MythsOrishás

Orishá Oshumaré: The Orishá of Transformation, and Endless Cycles

INTRODUCTION TO ORISHÁ OSHUMARÉ

Orishá Oshumaré, the vibrant Orisha of rainbows, is a symbol of transformation, renewal, and the cycles of life in the Yoruba tradition and its diasporic counterparts such as Candomblé and Santería. Known for his duality, Oshumaré embodies the constant flow of energy between opposing forces, linking the heavens and earth through his rainbow form. His role as a protector of nature, mediator of opposites, and patron of abundance and prosperity makes him an essential force in maintaining the harmony of the universe.

Oshumaré’s story reveals his deep connection to the rhythms of nature, transformation, and the fluidity of human experience. From guiding rainwater to the clouds to ensuring the cycles of birth and rebirth, Oshumaré represents the delicate balance that keeps life in motion. This blog will explore Oshumaré’s roles, myths, and spiritual significance, shedding light on how this powerful Orisha brings renewal and hope to all who seek his wisdom.

ROLES AND MYTHS OF ORISHÁ OSHUMARÉ

Oshumaré (also known as Oxumaré, Exumaré, or Osunmare) is an Orishá in the Yoruba religion and its diasporic forms such as Candomblé and Santería. Oshumaré is associated with rainbows, transformation, and renewal. He represents the cycles of life, the interconnectedness of opposites, and the harmony between earth and sky. Here are ten roles of Oshumaré in these traditions:

  1. Symbol of Transformation: Oshumaré is primarily known as the deity of transformation and change. He embodies the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. (Source: „The Handbook of Yoruba Religious Concepts“ by Baba Ifa Karade)
  2. God of Rainbows: Oshumaré is closely associated with rainbows, which are seen as his celestial pathway. Rainbows are symbolic of his transformative power and serve as a bridge between the earthly and spiritual realms. (Source: „Yoruba Culture: A Philosophical Account“ by Kola Abimbola)
  3. Representation of Duality and Harmony: Oshumaré embodies the idea of duality and the harmony between opposing forces. He represents the union of complementary aspects such as light and darkness, life and death, creation and destruction. (Source: „Afro-Cuban Myths: Yemaya and Other Orishás“ by Natalia Bolívar Aróstegui)
  4. Protector of Nature and the Environment: Oshumaré is regarded as a protector of nature, particularly of the rain and the cycles of growth and renewal in the natural world. (Source: „Yoruba Art and Language: Seeking the African in African Art“ by Rowland Abiodun)
  5. God of Blessings and Abundance: Oshumaré is associated with blessings, abundance, and prosperity. He brings renewal and fresh opportunities for growth and prosperity in people’s lives. (Source: „Santería: Correcting the Myths and Uncovering the Realities of a Growing Religion“ by Mary Ann Clark)
  6. Symbol of Reconciliation and Mediation: Oshumaré is seen as a mediator and reconciler of opposites. He helps to bring harmony and resolution to conflicts and facilitates balance and understanding. (Source: „The Yoruba Religious System“ by Mercedes Cros Sandoval)
  7. Guardian of Ancestral Lineages: Oshumaré is revered as a guardian of ancestral lineages and their continuity. He ensures the connection between past, present, and future generations. (Source: „Osun Across the Waters: A Yoruba Goddess in Africa and Americas“ by Joseph M. Murphy)
  8. Patron of LGBTQ+ Community: Oshumaré is often associated with gender fluidity and is considered a patron of the LGBTQ+ community. He represents the fluidity and diversity of human identity. (Source: „Sacred Eroticism in African Religion“ by Robert Farris Thompson)
  9. Provider of Spiritual Guidance: Oshumaré offers spiritual guidance and wisdom to those who seek understanding and personal growth. He helps individuals navigate life’s transitions and find meaning in their experiences. (Source: „The Handbook of Yoruba Religious Concepts“ by Baba Ifa Karade)
  10. Giver of Hope and Renewal: Oshumaré brings hope and optimism, reminding individuals that even in challenging times, transformation and renewal are possible. He offers encouragement and inspires resilience. (Source: „Afro-Cuban Myths: Yemaya and Other Orishás“ by Natalia Bolívar Aróstegui)

The roles of Oshumaré can vary among different communities and religious traditions, reflecting the diverse ways in which this Orishá is understood and revered.

