Thread by @ehimeora

The symbolism in #BlackIsKing is filled with spirit and this is a long thread to dissect it.

As an Omo Awo (high priestess in training) of the Ifá + Orisha tradition, let me teach you something:

Let’s talk about the intro.

This voice over automatically made me think of the first odu (think a book) of Ifa called Eji Ogbe.

Eji Ogbe was the last out of 16 odus, the underdog but still thought he could be King too. He defied all harsh odds and rose up to become King of Ifa

Seeing this person painted in blue reminded me of Olokun, the actual orisha that rules over the ocean and larger bodies of water. Olokun is fluid in appearance and there’s stories of them showing up as a woman, man, or androgynous.

Yemoja was depicted very accurately. She was a real human that lived out her destiny well and became deified via elevation centuries ago. Orisha literally means “selected head” in Yoruba. In traditional Ifa she is not an ocean orisa, but a river orisa that sees over all children

In many stories, Yemoja is Osun’s mother. Osun sees over her own river, love, fertility and sweetness. She’s a powerful warrior and a diviner too.

She is the only female Irunmole. Osun was not brought into existence via a womb. Irunmoles can be orisa, but not vice versa ⤵️

When the universe was formed by an omnipresent being called Akamara, the 601 Irunmoles were created. 201 of them (Sango, Osun, Ogun, Esu etc) would go back and forth between Earth (Ayé) & Heaven (Orun). On Earth they would take human forms to be of assistance and execute missions

Oba is another river orisa that I was happy to see! She is not talked about much but she is the first wife of Sango. After being manipulated into terrible heartbreak she sees over loyalty, the happiness and longevity of marriage and faithful wives. She’d do anything for love

It was bittersweet to see young Oba and the boy I theorized to be Sango grow up together. The story goes that either Oya or Osun told Oba (who was feeling overshadowed) to cut off her ear and feed it to him in a meal for his love. Sango found out and chased Oba out of the palace.

Water orisas or mami wata spirits are not “evil”. They don’t identify with your moral compass. Water provides life for all, but favors no man. The ocean can be calm enough to swim in, but the tides can turn and make you drown. These beings are neutral. No one is enemy to water.

When I saw this scene I knew it was Esu. Look at his cane and how closely it resembles the staff for Esu.

Esu is the intergalactic correction officer, a trickster spirit that does not have any favorites either. Chaotic neutral. All roads lead to him, the messenger orisa

This boy definitely depicted the real third King of Oyo, Sango. King Sango was given his name because he was believed to have been the physical incarnation of the Irunmole, Sango.

Even that Sango had to be initiated into the society of Sango to get his full destiny as King.

Sango is the orisa of lightning and thunder, fire, and victory. He was known for his strategy to overcome all his enemies and keep his empire thriving.

Jay-Z has said Sango was his orisa before in songs, he appeared wearing Sango’s colors and playing chess (strategy)

The wind was definitely a gesture to Oya, the orisa of great change, winds, and storms. Oya represents protection over children

Sango’s favorite wife was Oya. When going to war, he would always consult her. When Oya comes, Sango is quickly behind her with his lightning strike.

There were a lot of scenes that reminded me of Obatala, the orisa that created humans out of clay. The orisa of white cloth, of wisdom and introspection.

His form is also pretty fluid. Since he created humans, he’s able to shift into whatever gender he pleases.

I really love this scene when Sango floats up to Orun (heaven) where he meets his father again and we also see Egbe.

Egbe is our soul tribe. It’s said we played as children in orun with our egbe before we descended to be incarnated on Aye (Earth)

And finally, the collective ancestors. These figures were with the boy in almost the entirety of the film, symbolizing ancestors constant watch and assistance as we go on our destiny.

Your ancestors are you. You may want to look in the mirror first before calling them evil.

Ancestral veneration is the backbone of all traditional African/Diasporic practices.

It’s time for spiritual revolution. Reclaim our spirits, reclaim our stories. The chains are now on our minds, free yourself

To believe your own heritage is evil means the oppressors have won.

(This is how Eji Ogbe looks. If you’re into math or numerology, you’d like the Ifa divination system because it’s composed of binary numbers. And it holds the esoteric knowledge of our entire universe. Remember when they said the universe was made up of code? Exactly)

Yemoja is derived from Yeye Omo Eja. Meaning, “mother who’s children are like the fish.”

Olokun represents great wealth and wisdom that could rival anybody. His deep depths hold the meaning and prosperity of life

It’s worthy to note that Oba imagery was the most present imagery I saw Beyonce wear, and not Osun. Considering Jay-Z’s unfaithfulness it would make sense to assert Oba in this film than how she did it for Osun in Lemonade.

I do have a Patreon where Ifa has instructed me to add more orisa + ancestor based knowledge. If you enjoy this thread, feel free to support my content! If you’re already on it, lmk if there’s anything I said here that you’d want an expansion on in a post! patreon.com/thenyamedua

Yemoja was the mother of Osun’s physical form when she descended down from Orun.