Who is the most popular Santeria God?
Tragic Yemayá remains a popular goddess in Santería, whose colors are light blue and white. The 14 deities born to Yemayá include Changó, the god of fire, thunder and lightning. Young, virile and handsome, Changó also governs the passions. His colors are red and white, and he is one of the most popular deities in Santería.
What is Santeria and why does it matter?
Santeria is a fusion of Catholic practices and African folk beliefs. It emerged in Cuba during the 17th century, and has been embedded in Cuban society ever since. These days, it’s far more prevalent than Catholicism on the island—Santeros outnumber Catholics by 8-1.
What is the Santeria god of roads?
This is an orisha, a deity of roads in Santeria divinity. It means master of force, owner of caminos, or the roads and paths. It is an orisha that is a warrior and a powerful spirit of metal work, known to be God of Iron.
What is a Santeria priest called?
High priests of Ifá are known as babalawos and although their presence is not essential to Santería ceremonies, they often attend in their capacity as diviners. Many santeros are also babalawos, although it is not uncommon for babalawos to perceive themselves as being superior to most santeros.
Who is Jesus in Santería?
Santeria practitioners also believe in the Christian Jesus Christ known as Olofi. Orisa, also spelled Orisha or Yemaya, a Santeria saint known as the mother to all Orisas She is thought to be a protector of women and is likened to Christianity's Virgin Mary.
Who does Santería worship?
Santeria incorporates the worship of the Orisha (literally "head guardian") and beliefs of the Yoruba and Bantu people in Southern Nigeria, Senegal and Guinea Coast by synchronizing these African cultures and religions with the surrounding elements of worship from Roman Catholicism.
What are the seven orishas?
Another common initiation is the intitiation into the Seven African Powers (Elegua, Obatala, Oggun, Chango, Yemaya, Oshun, and Orunmilla).
Who are all the saints in Santería?
[2] Hernandez, Santeria Afrocubana, 13-20....Yoruba GodCatholic SaintWhat they doOggunSaint Peter, Saint JuanOwner of metal, and WarOchosiSaint NorbertoDivine justice, horses, huntingOsunSaint Juan BatistaTakes care of the mind of the believerChangoSanta BarbaraGod of fire, God of lightning of dancing7 more rows
What is Yemaya?
Often depicted as a queenly mermaid, Yemaya is considered the Ocean Mother Goddess in Santería, an Afro-Caribbean religion practiced around the world. With anchored roots in the Yoruba religion, Yemaya was brought over to the New World by enslaved Africans as early as the 16th century.
What does it mean to be crowned in Santería?
On February 2nd, I went through a ceremony called ocha/regla de ocha/kariocha/crowning. Here's what it means: Ocha(Kariocha, making Santo): The initiation of a new priest or priestess where his/her tutelary Orisha is put on his/her head (crown) during a seven-day ceremony.
Can you have 2 orishas?
It is commonly understood by both scholars and practitioners of Yoruba religion in the Americas that initiates in Africa worship only one or two Orisha, whereas in the New World each individual worships multiple Orisha.
Who is the most powerful orisha?
ṢàngóṢàngó is viewed as the most powerful and feared of the orisha pantheon. He casts a "thunderstone" to earth, which creates thunder and lightning, to anyone who offends him. Worshippers in Yorubaland in Nigeria do not eat cowpea because they believe that the wrath of the god of iron would descend on them.
How do you know if you are a child of Oshun?
She is one of the most popular and venerated orishas. If you see the number 5 a lot (my two most recent apartments were on the 5th floor), are attracted to the color yellow or gold and enjoy sweets, specifically honey, then you too may be a child of Oshun.
How many gods are in Santeria?
While hundreds of orisha were worshipped across West Africa, fewer than twenty became prominent in Santería, perhaps because many kin-based orisha cults were lost when traditional kinship networks were destroyed through enslavement.
Does Santeria have a holy book?
Holy Books Santeria has no scriptures and is passed on by word-of-mouth.
Are Orishas real?
orisha, also spelled orixa or orisa, any of the deities of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. They are also venerated by the Edo of southeastern Nigeria; the Ewe of Ghana, Benin, and Togo; and the Fon of Benin (who refer to them as voduns).
What is Santeria faith?