DESCRIPTION OF ORISHA OSHUMARÉ

Characteristics

SymbolSnakes, Metal Snakes, Shell Necklace in the Shape of Snake Scales, Seven-Colored Pearl, Buffalo Horn Beads
ColorsGreen with Yellow Tinge, Yellow with Black Tinge, All Colors of the Rainbow
Natural PlacesNear the Lower End of Waterfalls
FlowersYellow Flowers
Essences%
StonesZircon
MetalMixture of Gold and Silver
HealthLow Blood Pressure, Dizziness, Nervous Problems, Allergies, Skin Diseases
Planet%
WeekdayTuesday
ElementSky and Earth
ChakraThroat Chakra
GreetingAho gbogbo yi! A run boboi!
Animals / OfferingsRam, Rooster, Goat, Armadillo, Goose
PlantsTaro, Echinodorus grandiflorus, Aeonium arboreum, Guazuma ulmifolia, Glasswort, Coffee Leaf, Monnieria bahiensis, Jiboia, Oriri
OfferingsCowpeas with Egg, White Corn, Yam Root, Coconut, Honey, Angelfish
DrinksAruá
FoodsBoiled Eggs with Palm Oil, Cornmeal with Dried Shrimp
Number14
Commemoration DayAugust 24th
Ruling OduObeogundá and Iká
DomainsWealth, Longevity, Cycles, Permanent Movement
SyncretismSaint Bartholomew
ManifestationsDan, Azaugador, Dangbé, Becem
Incompatibilities (Kizila)Sheep, Blue Crab, Apple, Starfruit, Saltwater, Salt
Title%

General Description

Orishá Oshumaré (Òsùmàrè) or Exumarê is the rainbow Orishá in Yoruba mythology. He connects heaven and earth. He is the rainbow serpent. Among the Nagô, he represents mobility and activity. One of his tasks is to direct the forces that control movement. He is the lord of everything that is elongated. The umbilical cord is under his control; it is usually buried, along with the placenta, under a palm tree that becomes the property of the newborn, whose health depends on the well-being of this tree.

As the son of Nanã Burukú, Oshumaré comes from Mahi in the former Dahomey, where he is known as Dan. In the Ifé region, he is called Ajé Sàlugá: the one who brings wealth to people. He was one of Odudua’s companions upon his arrival in Ifé. It is said that Oshumaré is both male and female, but in reality, he represents a cycle: the cycle of life because life emerges from the union of male and female. Oshumaré is a male Orishá.

This Vodun is called Dan or Bessém in the Fon nation and originates from the Mahi region in present-day Benin. It belongs to the Dambirá family and is called Dambalá Aidô Huedô or Dambelá/Dambará in the Neje-Mina (Ewe) nation, which is then shortened to Dan or Dá – the snake, his mythological representation. In the Bantu nation, there is the Nkisi Hongolô with similar characteristics to Oshumaré. The female aspect of this deity is named Angoroméa, and the male aspect is named Angorô. Their main function is also to bring movement and change and to provide continuity to the existence of humans and the world. Like the Vodun, they are also ambivalent. The differentiations vary within the nations. Due to its development, this Vodun is considered in its nation as a bringer of wealth to the world and humanity. For the Yoruba, the deity of wealth is Babá Ajê Xaluga (Aje Sàlugà) from the Oxaguian pantheon.

Oshumaré also represents wealth and prosperity, one of the most popular advantages among the Yoruba. In some ways, he is confused with the Vodun Dan from the Mahi region. He symbolizes continuity and durability. Sometimes he is depicted as a snake biting its own tail.

