In Haitian Vodun and Yoruba mythology, Ogun (or Ogoun, Ogum,
Ogou) is a loa and orisha, who presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and
war. He is the patron of smiths and is usually displayed with his attributes:
machete or sabre, rum and
tobacco. He is one of the husbands of Erzulie and is a husband
of osun and oya in yoruba mythology
Ogun is the traditional warrior and seen as a powerful deity of metal work, similar to the spirit of Ares and Hephaestus in Greek
mythology. As such Ogun is mighty, powerful, triumphal, yet also exhibits the rage and destructiveness of the warrior
whose strength and violence can turn against the community he serves. Perhaps linked to this theme is the new face he has taken
on in Haiti which is not quite related to his African roots, that of a powerful political
leader.[1]
He gives strength through prophecy and magic. It is Ogun who is said to have planted the idea, led and given power to the
slaves for the Haitian Revolution of 1804. He is called now to help people obtain a
government more responsive to their needs.
Aspects
Ogun comes to mount people in various aspects of his character, and the people are quite familiar with each of them. Some of
these aspects are:
- Ogun the wounded warrior. He assumes a Christ-figure pose which the people know well from their Christian associations.
- Ogun Feraille. He gives strength to the servitors by slapping them on the thighs or back.
- Ogun Badagris. He may lift a person up and carry him or her around to indicate his special attention and patronage. To all
the aspects of Ogoun there is the dominant theme of power and militancy.
His possessions can sometimes be violent. Those mounted by him are known to wash their hands in flaming rum without suffering
from it later. They dress up in red, wave a sabre or machete, chew a cigar and demand rum in an old phrase "Gren mwe fret" (my
testicles are cold). Often this rum is poured on the ground then lit and the fumes pervade the peristyle. The sword, or much more
commonly, the machete is his weapon and he often does strange feats of poking himself with it,
or even sticking the handle in the ground, then mounting the blade without piercing his skin.
In other mythologies
In Yoruba mythology, Ogun (same as Ogoun) is a son of Yemaja and Orungan; and to this day Ogun is worshiped by the Yoruba people of
West Africa. He is worshiped in places like Ekiti, Oyo and Ondo States. He is believed to have (wo ile sun) which means to sink
into the ground not to die, in a place named Ire-Ekiti. Through out his entire life he fought for the people of Ire.
In Dahomey mythology, Gu is the god of war and patron deity of smiths and
craftsmen. He was sent to earth to make it a nice place for people to live, and he has not yet finished this task.
In Santería and Palo Mayombe, he has been
syncretized with Saint Peter.
In the religious tradition of the Afro-Brazilian Candomblé, Ogum (as this Yoruba divinity is known in the Portuguese language) is often identified with Saint George,
for example in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. However, Ogum may also be represented
by Saint Sebastian, as it is often done in the northeast of the country, for example in
the state of Bahia. Officially Saint Sebastian is the patron
saint of the city of Rio de Janeiro, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to anthropologist
Luiz Mott, Saint Sebastian is also considered by many homosexuals, especially those belonging to the lower and marginalized classes, as the patron saint of gay
people.
In all his incarnations Ogoun is a fiery and martial spirit. He can be very aggressively masculine—much like the spirit
Shango—but can also rule the head of female, or effeminate male initiates to whom he takes a
liking. He is also linked with blood, and is for this reason often called upon to heal diseases of the blood.
In the cult of Orishas, he appears in other aspects, such as Ogun Akirun, Ogun Alagbede, Ogun
Alara, Ogun Elemona, Ogun Ikole, Ogun Meji, Ogun Oloola, Ogun Onigbajamo, Ogun Onire, Ogun-un, Onile, the latter being a feminine
incarnation.[2]
Notes
- ^ Africa's Ogun: Old World and New. ISBN 025330282X
- ^ Ogun—in Ifa/Orisha syncretic cult
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