He withdrew into the earth once and took his water with him
Resonance
Healers hunters those who work with rivers
Symbols
RiverBowSmooth stonesThe earth that openedFish
Mythology Summary
Erinle was a great hunter, sometimes described as a herbalist or farmer, who conducted the first Olobu to the site of Ilobu and protected the town from invasion; one day he sank into the earth near Ilobu and became the river that bears his name, a tributary of the Osun. His shrines hold smooth round stones from the Erinle River, and his cult is found in towns across the former Oyo Empire. In Cuba he is Inle, and in Brazil Oxossi Ibualamo, and the diaspora forms have their own emphases. The hunter, the healer and the river are one account in the tradition.
Modern Practice
Erinle is served at the river with fish, honey and herbs, and his practice is healing with water and plant medicine. The smooth stones of the river are his and are handled by his priests. The town of Ilobu keeps his festival, and the river is his body.