Santeria began as a community-- based faith with qualified clergymans that performed ceremonies. These clergymans usually come from a community of parishioners that have a lengthy historical family tree. Several of these clergymans practice together in a religious house described as "lle" and they train for various roles. In Santeria, initiation doesn't make one a priest. One of the most skilled clergyman in Santeria carried out lots of years of study as well as training. Similar to clergymans in various other religions, there are excellent ones, not so great ones and negative ones.
Where did the Santeria come from?
Who are the gods of Santeria? Santeria is a religious system that initially came from West Africa particularly in the Yoruba land. Many centuries ago, when African local was offered as a servant, the santeria significance idea system ultimately reached various other countries like Cuba and also the state of New Orleans. It endured numerous centuries even if foreigners tried to completely eradicate these religious beliefs. Who are the gods of Santeria? They saw similarities between their Yoruban divine beings and Catholicism especially the saints, Santeria ended up being preferred amongst African slaves. Throughout these times, servants were compelled to exercise the Catholic confidence yet they don't wish to desert their native religion which is why the name Santeria was additionally a means of camouflaging their methods behind a Catholic appearance. In this article, you will learn who are the gods of Santeria?
Who is the founder of the spiritual method?
The founder of this method is Allen Kardec. He is a teacher from France who was birthed in 1804. Kardec believed that humans are spirit within a product body, as well as he was one of the very first people that thought that our true selves are more spiritual than product. He additionally think that each of us have our very own guardian angel that's meant to take care of us as well as secure each person from threat. In turn, worshippers have to boost and praise them to ensure that these angels can care for us.
Is Santeria a pagan religion?
Santeria followers, much like several religions, think that there's just one God. They call it as Olodumare. Santeria is not a Pagan or polytheistic kind of faith, and also it's additionally not an animistic one. Nevertheless, the reason that there's so much complication is probably since the Santeria believers describe the Orishas as gods. What you need to know is that Orishas are not gods but just an aspect of Olodumare that are manifested in the all - natural world. For Santeria followers, each person born on this earth is thought about as a kid of an Orisha. There are hundreds of Orisha as well as there are also some that are a lot more preferred than others just like saints in the Catholic religion.
Who are the gods of Santeria?
Catherine Beyer is a practicing Wiccan who has taught religion in at Lakeland College in Wisconsin as well as humanities and Western culture at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. The orishas are the gods of Santeria, the beings that believers interact with on a regular basis.
Why were priests trained to work with multiple orishas?
Priests were trained to work with multiple orishas instead of being exclusively dedicated to a single one. This helped the religion to survive. Even if a priest of one orisha died, there would be others in the community trained to work with that same orisha.
What is an orisha?
The orishas are the gods of Santeria, the beings that believers interact with on a regular basis. Each orisha has its own distinct personality and has a wide variety of strengths, weaknesses, and interests. In many ways, therefore, understanding an orisha is like understanding another human being.
Why were there no orishas in Africa?
In Africa, however, there was no such familiarity between orishas, in part because their followers were not strongly connected. Each African city-state had its own single, patron deity. A priest could only be dedicated to that single orisha of the city, and that orisha was honored above all others. In the New World, Africans from many city-states ...
What is the purpose of the Orisha stories?
Other times they are birthed as higher beings. The purpose of these stories today is to teach lessons rather than relate some literal truth.
Is the saint a mask?
The saint is a mask of the orisha , and it does no work the other way around. However, many of their clients are also Catholic, and they understand that such clients better identify with these beings under the guise of the saintly counterparts. Cite this Article. Format. mla apa chicago.
Do Santeria work in the New World?
New World Santeria believers, on the other hand, generally only work with a handful of them. In the New World, these beings are commonly seen as family: they marry each other, give birth to others, and so forth. In that sense, they work more like Western pantheons like those of the Greeks or Romans.
What is the meaning of orishas in Santeria?
In Santeria, orishas are the gods or beings that believers interact with on a regular basis. The number of orishas varies among believers. Santeria originates from an original African belief system and in this, there are hundreds of orishas.
Who are the Orishas?
The Orishas: Aganyu, Babalu-Aye, Chango, and Eleggua. Catherine Beyer is a practicing Wiccan who has taught religion in at Lakeland College in Wisconsin as well as humanities and Western culture at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. In Santeria, orishas are the gods or beings that believers interact with on a regular basis.
