Lansã: The Warrior Queen Orixa

An Introduction

The practice of Candomblé has long been seen in Latin American countries such as Brazil, especially in areas such as Salvador, Bahia. Because areas such as Bahia in Brazil had become main centers for slave trade during the eighteenth and nineteenth century under Portuguese rule, it is believed that Candomblé was brought into parts of Brazil at that time. During this time African slaves introduced this religion that had originated throughout different regions of Africa. The word Candomblé originates from the term “dance in the honor of the gods”; this religion is known as a syncretic religion because it brings in many elements from different religions such as Yoruba and especially Catholicism. One important aspect of Candomblé is that it is a polytheistic religion in that its followers believe in one superior god named Oludumaré, but also believe in smaller deities that serve Oludumaré. These deities are known as orixas, and in the Candomblé religion it is believed that these orixas possess your body during special ceremonies where different events take place, such as dancing and sacrifices. There are many different forms of these deities that can posses a follower of Candomblé, one such deity is known as Lansã.

Her Story

As with many religions, in Candomblé different orixas possess different powers and play different social roles. As a deity Lansã, who is also known as Oyá, posses the power to cause irrevocable sudden change, revolution and also plays the role of the border between life and death. Another characteristic of the Lansã deity is that her identifying colors are red and purple. Because Candomblé has no written manuscripts many of their traditions are passed down through oral storytelling; the story behind Lansã is a quiet a unique one. According to tradition Lansã is one of three wives along with Oxum and Oba, of the orixa Xango, whom plays the social role of king.
Lansã is known as the orixa of tempest weather such as lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, as well as estuaries, which are the part of a river where the rivers current meets a seas tide.

The colors and he symbolism

It is said that Lansã is symbolized by 3 different symbols: the broom, mace, and the horsetail whip. Her identifying metal is copper and like other orixa, she plays specific social roles: a market woman, a Char woman, and a warrior queen. Lansã is a very powerful female orixa, because she has the role of a warrior, one of her main symbols is the horsetail because according to tradition it is what Lansã takes into battle with her and which she also commands the dead with. It is said that Lansã is a fierce warrior who follows her own husband, Xango, into battle. Another identifying feature of Lansã is the food that is associated with this orixa, which is also known as her favorite. In the Candomblé practice, food is presented as offering to different orixas, the food particular to Lansã is acaraja which is a dish which is basically bean rolls with shrimp fried in a spice known as azeite de dendi.

Costume

Within the practice of Candomblé, worship is done in the form of rituals such as dancing. During this dancing, followers dress in specific costumes according to which orixa they are worshipping. The main costume associated with Lansã is composed of big billowy skirts that come in reds and white. Pictures of Lansã depict her also holding what looks like a sword or a horsetail whip, and because she is a warrior queen she is often depicted wearing a crown as a part of her costume. Among other things on her costume, she is often seen wearing a big red bow across her skirts, which perhaps symbolize her femininity, even though she is known as a warrior. On her head besides wearing a crown she is often depicted wearing a headband which has strands of beads hanging down from it that cover her eyes.

Dancing Rituals and Possession

Dancing in Candomblé plays a major role in the lives of its followers. Followers of Candomblé believe that through dance worshipping, possession of the person takes place. Possession is a phenomenon where a specific orixa is believed to posses a humans body temporarily and different things occur to the person to signify that they have been possessed by the orixa. A person make begin to tremble of breathe heavily and in a strange manner and they also begin to tell stories through their dancing, in particular the individual story of the orixa that has possessed them. According to a Candomblé expert, author Paul Christopher Johnson, Lansã’s dancing is very similar to the natural elements that she represents because “when dancing Lansã dances with the force of a windy tempest”. Those who practice Candomblé also believe that each individual has an orixa that is specific to them and that determines their destinies. According to Johnson, it is said that “those who claim [Lansã] as the master of their heads…are considered to be energetic, charismatic, and immensely capable people”. Because Lansã is seen as orixa with a powerful force and a warrior queen it is only natural that those who she posses or guide would carry similar characteristics.

Conclusion

The practice of Candomblé in Afro-Brazil has long been established in areas like the Bahia. When Candomblé first began to emerge in parts of Brazil, its followers were often ridiculed because it seemed to be out of lines with the traditional beliefs of Catholicism. However, it is now easy to see the intertwining of the two religions, as well as other religions from around the world. Because dance is such a big part of this practice, each orixa in Candomblé, posses different movements, symbols and characteristics. Lansã specifically is strong representation of a female warrior whose character can be seen as fierce because of the natural elements that she is associated with. Lansã is also perhaps one of the more important orixa because of her role between life and death. Perhaps it is the case that Lansã could be seen as the median between those two realms. As an orixa, Lansã is powerful and gives a strong view of female orixas.

Work Cited

1. "BBC - Religion & Ethics - At a glance." BBC - Homepage. 06 May 2009 http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/candomble/ataglance/glance.shtml.
2. 
   Johnson, Paul C. "Secrets, Gossip, and Gods: The ... -." Google Book Search. 05 May 2009 http://books.google.com/books?id=i42KkJENVbIC&pg=PA38&dq=lansa+and+candombl%C3%A9&ei=Tx4DSvPHKZWolASrtuzFBA#PPA38,M1.
3. 
   Kwesi Yankah, Philip M. "African folklore: an encyclopedia -." Google Book Search. 06 May 2009 http://books.google.com/books?id=pOcWLGktIYoC&pg=PA392&lpg=PA392&dq=lansa+the+orixa&source=bl&ots=Z36SNzU0CU&sig=KsIDQ0qrQNr_jsQ2mcXgToLa4Sc&hl=en&ei=nygDSu6qLY-KtgOe8IThAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1.