7/25/2019 Obatal Obnl

1/3

Obatal Obnl:

This is another female Obatal whom some

say comes to

us from the Arara influence on the Yoruba in both Cuba and

Nigeria;

in their language, her name is Seyitenu, and it means the

light

who

ga!e ho"e to our world# She is $nown as the godmother of

the

%oly

City &l' &f', and ta$es a s"ecial interest in "rotecting

that

city

and it(s "eo"le# &n her so"era should be some semi)"recious

stones:

four clear *uart+ and four rose *uart+# She is a !ery

ele!ated

s"irit, !ery "ure, and ta$es a lot of white flowers,

es"ecially tuby

roses# She is from the court of Odua, and it is !ery

im"ortant that

within eight years of their ocha, Obnl(s children recei!e

Odua if

they ho"e to li!e u" to their destinies# So tight is the

"act that

these two orishas ha!e that e!erytime Odua eats, she musteat with

him# Also, Ochanla should eat with the two of them when Odua

eats,

and before recei!ing Odua the Obanla "riest should ha!e

Ochanla as

well# There are four orishas that the initiate of Obanla

must recei!e

before recei!ing Odua# Those four orishas are Ochanla,

romu, rosia,

and Aguidai; those four, "lus Odua, com"letes the ach' of

theObanla

"riest#

7/25/2019 Obatal Obnl

2/3

To clear u" some matters and misconce"tions# Obanla is a

female

as"ect of Obatala who among the Arrara is called Seyitenu#

She is

the light that a""ears and is &yanla -godmother. of &fe# %er

tools

are the same as Obatala(s but there is an addition of a sun

with /0

rays, a "recious stone, 1 more sna$es, and a blessed

sacrament -un

santisimo.#

Obanla has 2 Osuns that are made to stand outside of her

tureen# One

of the Osuns is a sil!er cane with 3 crowns descending in

si+e and

the other an Osun with do!es at different heights# The

latter must be

charged which is something that is o!erloo$ed constantly

when this

orisha is recei!ed# There is also a small cane that is

wra""ed in

beads which ha!e a distinct "attern -/0 white beads, one

green. this

encases the cane as a whole# The cane is then mounted on a

"iece of

wood so it can stand or you can "lace it on the tureen# &

ha!e"ersonally made se!eral sets of tools for this orisha and

was

thrilled to learn of their meaning, all of which a reci"ient

of this

orisha learns when they recei!e it# The nec$lace for Obanla

is /0

white beads, a trans"arent rose bead -rose *uart+., a green

bead, and

a trans"arent rose bead -rose *uart+., till a desired length

is

reached# There is also a Agboran -hand)car!ed doll. of awoman with

a moon in her hand# She wears a s$irt of blue and mother of

"earl

white# The doll must also be charged with certain

ingredients that

once again is the realm of oriates and o+ainistas# This doll

is then

7/25/2019 Obatal Obnl

3/3

fed 4ya tutu -fresh fish. and 4tun fun fun -white guinea

hen. with

Obatala and O+un# Obanla is the s"irit which accom"anies

Obatala, if

the "erson has Odduduwa then Obanla eats with him#

The ceremony to recei!e this orisha is !ery solemn and !ery

reminiscent of an Odduduwa ceremony# Needles to say this

"ath of

Obatala re*uires the usual set of animals and 5 additional

white

do!es# The ceremony for recei!ing the orisha also re*uires a

s"ecial

ceremony during the matan+a, which if not done or omitted

then you do

not ha!e the "act with Obanla and your Ori#

Obanla also has an 4leggua that goes in her tureen and has

some

s"ecial ingredients in addition to the regular charge# This

4leggua

should be washed with Obanla and not in a se"arate omiero,

as there

are $ey differences between the omiero of the normal 4leggua

and

Obanla#