Chango

Chango is the immensely powerful Lord of Thunder, Lightning, and Fire. Lover boy supreme, Shango epitomizes virility, male beauty, and procreative energy. Petition him to share a little of his essence: he provides fertility, luck in love, and male sexual prowess. Shango is invoked for courage and justice. In Yoruba cosmology, lightning is understood as an instrument of divine justice, retribution, and protection. As the wielder of lightning, Shango provides victory over enemies and protects from all evil. Shango breaks hexes, curses, and evil spells.

Shango exults in warfare, competitive sports, martial arts, and dancing. He is a ladies’ man and a musician. Legend has it that he created the very first set of bata drums. Shango is proud, temperamental, volatile, a womanizer, amazingly generous, compassionate, and tireless on behalf of those he loves.

Shango is among the most beloved of all or-ishas. Two distinct African Diaspora religions bear his name: Trinidad’s Shango, and Xango of Recife, Brazil. In the Brazilian spiritual tradition, Umbanda, Xango (Brazilian spelling) leads the second of Seven Lines. The exception is Haiti where Shango plays second fiddle to his great rival, Ogun.