Ṣàngó (Shango / Chango / Xangô)

Sources present Ṣàngó as the posthumous deification of a historical ruler — the third Alaafin (king) of Oyo — who, in tradition, ruled for a relatively short period and became famed for warlike strength and royal authority. Over time he was venerated as an orisha associated with thunder and lightning; his cult commemorates both his royal ancestry and his control over atmospheric and judicial force. (Summarized from Wikipedia and traditional accounts cited in popular and diaspora sources.)

Iconography associated with Ṣàngó commonly includes a double-headed axe (oxê / Oṣé) as his primary emblem, red-and-white clothing and bead necklaces (elekes) often arranged in groupings of four or six, brass crowns and bangles, and the veneration of lightning-struck stones (thunderstones) at shrines. Candomblé portrayals emphasize a brass crown and a labrys-like oxê; elekes and red-and-white patterned cloth are recurrent markers of his devotees.

Ṣàngó is described as the orisha who commands thunder, lightning and fire and who enacts justice — narratives state he casts 'thunderstones' to earth, producing lightning against those who offend him. He embodies virility, martial authority and rulership; he is central to coronation invocations and is closely linked to bata drumming, sacred dances (e.g., alujá / roda de Xangô), and public ritual displays that recount his deeds. Traditions stress both his capacity to punish destructively and to uphold fairness and strength.