Iemanjá is the female Orixá of the ocean and the most adored Orixá in Brazil. She represents the violence and unpredictability of the ocean, but also its giving and cleansing nature. She is worshipped wherever salt water is.
Iemanjá is mother to all and is especially kind to those in need. She is the protector of sailors, slaves, and the hungry. Desperate men often turn to her for guidance because she keeps all secrets. She is the overall embodiment of feminine power.
Understand more about the mythology and beliefs of Candomble here.
The Most Beloved Orixa
Considered the Queen of the Sea, Iemanjá is one of the most beloved deities of Umbanda and Candomblé. Highly worshiped and respected, Iemanjá is considered the mother of almost all Orixás. Her representation is closely linked to fertility.
Iemanjá’s name is also spelled with Y, which is why it is so common to find the deity’s name written this way: Yemanjá. In Africa, her name originates from the Yoruba language term “Yèyé Omo Ejá”, which means mother of fish children.
In Brazil, she also goes by the names: Inaé, Ísis, Janaína, Maria, Mucunã, Princess of Aiocá, Princess of the Sea, Queen of the Sea, and Mermaid of the Sea.
History of Iemanja
The daughter of Olorun and ruler of the seas, Iemanjá took – even as a child – a potion that would help her escape all dangers. When she grew up, she married Oduduá, with whom she had ten Orixá children.
Legend has it that her breasts became bigger and fuller due to breastfeeding all her children, a characteristic that caused her great shame. Tired of her marriage, Iemanjá decided to leave her husband and pursue her own happiness.
Later, she fell in love with King Okerê, with whom she lived a less-than-happy life. Stories reveal that, on a certain day, after drinking too much, Okerê rudely referred to Iemanjá’s breasts, which made her run away disappointed.
To escape Okerê’s persecution, Iemanjá made use of the potion given by her father. Thus the Queen of the Sea became a river that meets the sea.
To recover his wife, Okerê decided to interfere with the course of the river, when it turned into a mountain. But with the help of her son Xangô (who opened a passage through the valleys created by Okerê), Iemanjá managed to follow her path, becoming the Queen of the Sea.
Offerings to Iemanjá
Requests made to mother Iemanjá are generally accompanied by offerings. Clothes, candles, food including fish shrimp, and rice, and flowers such as roses, white palms, orchids, and white chrysanthemums are offered to the deity. These offerings to Iemanjá should preferably be delivered into the sea.
Ritual dishes are also prepared for Iemanja:
- White Hominy: prepare the hominy in a white china bowl, add white milk, honey, and white grapes
- Cooked Hominy: hominy is sautéed with palm oil, onion and shrimp
- Manjar do Céu: prepared with milk, cornstarch, coconut milk and sugar
- Coconut Milk Sago: after the sago has swollen, sauté it with coconut milk to make a thick porridge, then place it in a white crockery bowl
- Iemanjá Fish: cook the fish with green scent, coriander, tomato and onion
Yemanjá’s Day
Celebrated in Brazil on February 2nd, Iemanjá Day is marked by celebrations, rituals, and offerings.
In Brazil, the biggest party in her honor takes place in Rio Vermelho, a suburb in Salvador, Bahia, the country’s first capital. Held on February 2nd, the faithful gather dressed in white and go out in procession.
Her day of the week is Saturday.
Colors of Iemanjá
Iemanjá’s main colors are light blue, white, and silver. The three colors, which are almost always present in her clothes and adornments, represent the mystery at the bottom of the sea and Iemanjja’s vanity.
Iemanjá Syncretism
In Brazil, Iemanjá is considered the deity of fresh and salt waters. In the Catholic church, the Orixá is associated mainly with Our Lady of Navigators, but also with other Saints, such as Our Lady of Candeias, Our Lady of Conceição, Our Lady of Piedade, and the Virgin Mary herself.
Daughters of Iemanja
The daughters of Iemanjá are tall and robust, with a calm and dignified nature. Nevertheless, she is naturally sensual. But she can also be vain, combative, and unpredictable. She is an energetic and caring partner and mother, even to children who are not hers, but she can also be jealous and possessive. While she is a lover, she is also very independent of the men in her life.
Iemanjá’s dance imitates the movement of the waves, and it is traditional to offer her flowers. Her day of the week is Saturday, and her colors are translucent white and blue. Her greeting is Ode Iye.
Exu – Intermediary & Guardian of the Crossroads
Iansa – Warrior Goddess of Wind and Storms
Oxossi – Hunting and the Forest
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