Oshumaré has many responsibilities, and it is said that he is the servant of Shango, and as such, it is his task to carry rainwater back to the clouds through the rainbow. He is the second son of Nanã, brother of Ossaim, Euá, and Obaluaiê (Omolú), who are associated with the mystery of death and resurrection. His children wear interwoven necklaces made of cowrie shells called Brajá, representing the scales of a snake. Like Nanã and Omolu, they also wear de Lagdigbá, another necklace.

In Candomblé, Oshumaré has two manifestations: the male Oshumaré, represented by the rainbow, and the female Oshumaré, called Frekuem, represented by the snake. Oshumaré is represented in the oracle by the Odu Iká and physically and immaterially in Candomblé by the sacred shrine called Igba Oshumaré. The deity is male for six months and female for six months but is considered the father of the head and not the mother.

Oshumaré is the youngest and favorite son of Nanã, the brother of Omulu. He is a very ancient white deity who participated in the creation of the world, wrapping around the earth and bringing matter together, giving shape to the world. He controls the universe, directs the stars and oceans, and sets them in motion. Oshumaré sneaked through the world and created its valleys and rivers. He is the great serpent that bites its own tail as a symbol of the continuity of movement and the cycle of life. He owns the snake, which is why snakes are not killed in Candomblé. His essence is movement, fertility, and the continuity of life.

Oshumaré ensures communication between heaven and earth. He brings seawater to the sky so that rain can form – he is the rainbow, the great colorful snake. He ensures communication between the supernatural world, ancestors, and humans and is therefore associated with the umbilical cord. Regarding Oshumaré, any fixed definition is difficult and risky. One cannot even say that he is a male Orishá or a female Orishá because he is both at the same time: for half the year, he is male, and for the other half of the year, he is female. For this reason, the underlying principle associated with his myths and archetype is duality.

This ubiquity means that Oshumaré encompasses all fundamental oppositions: good and evil, day and night, male and female, sweet and bitter, and so on. During the six months when he is a male deity, he is represented by the rainbow since Oshumaré is credited with the power to regulate rain and drought because as long as the rainbow shines, it cannot rain. At the same time, the mere existence of the rainbow proves that water rises as vapor into the sky, where it condenses into clouds, which, after further chemical transformation, turn into the liquid state and return to the earth in the form of rain, starting the cycle anew: the evaporation of water, new clouds, fresh rain, and so on. In the following six months, Oshumaré takes on the female form and approaches the opposites of what he represented in the previous half-year. He then becomes the snake that is forced to slither agilely across the earth and through water, leaving the heights behind and living close to the ground, losing transcendence and becoming more material.

Indeed, from the oppositions that Oshumaré represents, it can be derived that he is the Orishá of movement, action, constant change, and the constant fluctuation between one path and another that characterizes the meandering path of human life. He is the Orishá of thesis and antithesis. Therefore, his domains are all regular, never-ending movements such as the alternation between rain and sun, day and night, positive and negative.

It is said of him that as a snake, he can be very aggressive and violent, even biting his own tail. This leads to constant movement because as long as he does not reach his own tail, he rotates without control. This movement represents the rotation of the earth and the journey of the earth around the sun, a recurring cycle like the movement of all planets and stars in the universe, governed by gravity and laws that make these processes appear unchanging, eternal—or at least very enduring compared to the average human lifespan on earth, not only in terms of the species as a whole but especially in terms of individual existence. If this movement were to suddenly stop, the universe as we know it would cease to exist, and chaos would immediately reign. This notion justifies a traditional rule of Candomblé, according to which Oshumaré must always be well-fed and taken care of because if he were to lose his power and die, it would mean nothing less than the end of life on earth.

