Shango

Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.

From Nigerian Studies: or the religious and political system of the Yoruba by R. E. Dennett, 1910.

Ellis gives us a very good description of the Orisha Shango; he says: “He dwells in the clouds in an immense brazen palace, where he maintains a large retinue and a great number of horses.” The Oni-Shango or priests of Shango in their chants always speak of Shango as hurling stones, and whenever a house is struck by lightning they rush in a body to pillage it and to find the stone, which, as they take it with them secretly, they always succeed in doing. A chant of the Oni-Shango very commonly heard is:—“Oh, Shango, thou art the master. Thou takest in thy hand thy fiery stones, to punish the guilty and satisfy thy anger.”

Everything that they strike is destroyed. Their fire eats up the forest, the trees are broken down, and all living creatures are slain, and the lay worshippers of Shango flock into the streets during a thunderstorm crying:—“Shango, Shango, great King. Shango is the Lord and Master. In the storms he hurls his fiery stones against his enemies, and their track gleams in the midst of the darkness.” “May Shango’s stone strike you,” is a very common form of imprecation. He usually goes armed with a club called Oshe, made of the wood of the ayan tree, which is so hard that a proverb says:—“The ayan tree resists the axe.”

His male followers are called Odushushango and the female Esin nla (the great horse).

I happened to meet an Odushushango, named Idowu, who gave me the following information.

Jakuta is the name of Shango’s day. Shango is the Alafin of Oyo’s great Orisha and is sometimes called Oba Kuso, the king of Kuso, a hill near Oyo which is sacred to him.

Another name is Alada Ogun, the one who splits the mortar that Ogun is said to wear on his head. Ako aja abinrinja lese, the ako dog that walks as one about to fight. Aja jumoni koto kpanije, the one who frightens one before he kills and eats him. Olilu tun ilu re she, one who puts his town in order. Ebi ti ka waw ponyin shoro, the one who with his hands behind his back does him an injury. Akuwarapa abija kaka, the one who has fits and is extraordinarily strong.

His wife Oya is she who runs on ahead when Shango goes out to fight, the strong tornado wind.

Oshun is the gathering darkness and Oba the wild clouds that meet. These two stay at home to keep house.

They sacrifice the cow, the sheep and the cock to Shango. His sacred tree is the Ayan from which his staff is made. His ewaws are the Sese (beans), the Eligidi (pumpkin), the Esuro (antelope), the Ekun (rabbit), and the Eku ago or white-bellied rat which the Alafin of Oyo is seen at times to raise to his lips as if to kiss.

Two days after my visit to Akure, where I saw the people preparing to worship Eshu while at Ipetu, just after I had finished talking to the chiefs, dancers, singers and drummers, followed by a crowd, came prancing to my tent, in a cloud of dust, and I was informed that the followers of Shango were preparing to hold their feast. So in this district the feast of Shango follows close after, or about the same time as, that of Ifa. A very tall and graceful looking woman, a priestess of Shango, closely followed by a man, both rattling some seeds in a long-necked gourd, and three or four women attendants, commenced dancing in front of my tent.

They said this woman represented Shango. She was dressed in a blouse of a dark colour and skirt of white. Over this skirt, hanging from her waist, she wore pieces of cloth and velvet six inches in width, and perhaps two feet in length. Her hair was dressed in a series of rolls running from her forehead to the back of her head, the largest being near the crown of her head. I was told that she was collecting money towards the expenses of the coming feast. Generally seventeen days’ notice are given, so that the feast of Shango in these parts, it will be noted, takes place at the beginning of the tornado season. During the festival the Odushushango dance, carrying pots of fire on their heads, and this fire they say cannot be quenched by water. The hair of these men is allowed to grow long and is arranged like a woman’s. Although this of course gives them an effeminate appearance I am not able to attach any homosexual act to the custom. They certainly are credited with magical powers and they are rather honoured than hated.

Shango

Told by Mr. Pellegrin

Shango is a man like myself, and when young could not be controlled by his parents, so they left him to his rascality. He used to waylay people on the roads and kill them, so all the Orishas (201) tried to find him, each giving one man. They heard he was at Egbe. They met him there. He said he was tired of running away, he would see what they could do. Ogun said he would catch him, so he took his pincers and ran after him; then Shango sent Thunder against him, but Ogun caught her in his pincers. Shango said he could not allow anyone to catch him, so he left his bow at Egbe, and ran away. So he is called “Oja ja forun ti l’egbe,” the man who fought greatly and left his bow at Egbe.

Then all the 201 representatives went and told Odudua, their chief. Then Odudua ordered them to go back and catch him. They went, but he told them that they would not see him again, and he took a chain and knocked the earth, and it opened and he went below. He said they would hear of him for ever. Then they returned to tell Odudua, and he said as Shango had left the earth he was glad. Odudua took the Thunder from Ogun, and gave him a sword to kill anyone who came his way. Then they met to arrange who should go on earth to repair the damage Shango had done, and they elected Truth. And when he arrived he began to use his influence.

When a child died he visited the parents and told them that as human beings they would all die.

This kind of comfort they did not care for, so they sent to Odudua, and told him that Truth did not agree with them, so Odudua took Truth away from them. He asked them which Orisha they wanted, and they said the Iro (lie), who made images and carved eyes, nose, ears, mouth: they said he would have sense to rule over them. Odudua gave them Iro to rule them. And when one falls sick and goes to him he tells them to gather such and such a leaf, and make medicine and take it, and the fever will go away. If he hears anyone fighting he hears both sides, and settles it.

When they saw that matters went well with them like this, the chief of them was called “Ajalorun” (See Ifa)—one who fights in heaven. This Ajalorun sent to Odudua and asked that the name of Iro should be changed to Orishala. Ajalorun and Odudua are of the same mother, Ajalorun being the younger. Ajalorun called Iro Orishala, alaba la she, iku pa ni pori. (Orishala means the great Orisha, Alabalashe, one who commands [the Balogun], Iku pa ni pori, Death kills us and kills the head). Then Orishala began to reign in the world, and made eyes, nose, mouth, ears, head, etc., for them all. And then the people began to hear Shango in heaven.

Shango

Told by Solako

Shango is Odudua’s son and a rascal, and he ran away. Then Odudua sent to Oshala and Ogun, his sons, to find out the truth about Shango. And they fought with him, but they could not catch him; so they told Odudua. He used to cut a leaf and chew it, and then fire came out of his mouth, and people ran away. Then Odudua called a meeting, and asked who would catch him, and Ogun volunteered. He met him at Egbe. They fought: he left his bow there, and went to Kuso. Then they went to tell Odudua, and he said they must catch him, and so they went to Kuso, and Shango said he would not see them. He threw his chain to heaven, and it opened for him, and he disappeared. And there he thundered and lightened, and everyone began to worship him.

Dennett, R. E. Nigerian Studies: or the religious and political system of the Yoruba, MacMillan and Co., Limited, 1910.

R. E. Dennett

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