Saint:
St. Barbara.
Day of the Week:
Saturday. Friday is also popular. Huge parties are held in Chango's honor on
December 4th, St. Barbara's day according to the Catholic calendar.
Colors and Collars (Ilekes):
His colors are red and white. The collar is made up of six red beads followed by
six white beads. Then, a red bead alternates with a white bead six times. The
sequence is repeated until the desired length is obtained.
Sacrificial Animals:
Roosters. Complicated Ebos may require sheep, small bulls, pigs, goats,
deer, rabbits, and oxen. A horse is required to remove a very strong curse or to
change an oracle predicting death.
Sacrificial Foods:
Chango is a glutton. He loves huge portions of corn meal and okra. Apples are
his favorite fruit, and he likes pitahaya (cactus fruit). All his food should be
heavily loaded with corojo butter. Chango drinks red wine in large quantities.
His water should come from a pond.
Herbs:
arabo rojo, cordoban, vacabuey, siguaraya Banyan tree, kapok tree, poplar,
sorghum, clematis, hog plum, Cuban spurge, cashews, ironwood, mugwort, bran,
climbing vines, bull's testicles, American spurge, leeks, pitahaya, plantains
and bananas, red hamelias, Bermuda grass, royal palm, pine, lignum vitae,
amansa guapo, pine nuts and apple trees among others.
Ornaments:
A sword, a knife, a machete, an ax, a dagger and a spear, almost always made out
of cedar. Chango is also represented by the image of a warrior holding a large
double edged hatchet in one hand and a sword in the other. Both images, the
warrior and St. Barbara can be found on the same altar.
Chango is the most popular and the most widely known Orisha in Santeria. He
rules violent storms and thunder. He also reconciles these forces into peace and
understanding. Like a tropical storm, Chango's attacks are sudden and
devastating, but are soon over. During "golpe de Santos" (Santeria ceremonies),
Chango descends among the participants and dances with his followers holding his
feared two edged sword. When he possesses someone, the "caballo" dances round
and round like a top. The possessed Santero will take food to all the other
participants in the ceremony. Chango will then demand a sacrifice from those who
have eaten.
Chango loves good music, dancing and drumming. He likes to have fun, but is a braggart who provokes violent situations. He loves women and encourages clandestine sexual adventures among his "children".
Chango has three wives, Oba, Oya (who used to be Ogun's wife), and Oshun. Yemaya
is his adoptive mother. When Chango becomes aroused, it's necessary to beg his
three wives and his adoptive mother to intervene.
The only Orishas respected by Chango are Elegua and Olodumare.
Chango's "children" are recognized at birth by the image of a cross on their tongues. These children cannot have their hair cut until they are twelve, or they will lose their power to see into the future. They are known as the Bamboche, the messengers of Chango.