In
Yoruba mythology,
Shango is perhaps the most important
Orisha; he is a
Sky Father[?], god of
thunder and the ancestor of the
Yoruba. He was the fourth king of the Yoruba, and deified after his death; mythologically, he (along with 14 others) burst forth from the goddess
Yemaja's body after her son,
Orungan[?], attempted to
rape her for the second time. He has three wives. His favorite (because of her excellent cooking) is
Oschun, a river goddess. Another wife,
Oba, another river goddess, offered Shango her
ear to eat. He scorned her and she became the
Oba river[?], which combines in dangerous rapids with the
Oschun river[?]. Lastly,
Oya was Shango's third wife, and stole the secrets of his powerful
magic. Shango is worshipped in Vodun as a god of thunder and weather (
Umbanda[?]), as the very powerful
loa Nago Shango and as the equivalent of
St. Barbara[?] (
Santeria, wherein he is called Chango).
In art, Shango is depicted with a double-axe on his three heads. He is associated with the holy animal, the ram, and the holy colors of red and white.