Names Nana Buluku, Nanan-bouclou, Nana Buruku


Element Earth


Colours Black, white, purple, green, red, not usually yellow or metallic colours - some list all these colours, however her main colour is purple.


Possessions Ja, Casha, and ileke


Gifts Rum, tobacco, coffee, shrimp, coconut, tomatoes


Areas of Influence Women and children’s issue, life, death, healing, rape, ecology, swamps


Entities associated with St Anne, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (the mother of Mary and Grandmother of Jesus), Innana, Isis, Grandmother Moon, Freya, Hecate, Mawu


Symbols Moon, leaves, angelfish


Chakra Third Eye


Nana Buluku (or Nanan-bouclou) is the Supreme Deity of the Fon from Dahomey.

In Dahomey mythology, Nana Buluku is an androgynous deity creator of the Universe and all that exists in it.


Nana had twins: the moon god Mawu and the sun god Lisa.


Nana’s Children


The children of Nana are very few in number. They are physically large and have strong personalities. They love children but may not have biological children themselves. Whatever their spiritual path, they are spiritual women however they tend to be drawn to the occult. They are often healers and you will probably find them working in the medical field, as alternative healers or as caregivers in hospices or nursing homes. Because of the extra weight they carry, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and edema are possible health issues. They can be quite critical and judgmental. They don’t like to be told they are wrong. Because of her dislike of Ogoun, the Orisha of iron, the daughters of Nana may have physical reactions when they put metal into their bodies (earrings, body piercing, etc).


She is a headstrong, independent woman who is serious but yet the go to person for anyone in need, people feel they can turn to her. She is the creator of all and with this comes responsibility and the Nana/motherly role. She is a powerful and strong role model, with a big presence and needs strong, big, dynamic moves to represent her. If fluidity is included in the style of Nana, the moves need a purpose  behind them, with a clear intent, it should be a powerful interpretation, with a clear presence.

Nana Buruku is the grandmother of the Orishas. She is also a wisewomen and powerful witch. She has extraordinary healing powers and is an accomplished herbalist. She is seen as a strong, large, dark-skinned old woman. She has a commanding presence. Many times, even the uninitiated can feel her walk into a room. She loves children and her role of grandmother but has little tolerance for men. Because of this, she normally only has priestesses, no priests (unless a man was a woman trapped in a man’s body or at a minimum, really in touch with his feminine side). She is very spiritual and understands the sacredness of all life. She deals with big issues: life, death, karma, etc. 

She embodies the archetype of the wisewoman. She is whom you go to for healing, to get pregnant or to end an unwanted pregnancy. In cases of rape, you can go to her for healing and justice. She is especially good with healing with spiritual energy such as Reiki and Chakra work. She lives in the swamp, near the ocean. For the most part, she likes being alone or with her grandchildren. Because of her strong connection with nature, environmental issues are also important to her. She hates the way we are destroying our planet. Nana can be cold, distant and judgmental.

Once she makes up her mind about something, she will not budge. Her dislike of men is so strong that other than rape, I can’t imagine a reason why a man would go to her for help. Nana and Ogoun do not get along. One story says that Ogoun tried to invade Nana’s swamp but was unsuccessful since metal will rust in a swamp. My personal belief is that at his worst, Ogoun can become violent and abusive, especially towards his spouse. This is one issue that Nana especially has no gray area. She absolutely will not tolerate spousal abuse (of either sex) or child abuse.

Properly Showing Respect to Nana


Nana loves her Crown Royal, either over ice, straight or a shot in a cup of coffee. She likes shrimp and I’ve made her coconut shrimp several times. When in doubt, rum and tobacco are almost never wrong. She loves her role as grandmother, so anything that says “Best Grandma” would work or more appropriately “Nana” would be better. Because her issue with Ogoun, never serve her offerings on metal or pewter dishes/cups.


Written by Sophia