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Description
Posting a little earlier in the week than usual since it's her day here in Brazil.
Hooray for obscure goddesses that probably no one here knows!

---Iemanjá-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also known as Yemoja, Yemaya and Janaína, she's the mother goddess of the seas in the Yoruba
religion, but is a figure in many African-related religions, and in the case of Brazil, in the Umbanda
and Candomblé faiths. A complex figure that has evolved much in each place she's worshipped, Iemanjá
rules over the waters and all that dwells in it, and is a protector of children, women and fishermen,
and also a goddess of fertility, maternity, womanhood, and mother of all gods (or at least many of
them). She's the daughter of the two primordial gods, Olokun, the chaotic androgynous god of the sea,
and Olorun, the Supreme One. In one version of her myth, she was married to Orunmilá, god of secrets
and prophecies, with whom she had 10 children, but tired of the city life she escaped from town while
avoiding her husband's army. She then met King Okere, to whom she agreed to marry on the condition he
never touched on the subject of her very large breasts (10 children, remember that...), on which he
agreed. One day, however when returning home drunk, he ridicularized her enormous breasts, and very
upset she runs away from home, with him giving chase trying to apologize. Since small she had a small
box given by her father/mother Olokun for such a desperate occasion, and broke it, releasing a strong
river from inside that carried her back to her home in the sea, from which she never returned.
In Brazil, she's a very popular figure, represented as a beautiful lady with dark hair and a silver
crown decorated with stars, wearing a blue dress that melts into the waves. Many people from different
religions join in her festivities, such as giving her offerings on the New Year on small baskets set
off by the sea filled with flowers and objects such as mirrors and combs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since she's known in so many places that gave me some problems with the iconography, but I've decided
to represent the Brazilian version of her which I'm accustomed to:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia…

Her symbols are all there, blue dress, pearls, a little boat with traditional offerings and a silver star adorned
crown. The main difference it's her skin tone which is considerably darker. Nowadays she's depicted here as
tanned or almost white due to the oppresion of the old church and syncretism with the Virgin Mary, but
she's an African goddess, come on.

Well, that's it from me,
Hope you all liked it, and see you all next time!

Description
Posting a little earlier in the week than usual since it's her day here in Brazil.
Hooray for obscure goddesses that probably no one here knows!

---Iemanjá-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Also known as Yemoja, Yemaya and Janaína, she's the mother goddess of the seas in the Yoruba
religion, but is a figure in many African-related religions, and in the case of Brazil, in the Umbanda
and Candomblé faiths. A complex figure that has evolved much in each place she's worshipped, Iemanjá
rules over the waters and all that dwells in it, and is a protector of children, women and fishermen,
and also a goddess of fertility, maternity, womanhood, and mother of all gods (or at least many of
them). She's the daughter of the two primordial gods, Olokun, the chaotic androgynous god of the sea,
and Olorun, the Supreme One. In one version of her myth, she was married to Orunmilá, god of secrets
and prophecies, with whom she had 10 children, but tired of the city life she escaped from town while
avoiding her husband's army. She then met King Okere, to whom she agreed to marry on the condition he
never touched on the subject of her very large breasts (10 children, remember that...), on which he
agreed. One day, however when returning home drunk, he ridicularized her enormous breasts, and very
upset she runs away from home, with him giving chase trying to apologize. Since small she had a small
box given by her father/mother Olokun for such a desperate occasion, and broke it, releasing a strong
river from inside that carried her back to her home in the sea, from which she never returned.
In Brazil, she's a very popular figure, represented as a beautiful lady with dark hair and a silver
crown decorated with stars, wearing a blue dress that melts into the waves. Many people from different
religions join in her festivities, such as giving her offerings on the New Year on small baskets set
off by the sea filled with flowers and objects such as mirrors and combs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since she's known in so many places that gave me some problems with the iconography, but I've decided
to represent the Brazilian version of her which I'm accustomed to:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia…

Her symbols are all there, blue dress, pearls, a little boat with traditional offerings and a silver star adorned
crown. The main difference it's her skin tone which is considerably darker. Nowadays she's depicted here as
tanned or almost white due to the oppresion of the old church and syncretism with the Virgin Mary, but
she's an African goddess, come on.

Well, that's it from me,
Hope you all liked it, and see you all next time!