Iansã

Who She Is

Iansã (Ọya, also spelled Oyá) is the orisha of winds, storms, and lightning. A fearless warrior, companion of Xangô and lady of the fire he hurls, she is the only one among the orishas able to face and lead the eguns — the spirits of the dead. Where there is a strong wind, an abrupt change, a sweeping passion, there is Iansã.

She is at once loving and furious, free and untamable. The wind she governs brings both the breeze that renews and the gale that uproots. A woman of total courage, she does not retreat before battle or death.

Domains

• Winds and storms — the air in movement, from the breath to the hurricane.
• The eguns — the boundary with the dead, which she alone crosses without fear.
• Passion and courage — intense feeling, fearless action.

In-Game Perspective

Iansã is, literally, a messenger of the wind — the one who moves the air and guides the dead. Her link to the eguns and to the passage between life and death resonates with Aurora’s alliance with Ereshkigal, lady of the underworld, and with the game’s theme of mediating between the planes.

See Also

• Xangô
• Obá
• Oxum
• Nanã