page_title: Babalú-Ayé
section_title: In Latin America
hierarchical_section_title: Babalú-Ayé / In Latin America
caption_attribution_description: Português: Obaluaye no Olubaje Orossi
context_page_description: Babalú-Aye, Oluaye, Ṣọpọna, or even Obaluaiye, is the orisha of healing in all its aspects, of the land, of respect for the elderly and protector of health. It is called whenever necessary to prevent infirmity.
  Contrary to what they think, he is not the god of death, the dead, the cemetery or the souls who live there. What happens is that because he is the orisha who promotes the cure for illnesses, he is automatically always close to Iku, as he promotes healing for those who are close to death. However, Obaluaye is feared because he is believed to bring disease upon humans, including smallpox, in which he is known as Ṣọpọna
  His cult powers and spells are used against all kinds of diseases, but particularly against skin diseases, inflammation and airborne diseases that can cause epidemics. They are also used to cure people with seizure problems, epilepsy and catalepsy.
  Heat is also a property of Babalu-aye, like fever, the body heating up to expel a disease, it is Babalu-aye acting on the human body, as well as the heat that comes from the depths of the earth.
context_section_description: In Santería, Babalú-Ayé is among the most popular orishas. Syncretized with Saint Lazarus, and regarded as particularly miraculous, Babalú-Ayé is publicly honored with a pilgrimage on December 17, when tens of thousands of devotees gather at the Church and Leprosorium of Saint Lazarus in El Rincón, in the outskirts of Santiago de las Vegas, Havana. Arará communities in Cuba and its diaspora honor the spirit as Asojano. Both traditions use sack cloth in rituals to evoke his humility. The spirit also appears in Palo as Pata en Llaga.
  In Candomblé, Obaluaiê's face is thought to be so scarred by disease and so terrifying that he appears covered with a raffia masquerade that covers his whole body. He also manifests in Umbanda and Macumba.
caption: Omolu, in candomblé of "Ile Ase Ijino Ilu Orossi".
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