She tore, as in "Oya." She is also known as "ya-yásàn-án," which means "mother of nine." Only stillborns may be born because Oya was infertile. Nine children were born to her, but they were all lost at birth. Yemoja, the mother of the sea, gave birth to Oya and Shango. In accordance with the myth, Oya made the decision to sacrifice a piece of cloth dyed every color of the rainbow in order to end the curse of barrenness. After that, she had nine children—four sets of twins, a third child named Egungun, and nine other kids.
Oya is frequently referred to as the weather goddess. She has the power to summon earthquakes, tornadoes, storms, and lightning. She creates any weather conditions she feels like. Oya is also connected to funerals because one of her responsibilities is to transport the souls of the deceased to the afterlife. She brings the spirits of the deceased to their final resting place and aids the transition of the deceased into the after life.
She is the goddess in charge of cemeteries and the protector of the cemetery. For those who seek her favor in traditional religion, cemeteries are significant. She is referred to as the Great Mother of Witches or the Elders of the Night as a result. Oya has psychic abilities. She could perceive things beyond this world and call forth the dead for discussions. She can even hold them. Oya possesses telepathic powers. She had the ability to communicate with the dead and perceive things beyond this world. If she believes they still have work to do on earth, she can even stop them.
She may use floods and other natural disasters to decimate villages and communities once enraged. She is fearless because she despises falsehood and injustice and won't hold back from punishing those who dare her.
Interestingly, the Niger River bears her name. The Odo Oya river flows through the Niger.