Orish Oko Staff (Òpá òrìsà Oko)

The orisha (deity) Oko, associated with farms and fertility, protects his devotees in childbirth, heals them with herbal medicines, and defends them from witchcraft. Staffs like this example function as Oko’s main symbols. They are forged by select blacksmiths, who melt down iron farming hoes donated by an individual wishing to found a shrine to Oko. The phallic form is intentional; it illustrates the verbal pun between “farm” (oko) and “penis” (okó).

As a royal orisha, Oko’s staff never touches the ground. A cotton sheath, which covered the staff when it was not used during a ritual, emphasizes Oko’s status through the use of expensive European beads. The sheath depicts Oko’s face near the top, while triangular flaps at the sides signal the presence of sacred forces in the world.