Osanyin
by Malomo Odetumbi - Carlos Eduardo da Silva
OSANYIN is an AWON ORISA L'ODE, one of street ORISA, bringing with himself the symbolism of the outerself.
Patron of the vegetation, of the leaves and of its mixtures. The leaves, born from the trees, and the plants constitute a
direct emanation of the supernatural power of the earth fertilized by the rain and, as that power, the action of the
leaves can be used for several means.
Each leaf possesses virtues that are of their own and, mixed to the other ones, they form medicinal or magical
preparations of great importance in the cults, where nothing can be done without their use.
The leaves, as the scales of the fish and the featherses of the birds, are and represent the procreated. They transmit the
"black blood", the occult´s ase.
The blood of the leaves, that brings inside the power of what is born, of what abundantly occurs, is one of the most
powerful ase. In appropriate combinations, they give motion to any action or ritual, so the constant need of its use.
Consequently, OSANYIN possesses a power so beneficial as dangerous, depending on the several uses of the leaves.
His cult is relatively secret and, even not constituting a secret society, his rites are not public.
OSANYIN speaks with a peculiar voice attributed to a small bird that represents him. It is the bird EYE. In the
temples consecrated to OSANYIN, in Africa, is said that this bird inhabits in Igba OSANYIN (the bottle gourd
consecrated to OSANYIN) and that it speaks when
OSANYIN is consulted.
Although Pierre Verger in one of his works affirms that OLOSANYIN, the initiated in OSANYIN, don't get into
trance, descriptions of annual festivals accomplished in Ibadan states trances and we have seen, in several
opportunities, such situation happening in his
initiates.
The leaves are divided in four compartments, corresponding to the four elements, identical classification of the ones
that are processed in Odu - water, air, earth and fire.
Like this, also, they accomplish the function of reinforcing the essential character of the elements, in other words, the
leaves, when they transmit their ase, activate the potentiality of the elements that the ORISA who the person belongs
is linked with.
So we have: ewe afeefe (leaves of the air-wind), ewe inon (leaves of the fire), ewe omi (leaves of the water) and ewe ile
or ewe igbo (leaves of the earth and of the forest).
Other classifications that we have related to the leaves are: masculine and feminine, sedatives (ero) or exciting (gun),
dayly and nightly.