Why do rituals start with offering to Eleggua?
All rituals start with making offerings to Eleggua in recognition of his position as an intermediary between humans and orishas. As the orisha of communications and the opener of doorways, it is he who allows the petitions and sacrifices of humans to be known to the orishas.
What is the personality of the keeper of the crossroads?
He rules the crossroads as well as fate since he can see all of the past, present, and future. His personality is playful, mischievous, and childlike, but also clever. He is a cause of accidents and of conditions involving the blood.
Who is the child of Atocha?
Eleggua is particularly fond of children and often disguises himself as one. This has led to him being associated with Anthony of Padua (commonly depicted carrying a young Jesus), the Holy Child of Atocha (Jesus in the disguise of a child who fed starving Christians in Spain), and Benito, the Holy Infant of Prague.
Who is the most powerful orisha?
Eleggua, also known as Eshu, is the most powerful of the orishas after Obatala. He is a messenger, a trickster, a warrior, and an opener of doorways, allowing for new experiences. Travelers often seek his protection. He is a keeper and seer of secrets and mysteries.
Is Eleggua a tempter?
Thus, he is also a tempter, and Christians sometimes associate him with Satan (as they also tend to do with trickster deities of other cultures, such as the Norse Loki ). However, Eleggua in no way represents evil. Eleggua is particularly fond of children and often disguises himself as one.
What is the Santeria religion?
Santeria is a religion that focuses on building a relationship between humans and Orishas. Orishas as powerful spirits, a mortal manifestation of God (called Olodumare). Followers of the Santeria religion believe that the Orishas will guide them through life, enabling them to achieve their destiny, as long as they carry out specific rituals and offer sacrifices. It is a symbiotic relationship – the Orishas need to be worshipped in order to continue existing and humans need the Orishas to meet their ultimate destiny.
Why do we worship the Orishas?
It is a symbiotic relationship – the Orishas need to be worshipped in order to continue existing and humans need the Orishas to meet their ultimate destiny. There are many misconceptions out there about the Santeria religion and one of them regards the idea of Santeria being a pagan religion.
Does Santeria believe in God?
Like many modern religions, Santeria only believes in one true God. Every follower of Santeria has his or her own destiny as decided by Olodumare. Each person is also thought to be the child of a specific Orisha of which there are hundreds.
Is Santeria a polytheistic religion?
This confusion may stem from the fact that Orishas are often referred to as Gods which could suggest that Santeria is a polytheistic religion similar to paganism. In reality, however, Santeria understands the Orishas as different aspects of the one God (Olodumare) as they are manifested in the physical world.
How did Santeria evolve?
Santeria evolved when African slaves were stolen from their homelands during the Colonial period and forced to work in Caribbean sugar plantations. Santeria is a fairly complex system, because it blends the Yoruba orishas, or divine beings, with the Catholic saints.
What are the methods of Santeria?
They are called upon by priests by a variety of methods, including trances and possession, divination, ritual, and even sacrifice. To some extent, Santeria includes magical practice, although this magical system is based upon interaction with and understanding of the orishas.
How to become a Santero?
To become a Santero, one must pass a series of tests and requirements prior to initiation. Training includes divinatory work, herbalism, and counseling. It is up to the orishas to determine whether a candidate for priesthood has passed the tests or failed.
Is Santeria a pagan religion?
Updated February 13, 2019. Although Santeria is a religious path that is not rooted in Indo-European polytheism like many other contemporary Pagan religions, it's still a faith that is practiced by many thousands of people in the United States and other countries today.
Is Santeria open to Africans?
Most Santeros have studied for a long time to become part of the priesthood, and it is rarely open to those who are not part of the society or culture. For many years, Santeria was kept secret, and limited to those of African ancestry. According to the Church of Santeria ,
Who is the most popular orisha?
Some of the most popular orishas include: Elleggua, who is similar to the Roman Catholic Saint Anthony. Elleggua is the lord of the crossroads, serving as a liaison between man and the divine, and has very great power indeed. Yemaya, the spirit of motherhood, is often associated with the Virgin Mary.
Who is Oya in Catholicism?
He ties strongly to Saint Barbara in Catholicism. Oya is a warrior, and the guardian of the dead. She is associated with Saint Theresa. It is estimated that about a million or so Americans currently practice Santeria, but it's hard to determine whether this count is accurate or not.
