Temple de Pythons
Temple de Pythons
In the Vodoun pantheon of Benin, Ogou (also known as Gu or Gou) is the deity of iron — god of war and justice. Master of iron, steel and metal, he embodies raw strength, the forge and manual labor. He is the protective spirit of all those whose work involves metal: blacksmiths, drivers, welders, masons, industrial workers…
Ogou is depicted as a powerful, untamable being holding a machete — both weapon and tool, a symbol of the duality between destruction and creation. On every market day, he is offered libations such as crushed corn flour mixed with red palm oil, sweet drinks and the other ritual components.
Like every deity, Ogou has his taboos: he takes neither alcohol, nor chili pepper, nor gunpowder. At the Temple of Ouidah, he holds a central place in the rituals, notably during the great celebrations of January 10th, National Vodoun Day, where dances, chants and collective trances honor his tutelary power over the community.
Here he is called Ogou, but among the Nago and the Yoruba of Nigeria, he is known as Ogou Orisha. In Haiti, Brazil, the Antilles and the Caribbean — where Vodoun crossed the Atlantic with the African diaspora — he is found under the name Ogou Ferraille.
