Ògún

In Yoruba sources Ògún is described in some traditions as an Irunmọlẹ (a primordial orisha) who came to earth early in the cosmogony; one common account says he 'cleared a path for the other orisha to enter Earth' using a metal machete with the assistance of a dog. Regional stories vary: he is associated with places such as Ire (Ire-Ekiti), a location where narrative tradition records he 'disappeared into the earth' (wọ ilẹ sun) rather than dying; diaspora forms preserve the core idea of a smith/warrior spirit who made life on earth possible and who continues to assist supplicants.

Traditional sources emphasize symbolic attributes rather than a fixed anthropomorphic portrait: iron implements (machete, sword, knives, blacksmith tools, scissors, wrenches, guns) and the presence of a dog are primary markers. Devotees and festivals display iron implements and followers may wear chains or strings of iron implements; specific clothing or physical descriptions are not uniformly prescribed in the provided materials.

Ògún is patron and guardian of iron, metallurgy, craftsmen (especially blacksmiths), hunters, warriors and those whose professions involve danger (drivers, warriors). He 'enables' human technological and craft activity by legitimizing and protecting it, and functions as a guarantor in oaths and justice (for example, tradition records that followers may 'kiss a piece of iron in the name of Ogun' in court). Some secondary Vodū-account summaries describe him as having ceased to age upon reaching adulthood, being immune to terrestrial disease and resistant to conventional injury while still susceptible to magical harm; that characterization is presented in those accounts as a tradition-specific portrayal.