesus Christ incarnated on Earth, while Oxalá is a spiritual being. However, for many this is not important, and they worship only the similarities between them, remembering the creation of the world, in addition to following the teachings of both, being examples of kindness.

Religious syncretism can often arise because of different religions that bring with them similar characters, just with different names. This is the case of Tupã, who is also known by many as Oxalufan or Oxalá, believing that they are the same being.

Tupã still has the same syncretisms as Oxalá, like Jesus Christ and Senhor do Bomfim. His greeting is: “Oxalá yê, my father. Or Exê Nanny.” which means: “The Lord performs. Thanks Dad.” Thus, being considered a Supreme Divinity, Tupã is also identified by many as Oxalá. Its color is also white, and the place of offering is mountains and temples.

According to experts, the name of God can be Oxalá, Jehovah, Tupã, Jesus or Mohammed. Thus, it is natural that there is also a syncretism between Oxalá and Mohammed. The one mentioned last is the most important figure of Islam. Muhammad was born in Mecca in the year 570.

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