INLE
allyMedicine, fish
Inle, also called Erinlẹ, is an orisha of the Afro-Cuban traditions of Santería, present also in Candomblé and Palo Mayombe. A deity of health and healing, he is the physician of the other orishas and the patron of the healing professions. A skilled hunter of land and sea, he is associated with estuaries, that in-between space where the fresh water of the river meets the salt. Yoruba tradition makes him a powerful deified hunter, famed for his knowledge of plants and of the healing virtues of nature. He is often represented as an androgynous warrior adorned with cowries and coral, and he is frequently regarded as a patron of homosexual and transgender people. In Catholic syncretism he is identified with the archangel Raphael, whose name means "God heals", and feasted on 24 October. His colours are green and blue, and the fish symbolises him.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
A fragment of Onionkupón's Breath, bound to one of the five elements of the cosmic balance.
Sacred Mask
A mask carved of ancient energy — a symbol of the cosmic force proper to its pantheon.
Era
3,000–1,000 BCE — Cycle of Elemental Powers
Spiritual Lesson
To understand the nature of one's own balance and the wisdom hidden behind every trial.
Words of the Spirit
“The wound carries within it the secret of its healing.”
Frequently asked questions
What is Inle's domain?
He is the orisha of health and medicine, physician of the other orishas, and a hunter associated with the estuaries where fresh and salt water mingle.
With which Catholic saint is he associated?
In Afro-Cuban syncretism, Inle is identified with the archangel Raphael, whose name means "God heals", and he is celebrated on 24 October.
How is he represented?
Often as an androgynous warrior with long braids, adorned with cowries and coral. His colours are green and blue, and the fish is his symbol in nature.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Wikipedia (en), Inle (Santería)
- Lydia Cabrera, El Monte: Igbo, Finda, Ewe Orisha, Vititi Nfinda (1954)
- Henry John Drewal, John Pemberton III et Rowland Abiodun, Yoruba: Nine Centuries of African Art and Thought (1989)