Oxumaré written by Evelynn Amabeoku

Candomblé’s Oxumaré

The practice of Candomblé was the response of the African slaves in Brazil to the forced movement against worshiping African deities and the blending of cultures and religions. African deities are replaced with orixás; the word orixá comes from the Yòrúba “ori”, head and “sha”, selected. Forms of the religion are practiced in parts of Nigeria, the Republic of Benin, Togo, Brazil, Cuba, Domincan Republic, Gayana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, West Indies, and Venezuela. In the holistic system of Candomblé there are sixteen basic orixás that are celebrated and portray certain meanings to its followers, among those worshiped is Oxumaré- the orixá of balance and movement. Myths and history are central to the understanding of the orixás. Oxumaré is believed to have taken part in the creation of the world and is responsible for holding the Earth in space. Oxumaré is said to have been the youngest and favorite son of the motherly orixá Nana. This orixá spends six months female and six months male switching back and forth during the year. Worshiping any of the orixás in Candomblé, including Oxumaré, involves gaining knowledge of many components before practicing.

Creationism and Movement

The main accoutrement associated with Oxumaré is the rainbow-serpent. When he created the world he brought together matter and wrapped him/herself around earth and rivers and valleys were formed as a result of slithering through it. This orixá lives under the ocean and takes “the water from seas to the sky, so that rain can be formed – he is the rainbow.” Therefore, Oxumaré’s natural space is water and this essential water cycle accounts for part of the reason why she/he is the orixá of movement and the image of a snake biting its tail not only illustrates the cycle but also how the universe is interconnected. Levy, an educator on Afro-Brazilian Shamanism, points out that that Oxumaré contributes to the cycle of life and fertility which is why one of the minor symbols of the orixá is an umbilical cord, the connection to the supernatural. Those who practice Candomblé do not kill snakes because of the relation to Oxumaré.

Myth of the Rainbow

The orixá Oxumaré is recalled historically as an African myth originating in Zaire or Senegal with the rainbow symbolizing of “the earth’s fecundity, of the hermit’s secret, and of infinity (biting its own tail).” Moreover, a rainbow in Candomblé serves a purpose to transport the water from the earth to the clouds that are home to Xango. The duality of the orixá’s gender is shown with the colors of the rainbow, as red being masculine and blue feminine. Although Professor Scott reports that Oxumaré’s metal is brass, the orixá marks his path with precious Dan-mi stones or “excrements de Dan (Oxumaré)” and such path of his brilliant colors is valued as much as gold. Also, Mothers try to baptize their children after a heavy rain and if a rainbow appears, Oxumaré is blessing the child.

Ritual

When worshiping Oxumaré particular symbols, colors, foods, and dances are used in recognition of this Afro-Brazilian deity. Oxumaré shares its day, Tuesday, with his/her mother Nana. Participants in the ritual wear the color white because he/she is “a very old and white entity.” Women spend hours preparing food for the orixá and the dishes must be fixed and positioned properly or else the deity will not accept it. According to author Lilith Dorsey, “The altar for this Orixá is in the ceremonial colors of yellow and green and is covered with offerings of cowries, corn, beans, and shrimp sautéed in dende oil.” More offerings include pure water, armadillo and roosters as well as sweet potatoes, peanuts, and yams perhaps because their yellow coloring. The presenting of water lends itself to the fact that Oxumaré’s natural element is water and can manipulate it. The Music and dance has a very fast rhythm and the snake slither is fitted to it.

Deity Dancing

The dance of this orixá is much like fluid the movement of a serpent, this is mainly achieved by constantly rolling the rib cage. As explained by Professor Scott, the stance is with arms held out at sides and bending at the elbow with hands (shaped like a snake’s head) pointing away from the body. The feet move in a shuffled box step in the “RLrlrLRlrRLrlrLR” pattern while the serpentine hands strike with every big step (Scott 28). Video of me The moving spine signifies the snake that runs through the earth and could possibly reiterate that she/he is orixá of movement. The arms out at the side almost look like balancing scales which makes sense because the deity promotes balance. Also part of the dance is a moment when the performer points up to the sky and down to the earth with an iron snake in one hand to acknowledge that he/she is the connector, thus, Oxumaré holds the universe together. The pointing is also a relating gesture with brother Omolu, since he also points with his hands. Additionally, the up and down movement shows just one example of the many opposites this orixá has to balance such as light/dark and male/female.

Putting It All Together

Following Candomblé’s polytheistic practices involves oral literature, visual arts, culinary arts, music, dance and much more. Oxumaré has power of movement and balance and with this magic the orixá participated in creating the world. He suspends our planet in the universe with is serpent-like features and promotes the circle of life by emphasizing continuity. The symbols of rainbow and water have been traced back to their African roots surviving hundreds of years of tradition and thousands of miles. Oxumaré’s ritual involves many vibrant foods to be meticulously prepared some of which may represent the yellow and green that the deity is associated with. Dancing for this orixá takes time, effort, and skill because the moves involve a lot of isolated actions and smoothness as to imitate a serpent’s body movements. Oxumaré represents the balance one must have when practicing Candomblé.


Scott, Anna B. Choreostories and Decipherments: Towards an analysis of Black citizenship in Salvador, Bahia-Brazil. Ms. University of California, Riverside, Riverside.