Erinle- Yoruba GodDeity"Physician of the Orishas"

Between Forest and River

Erinle's domain is the boundary where forest meets freshwater, a transitional zone rich in medicinal plants that he knows intimately. His name carries erin, the elephant, linking him to that animal's strength. Fishermen honor him before casting nets, and the sick turn to him as the physician of the orishas, a healer whose knowledge encompasses both the properties of plants and the spiritual causes of illness.

His primary symbol is a serpent staff. Those suffering ailments of the digestive system and abdomen particularly seek his aid. Remarkably handsome by all accounts, Erinle's beauty is spoken of as the visible form of health itself.

The Secret Affair

Erinle's mythology intertwines with both Yemoja, who some traditions call his consort, and Oshun, the goddess of sweet waters. It was Oshun who became Erinle's secret lover in an affair unsanctioned by the other orishas. Their union produced Logun-Ede, born between two worlds and raised alternating between his father's forest and his mother's river: six months with each parent, inheriting the best of both.