Ogún, The God of War and Civilization
Symbol: iron, war
Also known as Ogoun or Ògún; Ogum or Gu in Portuguese; also spelled Oggun or Ogou in Haiti and parts of the Caribbean; and known as Ogún or Ogum in Latin America.
Ogún appears in many African religions. He is a warrior and powerful spirit of metalwork, as well as rum and rum-making. He is the God of Iron, present also in Haitian Vodou and West African Vodun. In Yorubaland, Ogún is said to have cleared the path for other orisha to come to Earth, using his metal axe and accompanied by a dog. In his earthly manifestation, he is known as the first king of Ife. When some of his subjects failed to show him adequate respect, Ogún killed them and ultimately himself with his own sword.
Ogún respected for his creativity and intelligence, especially when it comes to making tools. If not for these tools, the earth would have remained a wilderness, hence, he is the father of civilization. And if not for his strength, the path between heaven and earth would not have been fashioned for both orisha and human to thrive. Ogún is like an overprotective father – loving, fierce, and loyal. He likes to hunt with his favourite hunting partners, Elegua and Osoosi.
In Candomblé, Ogún is syncretized with Saint George, and in the northern regions of Brazil, especially in Bahia, he is associated with Saint Sebastian or Saint Anthony. In Santería and in the Orisha religion of Trinidad and Tobago, he is syncretized with Saint Peter, Santiago de Chile, Saint Paul, and John the Baptist. Under the chakra system, Ogún rules the solar plexus chakra (3rd energy center).
Ogún type of people are those who do not follow trends; they create them. They know how to make money and exude power and influence over others. They tend to be incredibly discipled and never sell themselves short.
Ogún can be aggressively masculine, much like his brother Shango. He is often associated with the blood, and so is a healer of ailments related to the blood.
Nobel Laureate and author Wole Soyinka reveres Ogún as his patron, as well as being his muse and inspiration. In Soyinka’s Myth, Literature, and the African world, he says, “Ogún is the master craftsman and artist, farmer, warrior, essence of destruction and creativity, a recluse and a gregarious imbiber, a reluctant leader of men and deities”, describing this spirit perfectly.
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