Ògún

How to recognise Ògún

1. MacheteAn iron machete or cutlass is his chief hand tool, the blade with which devotees say he opened the road through thick forest.
2. IronIron is his main emblem, seen as hammer and anvil, chains of miniature iron tools, knives and wrenches, and it recalls the smith and every worker in metal.
3. Mariwo (palm fronds)Pale golden-green fronds of the oil palm form his skirt, collar and arm bands, because praise poetry says he had no cloth and palm frond is his cloth.
4. Green and blackIn Lucumí devotion his colours are green and black, with the number 7 and the day Tuesday also tied to him, though colours vary by lineage.
5. Hunting dogThe dog is his companion and a symbol of the hunt, sometimes shown as a lean dog sitting calmly at his side.
6. Steady, severe bearingHe is shown as a muscular working god, serious and resolute, a creator and a destroyer who acts for reasons and never in a frenzy.

Names and titles

• First to Reach the EarthOsin Imole, a praise name for the first among the primordial divinities to arrive on earth
• Clearer of the RoadHe cut a path through the forest so the other divinities could pass
• Lord of IreOnire, the praise name tied to Ire, the town long linked with him
• Palm Frond Is His ClothPraise poetry says Ògún had no cloth and that palm frond is his garment
• Guardian of the Iron OathOaths of truth are traditionally sworn on a piece of iron in his name

Feast days

• Dia de Ogum and São Jorge23 April, every year

  A day when Brazilian devotees honour Saint George, the soldier-martyr from Cappadocia, and also the warrior orixá Ogum, who is paired with him in Rio de Janeiro and the Southeast. Houses in Umbanda and Candomblé keep it for Ogum.

  How it's celebrated. In Rio de Janeiro the day is a state holiday. Catholics gather for dawn fireworks and Mass at the São Jorge church in Quintino, for further Masses and for processions. Some Umbanda and Candomblé terreiros hold ceremonies for Ogum, and Candomblé priests bless devotees in the city centre. Many Bahian houses pair Ogum with Santo Antônio instead.

  Sources: Agência Brasil: Saiba mais sobre São Jorge · Diário do Rio: Dia de São Jorge no Rio de Janeiro · Alma Preta: Dia de Ogum e São Jorge

• Feast of Santo Antônio13 June, every year

  The feast of Saint Anthony, the Franciscan friar from Padua, loved in Brazil as a matchmaker saint. In many Bahian Candomblé houses it is also kept for Ogum, the orixá of iron and open roads, who is paired with him.

  How it's celebrated. Catholic churches fill during the thirteen-day novena, called the trezena, before the feast. Devotees who pair the saint with Ogum may hold a ceremony in the terreiro with prayers, songs and dances. They often use Ogum's colours and symbols, such as the sword and iron, and ask for protection and open paths. The pairing varies. Many Umbanda houses link Santo Antônio with Exu, and in Recife he is linked with Xangô.

  Sources: Cantinho de Oxalá: Santo Antônio no Candomblé · SciELO: Santo Antônio, me casa já! Leituras afro-brasileiras · Joia Mística Laroyê: Santo Antônio e Ogum

• Feast of San Pedro29 June, every year

  The feast of Saint Peter, shared with Saint Paul in the Catholic calendar. In Cuban Lucumí (Santería) many houses pair him with Ogún, the orisha of iron, partly because of the saint's metal keys, and honour Ogún on this day.

  How it's celebrated. Devotees honour Ogún by lighting a candle, saying a prayer of thanks and asking for strength, courage and work. Green and black are his colours. Some Lucumí communities instead keep Ogún's feast on the day of Saint George, so the date depends on a house's lineage and its saint pairing.

  Sources: Dime Cuba: Oggún, quién es en la santería, su día y ofrendas · Ashé para mi Cuba: Día de Oggún · Ashé para mi Cuba: Día de San Pedro