Agayu: The Orisha of the Volcano

Orisha of the volcano, controller of fire and magma, of earth and deserts. One who carries children and their devotees on his shoulders taking long steps to make them pass through adversity. The blessed staff, that's Agayu.

What is Aggayu? Or Who is Agayu?

Agayú Solá is considered a major Orisha. Its name can be translated as: everything that your eyes can see, good or bad. Although there is another interpretation from the Yorùbá term "Aginjù Solá" which translates as: Aginjù = desert / So = voice / Àlá = cover, which would be literally interpreted as: He who covers the desert with his voice.

This Orisha represents everything that comes out and is seen, just as the fleeting comet and the volcano do. It is said that he is the son of Oroiña (the voice of the volcano and bowels of the earth) and Olofin. He is the Orisha of the dry land, of the deserts, and of the raging rivers.

His cult comes from the lands of Aará and Fon. Patron of the City of Havana, Cuba. Its symbols are: the volcano and the sun. It is considered as the force that avoids the embarrassment of the iworos (santeros).

Its energy is such that it also owns the earthly forces, the power of the rivers that divide the territories, the lava that burns and invades the earth's crust, as well as earthquakes, even the impulse that makes the earth rotate eternally.

It is the sacred Staff, it is received as a staff and reinforcement for health. Take care of vehicle loaders and drivers (chauffeurs). It manifests itself in the body through blood pressure and high temperatures.

It is said that he takes refuge in the palm, especially when he is in a difficult situation.

What is Agayu like?

Among his characteristics stands out a conflictive and angry temperament. Represents politics, high places, mountains, peaks, remote and inaccessible places, land, fights, obstacles and setbacks, reversals of luck, bad fortune, outstanding careers, decadence, the night , time, old age, deformations, winter, cold, mines, social duty, and professional aspirations.

Agayu's number is 9 and its multiples. His days are Wednesday and the 16th of each month.

Attributes and Tools

Its receptacle is a wooden or clay basin, decorated with nine colors. Among your tools carries: an arrow, a cayao and a trident. If it is the guardian angel of the initiate, nine pieces are placed among which stand out: an arrow, a crook, a trident, a bow and arrow, a comet star with its tail, a hatchet, a spear, an ax and a key, which accompany its note or foundation.

The Aggayú costume

This suit is made with dark red or wine pants and jackets. Handkerchiefs or strips of various colors hang from his waist. A turban is placed on his head and a bamboo staff with 9-color ribbons.

Agayu day or its allegorical celebration inherited from syncretism is usually commemorated on July 25.

Aggayu Colors

Its basic color is brown, accompanied by 9 colors (except for black). Their necklaces are cocoa, matipó, and pearl, with interspersed turquoise blue, red, yellow, and green beads. This may vary depending on the branch of the saint's house that delivers it.

Agayu dance

The dance in honor of this Orisha is performed by taking long steps and raising the feet very high, as if trying to cross obstacles. Also, during her dance she carries the children on her shoulders and moves with great strength and energy.

History of Agayú and the pact with Shango and Oshun

Shango he quietly traveled through all the towns on earth, but he could never get close to a land that thundered and trembled and was always covered by incandescent gases. For this reason he went to Orunmila's house, who made him divination seeing this Odun, and consequently made the corresponding sacrifices. The ebo had to be taken to the bank of a river, which, Shango fully fulfilled.

Upon reaching the river, he met Eshu, who told him that when the river passed there was a town, but there the people had no fixed sense of what they were doing because they were very distracted, in addition, the king of that place spoke to his subjects from afar and was never seen.

Intrigued Shango asked Eshu: how could a people have a king they don't know? Eshu told him that the king went to the riverbank in the afternoon to cool off and that Oshun was waiting for him because she was the only one in that land who had contact with him.

After the hours, Shango reached that river, being there he heard a very loud noise and saw a woman running along the opposite bank of the river. Immediately, he saw a very tall and strong man arrive, who plunged into the water, taking off the smoke that was above him, when he emerged, that woman began to pour water on his head with the intention of continuing to refresh him. Shango caught the attention of those strangers, for which, they asked him what he wanted? Answering that he just wanted to pass the river.

Agayu tore off a palm and used it as a cane, crossing Shango to the other shore on her shoulders. Once there, they introduced themselves and Shango stated that he wanted to know his town, and his request was accepted.

Upon reaching the village, he observed that the people were running amok and Agayu did not approach any of them. Determined to find an answer to such a situation, Shango found Agayu's house who was greatly surprised to see him enter without any problem walking on the lava without burning himself, when he asked him how he could do that? Shango told him: "I am the only son of Iyamase and now I want to fix your village, because I have seen that your children cannot speak to you directly and when they approach you they even transform."

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Agayu decided to make a pact with Shango, including Oshun in that negotiation for the attentions he had always had with him, granting him the same right to settle the heads of the children as long as they knew that Agayu was their father.

To seal that pact, Agayu served Shango two roosters, one guinea, and painted a red line, one white, and one red on Shango's head under Shango's crown. Shango in turn, Agayu served him a guinea, two quails, ekó, olele, ekrú aro. In addition, so that everyone would know the pact between them when the volcano erupts, first the candle that is Shango comes out and then the lava that is Agayu.

What are the children of aggayu like?