While the rainbow brings the joyful news of the end of the storm, the return of the sun, and the possibility of free and comfortable movement, the snake is particularly dangerous for a forest civilization because that is its typical habitat, and it can strike swiftly. Oshumaré is associated with the mysterious, with everything that implies a determination beyond human possibilities, beyond destiny; in short, he is the lord of all that endures.

Oshumaré is the Orishá of all movements, all cycles. If Oshumaré were to lose his powers one day, it would mean the end of the world because the universe is dynamic, and the earth is in constant motion. Imagine an earth that does not rotate around the sun or itself; imagine a perpetual season, eternal night, an unending day. The earth must not stop moving; day must follow night, one season must follow another, and water vapor must rise to the sky to fall back to earth as rain. Oshumaré must not be forgotten because the end of cycles means the end of the world. Oshumaré lives in heaven and visits us on earth through the rainbow.

He is a great serpent that embraces the earth and the sky, ensuring the unity and renewal of the universe. Oshumaré is the Orishá of wealth, but as his story shows, it was not always so: Oshumaré was once a Babalawo (high priest) who was greatly exploited by Olofim, the king of Ifé. Olofim was his most important client and consulted him every four days. He was poorly paid for his services and lived in poverty. Olokum, the most beautiful and richest goddess known in Africa, called on Oshumaré to heal her daughter, who was suffering from a strange illness. Using his magic, Oshumaré cured Olokum’s child and returned dressed in riches, adorned in the most beautiful blue. Olofim regretted his stinginess and, to outdo Olokum, he showered Oshumaré with wealth, even giving him red clothing. Oshumaré became rich and respected by all.

One day, Olodumaré, the supreme god, fell ill from all the visits and called on Oshumaré. The great god was healed and no longer wanted to part with Oshumaré, inviting him to live in heaven. From then on, Oshumaré visited the earth from time to time through the rainbow. During these visits, he made people wealthy and happy.

The Runjebe (a necklace indicating seniority in Candomblé) that novices receive after seven years of training belongs to Oshumaré (some attribute it to the Orishá Iroko) and represents the cycle of life and death (continuity). It is a necklace that belongs to Jeje rituals but has spread to all nations of Candomblé.

The waterfalls where the rainbow is permanent are the best places to worship Oshumaré. Some confuse him with Oshun, as if he were one of her manifestations – Oshun Maré. Some even place a fringe crown (Adé) on Oshumaré. This is a mistake because he is an independent Orishá with his own characteristics, domains, and history. The only thing he has in common with Oshun is his preference for wealth and all things beautiful.

Oshumaré regulates the rain, distributes it across the earth, and transforms it into clouds, so that it can fall back to the earth in an eternal cycle. In doing so, he also regulates droughts and dry periods with all their consequences. With rain, he can bring poverty if it leads to floods and high water levels, and with its absence, he brings drought, death, and crop failure. But Oshumaré also brings successful harvests when rain falls in the right amount, leading to prosperity and wealth. When the rainbow appears after heavy rainfall, it signifies that Oshumaré has come to earth. It illuminates the sky and demonstrates its power. It has already made the earth fertile, as it brings with it the warmth of its brother Omolu to warm the earth and aid in the germination of new plant life. This calm brings the distribution of Axé Olodumare throughout the world, fertilizing the soil and giving rise to life and the distribution of wealth.

Oshumaré likes to confuse people, leading them to develop and learn, thereby elevating the cycle of existence to a higher level. That is why he, like Iewá, often disguises himself during Merindilogun, hiding and showing only what he wants people to see. He indicates that the Babalawos (priests, called Bokonos in the Fon nation) and even the Babalorixás/Yalorixás – priests and priestesses – must know precisely what they are doing and must constantly continue to learn and develop. At the beginning of creation, Oshumaré was a powerful Babalawo, recognized as the patriarch of all Babalawos, a messenger of divine intentions.

As the ruler of curvaceous wealth, he is the ruler of river bends and meanders that resemble crawling snakes, but he is also responsible for everything long and thin, such as scepters and climbing plants like palms.

