Ayao is an
orisha in the
Santería pantheon. She is the orisha of the air. Ayao is considered to reside in both the forest and in the eye of the
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
. She works closely with Osain and is a fierce warrior. Ayao has among her implements a
crossbow
A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an elastic launching device consisting of a bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar fashion to the stock of a long fire ...
with a
serpent, a quill, and nine stones. She is commonly placed next to her sister,
Oya. Her colors are brown and green. Ayao's cult was thought to be lost among various adherents; however, a growing number of olorichas have her in their possession.
Yoruba goddesses
Wind deities
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