Names of Zeus: Shango

Shango, also known as Xango, is the personification of thunder, farming, justice, storms, dance and masculine virility in the Yoruba, Dahomey and Ewe religions that come from modern day Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon and Togo. He is also known as Sogbo or Hevioso in the Fon religion of modern-day Benin where Voodoo originated.

The God of Storms is represented prolifically in many of the New World religions of the black diaspora such as Santería in Afro-Latin communities, Candomblé in Brazil and Voodoo in Haiti, Louisiana and many other environs, but also in other distinctive traditions of Trinidad and Cuba that bear his name alone.

Many of his aspects are verbally passed down and not always in complete alignment with each other, but a strong picture emerges of this God from the Yoruba lands.

SYMBOLISM OF SHANGO

Much as in many other representations, Shango is represented as an Orisha with a single or double-headed axe, typically either on his head or adjacent to his feet. He is often depicted with this symbol which symbolizes the power of lightning and control over the elements. His colors are usually red and white, colors that had a significant importance in Egypt.

Occasionally, however, he is represented in a more androgynous bodily form, which is considered to be allegorical of the Orishas’ nourishing influence and the balance of masculine and feminine forces in the soul. Out of all Gods, he wields the ase (divine force) akin to witchpower the most liberally. This androgyny is also represented in his traditional priests, who wear the shaved, braided and high styles of women on special occasions. Interestingly, it is known this hairstyle when used by men is associated with the trance state and medicinal aspect of Shango for mass rituals; it is forbidden for men to wear in other contexts.

His physical beauty and virility are always emphasized in Yoruba cosmology, but also his tendency to anger quickly and be capricious. Shango represents the power of nature itself more centrally than other representations of Zeus. Much like Raijin, the rhythms of the Iyá, Itótele, and Okónkolo drums call down his energy and represent his powers.

The Yoruba believe Shango creates thunder and lightning by casting down “thunderstones” from heaven to the earth. Anyone who offends Shango is struck with lightning speed. When it struck, followed by peals of thunder, ancient Shango priests went scrambling around in search of thunderstones or the “thronestone,” which had special powers:

Shango is represented in a sacred dance that represents all of his deeds and achievements, not dissimilarly to Shiva. Worshippers in Yorubaland still wield the oshe or axe of Shango in a symbolic mass dance, with his dual faces elaborating certain mysteries:

Shannon pointed out to me that the related Veve of Hevioso represents the horns of the Ram:

In Santería particularly, Shango is consistently associated with the ram and the color red, symbolic of his connection to Amon and Zeus, but also the sign of Aries and the spring equinox. He is often invoked for success in sexual matters, being known in the myths as amorous. His day is either represented as Friday or Saturday, but often as Thursday in Africa.

In Brazilian traditions, Shango is represented with a bronze crown signifying his place of precedence among the Orisha. The four major Nigerian rivers (chief of which is the River Niger) are also Shango’s wives, alluding to his mastery of the elements.

THE EARTHLY SHANGO

In most narratives, Shango was held to be one of the major ancestors of the Oyo Empire. He was equated with being the third Alaafin (Custodian of the Palace) who brought all forms of prosperity and power to the realm. A war-like and strong ruler, he caused many of the Oyo enemies to fear him. In the Yoruba understanding, the fearsome Alaafin was married to Oya (Lilith) and Oshun (Astarte). It is due to Oya’s intrigues and persuasion that Shango decided to take power.

The Shango cult played a vital role in state administration. The Alaafin’s position as representative of Shango was exploited to the full as a means of supporting his authority. The cult was spread to every town under Oyó influence and organized in a hierarchy centered in the palace at Oyó. The Alafin’s Ajales were often themselves Shango priests.

Trinidad Yoruba, Maureen Warner-Lewis

His rule only ended when the Palace itself was struck by lightning, prompting a type of apotheosis, or alternatively driven out by the other ruler. Hence, in Yoruba traditions, Shango was a physical being that became an Orisha and he was originally a king of the Oyo Empire. He brought prosperity to the Oyó empire and later committed suicide by hanging and later revealed himself to the Oyó people as taken his place as an Orisha. Fon narratives show a similar story about Hevioso.

To this day in Nigeria, Shango is called upon during coronations to bestow the king with righteous power and proper use of justice. In Santería, rites are also often concluded by naming him the King:

OLUDMARE

The great God behind all the Orisha spirits, Oludmare (Osanobua among the Edo peoples), represents the concept of Satya or Cosmic Truth. Oludmare is in everything and yet beyond everything at the same time. It is known this force designated Shango as the strongest and most powerful of the Orishas. By the Yoruba, he is also associated with rainbows and prisms of color that often appear after the storm.

As the Supreme Being at the apex of this divine cosmic hierarchy, Olodumare, Nana Buluku, Nazambi Kalunga, or Onyankopon is owner of the skies, source of all existence, and originating power behind the world of spirits and human life. The name Olodumare is a combination of olo, odu, and mare. Olo odu means “owner of odu,” the principle that underlies the operation of the universe, and mare is “light” or “rainbow.

DIVINATION AND ORUNMILA

The earthly emanation of the Orisha, named Òrúnmìlà, is held to have created all systems of divination travelling the world to find the best of systems and constructing the Great Temple of Ife-Ife. Several legends suggest Shango passed him this ability in exchange for the world dance, showing Shango’s identity as a God of Fate:

Òrúnmìlà himself is expressed through the Rites of Divination, Ifá. Divination is extremely important in Yoruba religion and functions as the major religious rite in itself; it is held to be approximate to communicating with divinities, not just symbolizing or interceding. Not only is Ifá practised in Africa but also among the diaspora:

The system of divination elaborates what will occur to the worshipper if they change little about their life. The symbolism of Òrúnmìlà in following Ifá allow the practitioner to achieve what is called titete (alignment of soul). Meditative states are held to be all important and in Yoruba understanding it takes years of initiation and practice to achieve a proper state.

The priests and priestesses of Yoruba religion are taught up to 1,680 verses or symbolic codes expressed through sayings by heart, paralleling the verbal systems of the Celts. There is evidence that some of these sayings came from Egypt itself, having major commonalities with Egyptian texts.

Shango is associated the verses that deal with rulership, victory in battle, and the consequences of arrogance or misuse of power. His influence in Ifá often appears in cases where justice, strength, and balance are needed, as he is known for his fair but severe judgments. Red thunderstones (edun ara), which are believed to be remnants of his lightning, are used in rituals and sometimes appear in divination.

CORRUPTION

With the upheaval and prohibitions of Paganism that came with Transatlantic Slavery, many were obliged to worship the ‘saint’ named Barbara whose father was struck by lightning as he beheaded her for converting to Christianity. The androgynous characteristics of Shango were also contributors to this type of confusion.

To this day, many New World religions hybridize Shango with this saint, which is a dangerous practice. We ask at Temple of Zeus to keep one’s practice fully on the God.