Yansan (Oyá)
of Igbalé
In his famous watercolours, Carybé depicted Candomblé
priestesses possessed by the orishás to whom they are consecrated.
In this sense, he portrayed the orishás themselves, in human form,
wearing their characteristic raiment. One of these watercolours, published
in the first edition of his book African Gods in the Candomblé of Bahia, particularly
attracted my young daughter's attention (she was then about 4). Leafing
through the huge tome that is the first edition, she would always stop
at one particular portrayal.
Yansan (Oyá),
by Carybé
When I mentioned her interest to Carybé, he said, "Oh, that's
Yansan of Igbalé." Despite all the mysteries and wonders I've experienced in Bahia (sometimes in the flesh, as an omolorishá or Candomblé priestess), I was thunderstruck. More than one iyalorishá or babalorishá (Candomblé high priest or priestess) had told
me that my daughter's orishá was Yansan, and one had specifically
told me which "avatar": Igbalé, the powerful Yansan connected to ancestor worship or the rites of the Egunguns.
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