Ayao is an

orisha Orishas (singular: orisha) are divine 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 Haitian Vaudou, Cuban Santería and Brazilian Candomblé. The p ...

in the

Santería Santería (), also known as Regla de Ocha, Regla Lucumí, or Lucumí, is an African diaspora religions, Afro-Caribbean religion that developed in Cuba during the late 19th century. It arose amid a process of syncretism between the traditional ...

pantheon. She is the orisha of the air, and 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 the surface of 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, although the ...

.González-Wippler, M. (2002). ''Santería: The religion'' (2nd ed.). Llewellyn Publications. She works closely with

Ọsanyìn Ọsanyin (Yoruba language, Yoruba: Ọ̀sanyìn, rendered Osaín/Ossain/Ossaím in Latin America, Ague (Age) in Fon people, Fon) is the orisha who had the omniscient knowledge of leaf, herb and matter. He is also known for healing and displaying ...

and is a fierce warrior. Ayao has among her implements a

crossbow A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an Elasticity (physics), elastic launching device consisting of a Bow and arrow, bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar f ...

with a serpent, a quill, and nine stones.Filan, K. (2010). ''The orishas: The gods of Santería''. Destiny Books. She is commonly placed next to her sister, Oya.Murphy, J. M. (1988). ''Santería: An African religion in America''. Beacon Press. 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.Barnet, M. (1997). ''Afro-Cuban religions''. Princeton University Press.

Rituals and practices

Her rituals often involve the use of feathers, gourds, and machetes, symbolizing her swift and protective nature. Devotees honor Ayao through offerings of fresh herbs, smoked fish, and white wine during ceremonies held in sacred groves or near ceiba trees. Drumming and songs dedicated to her call upon her energies to aid in transformation and to dispel negativity.Herskovits, M. J., & Herskovits, F. S. (1936). ''Religion and Magic in Trinidad''. American Anthropologist, 38(4), 635–653. She is also venerated in conjunction with other orishas like Oyá, often appearing in rituals to emphasize balance between chaos and protection.

References

Yoruba goddesses Wind deities {{Deity-stub