Aganju (known as Agayú or Aganyú in Spanish speaking counties) is an

Orisha Orishas (singular: orisha) are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. T ...

. He is syncretized with

Saint Christopher Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is veneration, venerated by several Christianity, Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman Empire, Roman emperor Deciu ...

in the Cuban religion known as Santería. In Yoruba language, aginjù (not Aganjú) means a wilderness, inhospitable habitat or impenetrable locale. Aganju is strongly associated with

Shango Shango (Yoruba language: Ṣàngó, also known as Changó or Xangô in Latin America; and as Jakuta or Badé) is an Orisha, a deity in Yoruba religion. Genealogically speaking, Shango is a royal ancestor of the Yoruba as he was the third Alaafin ...

. In some traditions Aganju is described as Shango's father; in other traditions he is described as Shango's brother. Both Shango and Aganju were, at one time, rulers of the Oyo empire who became deified.

Yoruba religion

In the Yoruba areas of

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

and

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

Republic, Aganju is known as a deified warrior king from the town of Shaki in the present-day

Oyo State Oyo State is an inland state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is bordered to the north by Kwara State, to the east by Osun ...

of Nigeria. He was said to walk with a sword and is said to fight by shooting fire, as opposed to Sango who fights with thunderstones and lightning. Shaki is in the savannah area of northern Yorubaland that has monoliths and boulder outcroppings.

Santería (Lucumí/Regla de Ocha)

In Cuba, Aganju is a

volcano deity A volcano deity is a deification of a volcano. Volcano gods include: *Vulcan, in ancient Roman religion and myth, the god of fire including the fire of volcanoes, deserts, metalworking, and the forge. *Volos, Slavic god of earth, waters, and the u ...

for the practitioners of Santeria/Lucumi religion. But there are no volcanoes in either Cuba nor Yorubaland, nor is Aganju associated with volcanoes among the Yoruba people. However, the Biu Plateau in the highland area of Northeastern Nigeria contains a number of extinct volcanoes. Biu Plateau is about from Abuja, the capital of Nigeria and about from Oyo, Nigeria. These extinct volcanoes have long been extinct and they are also far from Yorùbáland geographically. It is most likely that the association of Aganjú with volcanoes in Cuba is not older than the last century among creoles. And this due to Aganjú's supposed temperament couple with the relationship with Oroíña of Cuban Orisa faith (Ọ̀rànmíyàn in Yorùbá language).

Candomblé

In the

Afro-Brazilian Afro-Brazilians ( pt, afro-brasileiros; ) are Brazilians who have predominantly African ancestry (see "Black people#Brazil, preto"). Most members of another group of people, Pardo Brazilians, multiracial Brazilians or ''pardos'', may also have a ...

tradition of

Candomblé Candomblé () is an African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between several of the traditional religions of West Africa, especially that of the Yoruba, and the Roman ...

, Aganjú is worshiped as a manifestation or quality of the Orisha

, often called ''Xango Aganjú''. Aganjú represents all that is explosive and lacking control. He is also nicknamed "Xangô menino" among Candomblé practitioners.

Yoruba religion

Santería (Lucumí/Regla de Ocha)

Candomblé

Further reading