Smoked fishHoneyGame meatThe first catchJustice for the wrongly accused
Invocation Approach
Tone
Alert and spare
Address
OshosiOdeThe Hunter
Relationship
The one who sees the path and takes the shot
Warning
He does not miss and he does not forgive a false accusation
Resonance
Hunters those seeking justice those who work alone
Symbols
BowArrowThe forestThe single shotThe tracks
Mythology Summary
Oshosi is the orisha of the hunt and of the forest, the hunter whose arrow does not miss, and one of the warrior orishas who guard a house. In Cuba he is Ochosi, received with Elegua, Ogun and Osun, and associated with the prison and the capture of the guilty; in Brazil Oxossi is the hunter and king of the forest of the Ketu nation, with a different emphasis. The tradition's stories make him a hunter who lives in the forest and shares the hunt with Ogun, and the bow, the arrow and the game are his. The forest is not a backdrop: it is the orisha's house.
Modern Practice
Oshosi is served at the edge of the forest and in the warriors' bundle, with smoked fish, honey and the first of the hunt. In Cuba he is called on for justice, for release from prison and for the skill to see a path; the arrow is the image of a claim that lands. Hunters make him the first offering of the kill.