Oshun is a female orisha that reflects one of the manifestations of the Yoruba Supreme Being in the Ifá oral tradition and in the Yoruba-based religions of West Africa. Oxum is one of the most popular and venerated Orixás and an important river deity among the Yoruba people.
Mythology[]
Brazil[]
Oxum is a female orixá adopted and worshiped in all Afro-Brazilian religions. She is the orisha of fresh water from rivers and waterfalls, of wealth and prosperity, of love, and of beauty. Followers seek help from Oxum for romantic problems; The orixá is also responsible for marriage and other relationships. Oxum is the daughter of Iemanjá and Oxalá. Oxum, Iansã and Obá were Xangô's wives. Ipondá is the mother of Logunedé, a boy orixá who shares her axés.
Syncretism[]
In Afro-Brazilian religions, it is syncretized with several Nossas Senhoras. In Bahia, she is known as Nossa Senhora das Candeias or Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres, while in Pernambuco and other states in the Northeast it is syncretized with Nossa Senhora do Carmo. In southern Brazil, it is often syncretized with Nossa Senhora da Conceição. In the Center-West and Southeast, it is sometimes associated with the denomination of Nossa Senhora, sometimes with Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida, and specifically in Minas Gerais it is syncretized with Nossa Senhora das Dores. In the North of Brazil, it is syncretized with Nossa Senhora de Nazaré.
Santeria[]
Ozun is another important orisha distinct from Oṣun, the latter also called "Oshun" and "Ochún" in the Santería religion of the Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico and Trinidad) brought by the Yoruba people during the transatlantic slave trade. While Ozun is a male Orisha associated with John the Baptist, Ochún is syncretized with Our Lady of Charity.