Changó is the oricha of lightning and thunder. He is also associated with fire, drums, dance, and virility. He is generally personified as a witty warrior with a quick temper and a certain way with the ladies. Thus Changó is the ultimate representation ofmachismo. The bate is associated with him for many reasons, the first of which is that the crack of the baseball bat against the baseball sounds like thunder, which is one of Changó’s principal attributes. Another reading of the bate is that it is phallic in shape, which speaks to Changó’s reputation as a virile ladies’ man. A third interpretation of the bate is that it is associated with the sport of baseball, which is considered a supreme representation of manliness in some Latin American cultures, including Cuba. All of Changó’s tools are made of wood, which is another reason why the iconography of a baseball bat makes ritualistic sense for this oricha.