Sensibility and intuition represented by the Orixá Ewa

A Orixá Ewá is known for exhibiting beauty, sensibility, and creativity, being a remarkable character in the Afro-Brazilian culture, and who talks directly to candomblé through the fathers and mothers of saint.

Candomblé and Umbanda bring together a vast culture. In their legends we meet characters full of meaning, and with their own stories.

Some may be allegorical and representative, but many of them are living accounts of the Orixás and their children that complete this Afro-Brazilian pantheon full of content.

But it is important to say that candomblé and umbanda are religions therefore deserve respect as much as any other! What generates certain discussions, since Brazil is a mostly Christian country, and its colonization period tried against all religions that were not in agreement with the Catholic church.

Now that you know which religion the Orixá Ewá belongs to, learn how she is seen in Candomblé and how she is credited with the oracle of wisdom e sensitivity .

Orixá Ewá: her characteristics in candomblé

She is a female orixá, also known by the name Yabá, who inhabited mainly the high bush lands, and was present near the rivers, where the fresh and salt water connect, thus forming the whirlpools.

The god Orunmilá (chief advisor), gave Ewá as a gift the power of clairvoyance, which is the skill for a intuition e destination reading What makes this gift allow you to see beyond of the eyes.

The orixá Ewá is represented in candomblé by the " kalaba's igla " (head with sapphire strips), for boasting beauty and being represented by the colors red, pink, and yellow.

Their offerings are composed of:

• fish;
• corn salad;
• yam;
• bean;
• coconut.

In the legend it says that Ewá can transform into a snake, so long that it can bite its own tail, forming a circle. This allegory fits the meaning of the " cycle "from continuity and the infinity .

The meeting of several worlds

The history of the orixás is full of tragedies and passions in the history of candomblé and umbanda. There are a few different versions of the same tale, but almost always the stories connect.

At some point, Ewá meets with Oxóssi (orixá of nature and happiness), and falls in love with him, causing a persecution by Iansã (the female orixá of direction), because she did not want Ewá to assume her love for Oxóssi and stay with the God of Nature.

During an escape caused by Iansã, Ewá decided to throw herself into a river to hide, and there she was protected by Oxum (the mother of the orixás and of nature), but Iansã felt threatened The river cut through the forest, guaranteeing access to the entire region.

As a result, Ewá believed in Iansã's threat and decided to leave for the sea, together with Iemanjá (known as the goddess of the sea).

Part of this legend caused the waters to be named after him, because in Nigeria there is a river called "Ieuá" (a variation of his name), which is located in the state of Ogum.

Comparison with Christianity

In several mythologies, the characters and elements resemble each other almost precisely. Even in several concepts, such as: the biblical apocalypse and Ragnarok (which are both the end of the world), are mixed into one foundation Each one to its respective story.

Syncretism is a way of looking at different characters who have similar characteristics and even identical!

In Catholicism for example, we have Saint Lucia, known to be an assiduous and devout Christian. At a certain point in her story she loses her eyes, having to rely on sight " beyond " of his physical ability, which made him depend on his intuition and sixth sense.

Saint Lucia was also a chaste woman, totally dedicated to Jesus on his pilgrimage. Some of these characteristics resemble the orixá Ewá, such as a:

• chastity;
• hunting ability;
• power in possibilities
• intuition;
• reading destiny;
• sensitivity.

Chastity relates to the legend, where it says that Ewá is the guide for virgins, as well as all unexplored things in nature for example:

• virgin forest
• rivers without fish
• lakes that you cannot swim or sail in.

These examples are because everything that is untouchable e pure, is maintained with chastity. Where prohibition and the unknown are a personality element and not a physical allegory.

Female Characteristics

The pantheon of orixás is full of women characters, and brings with it not only female representation, but also the encounter between beauty and wisdom.

For the wisdom of the orixá Ewá is linked to the sixth sense, intuition, and the subtle way of perceiving the world with a naturally feminine and passionate viewpoint.

And speaking about passion, it is present here, for the story of the orixá Ewá has its moment of romance when she meets two other gods, Xangô (the orixá of justice) and the aforementioned Oxossi.

The Children of Ewá

In Candomblé and Umbanda it is common to hear the term "filhos" (sons), which is basically a way to identify the characteristics of the orixás in someone's personality. It makes this person connected to the orixá through their peculiarities.

In the case of the orixá Ewá, her children walk on two extremes, at times they are very nice, at other times they sound overbearing. But this is also due to their social skills and charisma always in evidence, because their exotic beauty reinforces the attention that is drawn to them even when it is not their objective.

At last, now you know more about the orixá Ewá and her participation in candomblé and umbanda. In case you want to know more or even have more complex questions to deal with, you can talk to one of our candomblé professionals. You will certainly be surprised.

See you next time! Ri Ro Ewá! ❤️