Osain

Osain

ALSO KNOWN AS:

Osanyin

ORIGIN:

Yoruba

CLASSIFICATION:

Orisha

Osain has one eye and one arm. He hops around like a bird on one leg. He does have two ears: one is huge, but the other is tiny and shriveled up. The huge ear is deaf, but the little one is so acute it can hear the sound of a single flower crying or the flap of a butterfly’s wings. He has a tiny squeaky voice, possibly similar to the voice of plants.

Osain wasn’t born of orisha parents. He sprang from Mother Earth just like a plant with beads shining all over his body.

Osain, divine herbalist and powerful sorcerer, knows all Earth’s botanical secrets. (He lost those missing limbs and organs when punished by other orishas for attempting magical world domination. Ogun saved him from being utterly destroyed; they are now close allies.) Osain is the guardian of all medicinal plants.

• Osain may be invoked to help identify herbal cures and to enhance the magical and healing powers of plants.

• Osain is syncretized to John the Baptist and Saints Sylvester and Benedict.

FAVOURED PEOPLE:

Botanists, herbalists, healers, plant magicians, pharmacists, and chemists

ATTRIBUTE:

Wrought-iron staff surmounted by one or more iron birds

Emblem:

Gourd ornamented with multicolored beads

CREATURES:

Parrots, roosters, turtles, and goats

COLOURS:

Green (also red, white, yellow)

Numbers:

6, 7

Days:

Friday, Saturday

OFFERINGS:

Osain expects offerings like tobacco, coins, and alcoholic beverages like aguardiente from those who harvest forest botanicals. Leave offerings at the harvest site.

SEE ALSO:

• Ogun, Ochossi;
• Oshun

SOURCE:

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.

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