Ogun

Ogun is the orisha of metals and war. He is the protector of blacksmiths, hunters, butchers, and others who use tools made from iron. Ogun’s association with tools and iron weaponry, such as the machete, as well as his aggressive demeanor connects this god to war. One patakí relays the importance of Ogun opening communications between the other orishas and humanity. When the planet was created, a thicket prevented the orishas from entering; Ogun, the only god with an iron knife, cut through the thicket, enabling the other gods to come to earth. (Mercedes Cros-Sandoval, Worldview, the Orichas, and Santeria: Africa to Cuba and Beyond (2006), p. 270.)

Exhibitions