What is the Santeria?
Santeria is a fusion of Catholic practices and African folk beliefs. It emerged in Cuba during the 17th century, and has been embedded in Cuban society ever since. These days, it’s far more prevalent than Catholicism on the island—Santeros outnumber Catholics by 8-1. Cuba is still the religious center of Santería, ...
Why did the Santeros go to Guanabacoa?
In fact, when Santeros find themselves in a difficult position, they sometimes say that they are going to have to go to Guanabacoa to find a babalawo to help solve their problems. A large number of slaves were imported to Cuba via Matanzas during the 19th century, and Santería gained a strong following here.
Why do orishas do miracles?
The orishas are thought to perform miracles for adherents, and can also be blamed for unfortunate events. If an individual has consistently bad luck , they must appease their orisha to achieve harmony and balance in their life. The followers, however, can’t communicate directly with these divine beings.
What are the items used in Santiago?
There are small side streets in Santiago that are lined with stands selling items used in ceremonies, including feathers, candles, bones, stones, herbs, and live animals. Feel free to ask people about the religion and, if given permission, take photographs.
Who is the saint of fire?
Changó is another popular saint. The saint of fire and war, he is often seen carrying a double-headed axe and is associated with red and white. His Catholic avatar is Santa Barbara. Obatalá, the goddess of creation and peace, dresses in white and associated with the Virgen de la Merced (the Virgin of Mercy).
Do Santeros have a temple?
Santeros often have statues of saints in their home, and may even have an altar where pastries, candles, fruits, and coins are offered to their orisha. There are no official churches or temples in the religion. As such, ceremonies and rituals are usually performed at home or in public.
Who are the three spirits that Santeros believed were incomprehensible to mortals?
In the beginning was Olodumare, a being incomprehensible to mortals, who was composed of three spirits: Nzame, Olofi ( also called Olorun) and Baba Nkwa.
What is the Santera practice?
On the other hand, many people use simple everyday Santería practices for divination and luck.
What are the orishas called?
The orishas. In the ancient Yoruban tongue, gods were called orishas, and that is the term still used today. Just like the Vodun loa, the orishas have complex human personalities, with strong desires, preferences and temperaments.
What does Obatala represent?
Depicted as a white man on horseback, Obatalá is associated with all things white and represents peace and purity. His wife, Oddudúa, is a black woman who is usually shown breastfeeding an infant and represents maternity. Obatalá and Oddudúa had two children: a son Aganyú and a daughter Yemayá.
What are the colors of Yemaya?
Tragic Yemayá remains a popular goddess in Santería, whose colors are light blue and white. The 14 deities born to Yemayá include Changó, the god of fire, thunder and lightning. Young, virile and handsome, Changó also governs the passions. His colors are red and white, and he is one of the most popular deities in Santería.
Where is Santera located?
Santería has flourished in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, both in Cuba (despite the revolution of 1959) and in the United States, where Cuban exiles have made it a presence in most major metropolitan areas.
Where did the Santera movement originate?
Santería is a popular religious movement originating in Cuba that combines African and Roman Catholic themes. Santería, “The Way of the Saints,” developed among African slaves in Cuba , and has spread throughout the Caribbean and the United States.
Overview
Beliefs
Definitions
Practices
History
Demographics
Santería teaches the existence of an overarching divinity, known as Olodumare, Olofi, or Olorun. Practitioners believe that this divinity created the universe but takes little interest in human affairs. As this creator deity is inaccessible to humanity, no major offerings are dedicated to it. The three facets of this divinity are understood slightly differently; Olodumare represents the divine essence o…
Reception
The term Santería translates into English as the "way of the saints". This term was first used by scholarly commentators in the 1930s and later spread among the religion's practitioners themselves. It has become the most popular name for the religion, although some practitioners find it offensive. A common alternative is Regla de Ocha, meaning "the rule of ocha", ocha being a term for …
Further reading
Santería is a practice-oriented religion; ritual correctness is considered more important than belief. It has an elaborate system of ritual, with its rites termed ceremonias (ceremonies). Most of its activities revolve around the oricha and focus on solving the problems of everyday life. Practitioners usually use the term "work" in reference to ritual activity; thus "working ocha" describes its rites.