ASPECTS AND QUALITIES OF ORISHÁ OSHUMARÉ (ARCHETYPES)

  1. Oshumaré Azaunodor – A jovial deity associated with the baobab tree. He is closely related to duplicity, and all his symbols must be double. He wears white and carries double snakes.
  2. Oshumaré Bessém – A jovial and warrior-like Oshumaré with a combative aspect. He wears white and carries a sword within a circle (takará).
  3. Oshumaré Dan – Generous quality, associated with creation, rain, fertility, and eggs. It is the snake of the rainbow. He wears symbols related to snakes and wears green and yellow.
  4. Oshumaré Dangbé – Older quality, associated with the movement of stars. Less agitated, wise, and connected to intuitive powers. Conducts divination and oracles. He wears yellow and green or black and gold.
  5. Oshumaré Frekuen – Quality with female aspects of Oshumaré. She is related to poisonous and colorful snakes.

CHARACTERISTICS OF INITIATED CHILDREN IN ORISHÁ OSHUMARÉ

In life, Oshumaré’s children initially face great difficulties, like the legend of Oshumaré, they are often poor or not promoted. However, they later turn the tables and become rich, powerful, and often arrogant. But they never refuse to help those who truly need it. It is not uncommon to witness a child of Oshumaré easily parting with things for the benefit of the needy, which serves as a counterpoint to their arrogance and display of wealth. In this phase, they are in the rainbow, their sweetest and most serious phase.

While they are calm, the children of Oshumaré are very affable people, but they are fearsome when they become angry. In this state, they represent the snake that brings out the negative side of Oshumaré: deceit and evil.

Everything in their lives changes: friends, love affairs, places of residence. They love change, and when they change, they do so radically. They can also become bisexual because bisexuality is associated with this Orishá, who is male for six months and female for the other six months. While they are not of both genders, they may naturally be attracted to both men and women. However, the Orishá is fundamentally male.

Oshumaré represents constant renewal in all aspects of life. It is the renewal of love in life. When love gives way to passion or jealousy, Oshumaré’s influence ends, and its influence dilutes both passion and jealousy. It dilutes the religiosity already embedded in a person’s mind and emotionally guides them toward another religion whose doctrine helps them develop on the right path.

This inclination for renewal and change leads to the children of Oshumaré experiencing radical changes in their lives repeatedly. They seek new homes, new friends, a new religion, a different job, constantly breaking with the past and searching for new alternatives for the future to fulfill their life cycle: changeable, uncertain, restless.

They are usually slim. Like snakes, they have attentive, prominent eyes that are difficult to look into, yet they are „blind.“ They are people who cling to material values and enjoy displaying their wealth. They are proud and enjoy showcasing themselves, but they are also generous and willing to part with their belongings to help others. They are extremely active and agile, always in motion and action, unable to pause.

They are patient and persistent in their pursuit of goals, unafraid of making sacrifices to achieve them. The duality of this Orishá is also manifested in its children, particularly in terms of the turnarounds they make in their lives, which can flip to the opposite extreme without any issues. They can suddenly switch from one extreme to another, just like Oshumaré, the great god of movement.

The children of Oshumaré are often alert and have their entire surroundings on their radar. They do not hesitate and spare no effort to achieve their goals, as they constantly aspire to more than they already have. They gladly deceive those they dislike because they are very suspicious. At the same time, they can be good friends to those they like. They enjoy displaying beautiful jewelry and love living in comfort and opulence. If they occupy a higher social position, they like to dominate those around them, but they also do not hesitate to use their position to help those in need – without expecting retaliation in the future. They are tall and slim, with an elegant posture and a sharp and penetrating gaze like a snake. They have a tendency for irony, extravagance, curiosity, and talkativeness – their most dangerous weapon is their tongue.

EXPLORE THE MYTHS: I suggest a deep-dive into the fascinating myths of Orishá Oshumaré (Dan, Bessen) in the collection of his myths on Amazon.

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