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Orixá of the sixth sense and of clairvoyance, the presence of Yewá is stronger and more traditional in Candomblé than in Umbanda. It is believed that its main strength comes from Nigeria, where there is a river named after it.
Yewá also symbolizes sensuality, although she has never given herself to any man. Because she has kept herself chaste, she became the protector of everything that is considered virgin and pure, from human beings to forests and rivers.
About Yewá - The warrior Orixá with a firm word!
Daughter of Oxalá and Nanã, Yewá is sister of Oxumaré and Obaluaiê. She is considered a warrior of firm words, there is no one who can make the Orixá change her mind about what she said or decided. Her main objective and work is with the protection of those who are pure and true of heart.
Because she is chaste and pure, people believe that she is a naive Orixá. But those who think that are mistaken. In fact, Yewá is quite clever and it is not advisable to arouse her anger. It is believed that those who defy her become lost in life and can never find their way again.
Regent of the mist and the fog, she is a warrior and wise woman. Her legends show that she is not afraid of death and that she has deceived it countless times. Besides that, she usually stays in graveyard regions, because there she feels true peace and can stay away from Ifá and Xangô.
- Learn more about the Orixás and how many there are!
Understand everything about Yewá
Yewá is often confused with her brother Oxumaré, since both are responsible for the rainbow energy. For this reason, both are usually worshiped together. In addition, both have the serpent as a symbol, hers being in a smaller proportion.
Tradition also shows that Yewá is presented only to female saint's sons. The main symbols that accompany her are the Ofá, the harpoon, the snake and the lyre. The colors connected to Orixá are feminine tones such as coral, pink and bright red. Her day of the week is Tuesday and her greeting is "Ri Rô Ewá!".
Yewá and the syncretism with Saint Lucia
In religious syncretism, the Orixá is related to Santa Luzia, patron saint of ophthalmologists and of those who have vision problems. Celebrated on the same day, December 13, both religious figures have the power of clairvoyance.
In addition, like Yewá, the Catholic entity chose not to marry and to dedicate her life to what she believed in - faith in God. They are also connected by being able to see the best paths for souls, seeing far beyond the physical and focusing on spirits.
The Story of Santa Luzia
According to Catholic tradition, the Saint's story begins with her mother. Of Italian origin, Lucia came to know the faith with her mother, who was a very sick woman suffering from hemorrhage. In search of healing, they went to the tomb of Saint Agatha in search of help and healing for her mother to survive.
See_also: What are the different meanings of dreaming of a candle?As soon as they arrived at the tomb, St. Agatha appeared to Lucia and revealed that she herself had the power to heal her mother. Thrilled by the miracle that had happened, the young woman decided to dedicate her life to God. To do this, she took a vow of chastity and fidelity to Jesus and gave her wedding dowry, a significant amount of money, to the poor.
Her mother agreed and supported the attitude, however, not everyone was happy with the young woman's decision. She already had a suitor for marriage who did not agree with Luzia's decision and denounced her to the governor with the accusation that she was a Christian. He did this because the emperor had issued a decree authorizing that Christians in the region be punished.
Upon hearing the news, the governor was furious and ordered his men to kill her on the spot, so the executioners boiled resin and oil to throw on Luzia and so it was done, but nothing happened to the woman. She was so powerful that they could not kill her.
See_also: Daughters of Yemanja - Are they lucky in love?The martyrdom continued, and finally Lucia's eyes were gouged out, from which the devotion to the saint as protector of the eyes arose. Her death occurred on December 13, 304, and as a form of homage, the Christians of Syracuse built a temple in her name and elected her as the city's patron saint.
Now that you know Yewá and its religious syncretism with Santa Luzia, see also:
- See what it means to dream of an Orixá
- Understand how many Orixás there are
- Find out which Orixà represents you now!
