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Wind, like many other forces of nature, has a variety of distinct manifestations that Afrikan people’s have incorporated into their religious beliefs and practices. These distinct manifestations of wind are caused by the unique regional climates of Afrika and in turn, people’s perception of wind is then influenced by how the wind impacts their daily lives.

For example, the Harmattan is a wind that blows from the southern Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea from November to March; it brings with it dust, hazy skies and short tempers because of the extreme amount of dust it deposits over parts of West Afrika. Among the Yoruba, the wind that accompanies rain, lightning and thunder is a manifestation of the Orisha Shango.

Fierce wind that is not accompanied by rain is Oya. Oya is the consort of Shango and has her own stormlike characteristics. She can strike down houses and has a face that no one dares to look at. More contemporary associations with Oya are the places hit by storms or hurricanes in the Americas and the winds of change that blow strongly and frequently in the modern world. Conversely, a gentle wind is associated with the orisha Eshu.

Another example are the Dogons, at creation, a great wind broke from inside of the po, the tiniest element of creation. This wind, called Amma, moves in a spiral motion and provides the energy by which all things are created.