The children of Agayú tend to be very aspiring to occupy great positions and positions, sometimes they can become ambitious. At their best they can be determined, cautious, restrained, persevering, discreet, and focused. When they are badly aspected, they can develop traits in which they stand out as liars, delusions, pessimistic, fatalistic, depressive, repressed, stunned, moody, spiteful, cold and distant, inattentive, selfish, immature, with exaggerated importance to social success but without taking care of obtaining success in the right way, and quite dominant.

Saint names for children of aggayu

Sholá Nike: Aggayú's spoiled son.

Addenican: the crown of fire.

Oba Tola: the castle of King Agayu.

Ocan Nike Yola: The glow of the heart of the volcano.

Adde Yola: the crown of the volcano.

Adde Sholá: the crown of Agayú.

Inu Yola: the voice of the volcano.

Oba Ican Yola: the king of the volcano and the candle.

Sholá funke: Aggayu's staff.

How is Agayu consecrated or received in Santeria?

To begin with, it is recommended that every son of Aggayu, before his consecration, receives the foundation of the Orishas Oroiña and Aina, or at least they do so as soon as possible, after his consecration.

The consecration of the children of this Deity is very controversial. Some argue that it is very difficult to do it directly, since their previous ceremonies are of great complexity and their secrets have been lost through time, however, some houses of saint claim to have the knowledge to perform such a consecration. Other branches, especially those coming from Havana practices, usually crown Shango or Oshun with Orun for Aggayu, maintaining the respective care in the diversity of previous ceremonies corresponding to this consecration.

How to attend the Orisha Agayu? Adimu and Offerings

In Santeria, Agayú can be entertained by offering him nine biscuits smeared with corojo oil on one side and cocoa butter on the other. Red wine, aubergines, roasted corn rods, yam balls, banana balls, fufu, yellow painted rice with meat and birdseed, torrejas with corojo oil and honey, stewed beef with okra, spinach, stewed beef with vegetables, crackers, purple avocados, baby corn with shrimp (like a tamale), seedless okra, and bishop's salad. Sliced tree tomato, and all the fruits and vegetables that emerge from the interior of the earth.

The animals that are immolated are: bull, goat, rooster, dove, quail and guinea.

What is asked of aggayu?

Being the patron of the interior of the earth, and of the currents of the rivers, he is asked for our salvation when we are exposed to adverse weather conditions and subjected to the uncontrollable force of nature (earthquakes, tidal waves, among others).

It is also appropriate to ask him in cases where our reputation is at stake, since it is the Orisha who frees us from embarrassment. Its strength is considerable so it is usually the appropriate deity to sustain us in difficult situations to solve, not for nothing is it considered the staff of Osha.

Being the patron of walkers, porters, motorists, drivers, and airmen, it is asked that when walking on the roads everything goes correctly, and to optimally reach our destination during long transfers.

Agayu in the Catholic religion (Syncretism)

Aggayu in the Catholic religion is syncretized with Saint Christopher. This spirituality represents a martyr who was assassinated during the reign of the Roman Emperor Decius. His legend is very controversial, some even say that it may come from ancient Greek mythology, relating it to the boat of Charon.

Finally, Cristóbal is said to have carried an unknown child on his shoulders helping him to cross a river. After his disinterested action that child revealed to him that he was Christ.

Another story that is related to Saint Christopher is the martyrdom of Saint Menas. In fact, researchers have come to identify both saints as the same person. Finally, the name of Cristóbal has as meaning: "bearer of Christ", in the same way, that title was granted to Menas.

Either way, the way this character is depicted is very interesting, since they usually represent him carrying a child on his shoulders in the middle of a turbulent river clinging to a royal palm, elements that perfectly describe the symbolism of Agayu. Therefore, it is very easy to understand the reason why the practitioners of Afro-descendant cultures when they arrived in Cuba, syncretized it with this spirituality.

Agayú Prayer in Yoruba

Aganjù s'olà kíní 'ba kíní' ba s'óògùn. A yà ròrò kíní `ba 'ko e gbé mi ni yo.

etala bò júbà gàbàgbà to júbà.

Iba Aganju, etala bò júbà gàbàgbà to júbà. I was going eleku,

etala bò júbà gàbàgbà to júbà. Ba kini 'ba s'óògun, etala bò júbà gàbàgbà to júbà. TOse.

Traducción

The Spirit of fire from the center of the earth creates the first boss, the first boss to produce medicine, wealth. We turn to look calmly at the first head of the farm, you lead me to satisfaction.

Thirteen times we turned to greet him, we salute him boldly.

Praise the spirit of fire, thirteen times I salute you. Respect for the owner of the cave.

I salute him thirteen times. The first chief who practiced medicine, I salute him thirteen times, save us. Asé.

Song of Agayu Sola

Akuon: Omobantele Omobantele Omobantele Omabantele. Eniogodo Bobbo Onichango Omo Bantele Okoko.

Chorus: Omobantele Omobantele Omobantele Omobantele. Eniogodo Bobbo Onichango Omo Bantele Okoko.

Akuon: Omobantele Omobantele Omobantele Omobante. Eniogodo Bobbo Onichango Omobantele Okoko.

Chorus: Omobantele Omobanteie Omobantele Omobantele. Enigodo Bobbo Onichango Omobantele Okoko.

Akuon: Teremina Iyode Teremina Iyode.

Chorus: Teremina Iyode Teremina Iyode.

Akuon: Teremina Iyode Teremina Iyode.

Chorus: Teremina Iyode Teremina Iyode.

Akuon: Teremina Iyode Teremina Iyode.

Chorus: Teremina Iyode Teremina Iyode.

Akuon: Teremina Tereminantere Agayu Terereo.