Oba

Oba is the Orisha of the turbulent river, of strategy, loyalty and justice. She represents the force that does not retreat, the courage to face dangerous currents, the loyalty that persists even when unreturned. In the Yoruba tradition, Oba is revered as a warrior of noble heart, whose strength lies as much in cunning as in bravery. As a wife of Shango (in many traditions) and a warrior in her own right, Oba carries the dignity of one who fights for her ideals. She protects those who must defend their borders, the strategists, the loyal to the end. Her presence is invoked when we need courage for hard situations and loyalty to keep alliances. Oba is also associated with whirlpools, with troubled waters, with the times of turbulence that test our resolve. She teaches that true loyalty is proven in adversity, and that strategy is worth as much as raw force.

Oba’s colours and her day vary from house to house, and our sources do not fix them: this site’s blog gives pink and red, and Wednesday — Shango’s day — or Saturday, depending on the tradition. This page said Tuesday and added brown, with no source for either. What Verger records of her is firm and is something else: when Oba manifests in a candomblé, a turban is tied over her head hiding one of her ears, in memory of the legend; her dance is warlike, sabre in one hand and shield in the other; and her offerings are goats, ducks and guinea fowl (Orishas, p. 67). She governs turbulent waters, strategy, loyalty and warrior justice. Her elements include strong running water, swords, shields, armor, and all that represents defense and strategy. In nature, Oba dwells in rapids, in waterfalls, on turbulent banks. She is present in every current that demands respect, in every situation that tests our firmness. Oba’s most important symbols are the sword and the shield — her capacity to attack and defend, to be at once offensive and protective. The whirlpool symbolizes her unpredictable, powerful nature.

The hinge of the ear myth is the trickery, and without it the story cannot be understood. Oshun received Oba with a scarf on her head, hiding her ears, and showed her two mushrooms floating in the soup: they were her own ears, she said — the secret of pleasing Shango. Oba repeated the recipe; Shango gagged and threw it all on the ground; and then Oshun came in, showing her ears intact. The two fought, Shango hurled the lightning, and it was in flight that they became rivers — and where the Oshun river and the Oba river meet, the current is a torment. (Prandi, "Obá corta a orelha induzida por Oxum".) Her story with Ogun is not one of collaboration. Oba challenged him to fight and had the upper hand in the combat; Ogun consulted the babalawos, made the ebó they prescribed — corn cobs and pounded okra, a slippery paste, laid down in a corner of the field — and drew her to that spot. She slipped. Once again it is the ebó that decides, not strength and not cunning. (Prandi, "Obá é possuída por Ogum".) Oba is also the protagonist of myths about justice for the marginalized. It is said she especially protects warrior women, single mothers, and all who must defend themselves alone.

Oba’s devotee develops a relationship built on dignity and loyalty. Oba answers those who must defend something precious, who face hard situations with courage, who keep commitments even when they cost. She is a special protector of soldiers, police officers, strategists, and the loyal to the end. Oba’s children usually have firm, determined, strategic personalities. They value loyalty above all and often feel called to defend the weaker. They struggle with betrayal, and usually cut ties for good once trust is broken. What each case requires belongs to the babalawo’s table — not to a website.

The sword and the shield are Oba’s deepest symbols — her capacity to attack and defend, to be at once offensive and protective. The whirlpool symbolizes her unpredictable and powerful nature, the force that drags under when underestimated. Pink and red are the colours devotion gives her — the blood of battle and the sweetness the armour hides. Neither comes from our sources, which are silent on Oba’s colour; they stay because they are what the houses practise, and we say that is what they are. The nine this page gave Oba repeated, almost word for word, what Oya’s page said — the same nine months of gestation. It was template text, not a trait of hers. In our sources the nine has an explanation for Oya, in the story of the iron rod, and none at all for Oba; that is what we say instead. (Verger, Orishas, p. 42.)

Oba teaches that loyalty is a virtue, but that it must be intelligent and strategic. She reminds us that there is honor in defending what is just, even when the odds are against us. In the Ifá system, Oba brings the wisdom of the just fight and of necessary strategy. To honor Oba is to defend our borders with dignity, to honor important commitments, to use strength with intelligence. The 256 Odus often remind us, through Oba’s stories, that true strength is directed and disciplined. May Oba’s courage sustain you in life’s battles, may her strategy guide you in hard decisions, and may your loyalty be repaid with loyalty. May you learn to fight for the causes that deserve your strength. Maferefún Oba!