good day

[Tim Simmons]

I do not know if this is right but seems to make more sense.

The bird element seen on these ceremonial cutlass is most probably nothing to do with the deity AJE and female life force. It is more likely to represent OBATALA who brings a chicken to earth, it's scratching in sand, scatters the sand and forms the world . OBATALA infulence on the cutlass would be to bring balance to the attributes of OGUN .

I read this which helps a lot. Shango, Obalata and Ogun are different but could be seen as rain water, freshwater and saltwater all the same.