Yemaya was the river goddess of the Yoruba The Yorùbá people are an African ethnic group that inhabits western Africa. The Yoruba constitute about 44 million people in total. The majority of this population is from Nigeria, where the Yorùbá make up 21% of the country's population, according to the CIA World Factbook, making the…Yoruba people
What is the significance of the story of Yemaya?
It is said that Yemaya can cure women of their infertility. As she creates life, she also protects it during all of its happiness and despair. She reminds women to nurture their needs and celebrate their many gifts and strengths.
Who is Yemaya the Mermaid?
From the Yoruba religion, Yemaya was brought over to the New World by enslaved Africans as early as the 16th century. There has been a lot of discussion about mermaids lately. On Wednesday, it was announced that Chloe x Halle singer Halle Bailey would be cast as Ariel in the live-action remake of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Who is Yemaya's father?
Yemaya is the daughter of a mortal god-human, Obatala, and his wife. Yemaya and her brother, Aganyu had a son together. As a teenager, he rebelled against his father and brutally raped Yemaya. He tried to rape her again but she fled to a mountain top where she cursed her son until he died.
Who is Yemaya asesun?
Yemaya Asesun, an ancient path of Yemaya, is Queen of Water Birds including ducks, geese, and swans. She rules the springs that gush forth from Earth, especially in deep forests. Yemaya Ashagba, “The Chain,” is Olokun’s first child and may be the oldest, most primordial aspect of Yemaya. (See Yembo below.)
What is Yemaya known for?
She is the orisha of fertility as well as of bodies of water and has under her protection dockworkers, boatwrights, fishers, sailors, swimmers, and others who work, live, or travel around water. Yemonja is the patron of the Gelede Society (“Society of Mothers”).
Who is the daughter of Yemaya?
LisaLisa, she's the daughter of Yemaya, who is the sea, and I'm daughter of Shango, who is thunder. And it's really us. Our characters are really like that. Lisa-Kaindé: In the Yoruba religion, you are chosen by an orisha, which is a divinity.
Who is Yemaya mother?
She is the mother of all Orishas. She is an orisha, in this case patron spirit of rivers, particularly the Ogun River in Nigeria; and oceans in Cuban and Brazilian orisa religions....YemọjaOther namesYemaya, Iemanja, Mother of Water, Mother of all Orishas, Patroness and Protector of Children and Fishermen10 more rows
Who is Yemaya married to?
AganjuIn Yorùbá mythology, Yemoja is a mother goddess; patron deity of women, especially pregnant women; and the Ogun river. Her parents are Oduduwa and Obatala. There are many stories as to how she became the mother of all saints. She was married to Aganju and had one son, Orungan, and fifteen Orishas came forth from her.
Is Yemaya real?
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.
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.
Who is Yemanja?
Yemanja (or Yemọja) originated as the Water Goddess of the African Yoruba tribe. With the diaspora of the Yoruba, Yemanja has come to be known throughout the world and by different names. She is very well known in Brazilian culture and is celebrated around New Year's every year during the Yemanja Festival in Brazil.
What is Yemaya the goddess of?
Yemaya, queen of the sea, first emerged in Yorubaland (now in modern Nigeria). A primordial deity, considered the mother of all, some perceive her to be at the root of numerous ancient goddesses, including Isis.
Who is the mother of Yemoja?
Yemoja is notably addressed as mother of all the gods in the Yoruba pantheon, in which over three hundred gods and goddesses abound. She is the creatrix-fountainhead of their existence....Author:Agbo FolarinTitle:Maternal goddess in Yoruba art: a new aesthetic acclamation of Yemoja, Oshun and Iya-Mapo5 more rows
Is water goddess real?
Mami Wata (Mammy Water), or La Sirene, is a water spirit venerated in West, Central, and Southern Africa and in the African diaspora in the Americas. Mami Wata spirits are usually female but are sometimes male....Mami WataPatronageWater, the sea, mermaids, the moon, markets, divination, healing, luck, money, music4 more rows
Who is Yemaya to Chango?
Yemaya is the only one who can keep Chango in check. He has to obey her because she is one of his two mothers. He is said to have two or three wives, his favorite being Ochun. This beautiful goddess is identifed with the Catholic La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, Cuba's patron saint.
Who is Oshun daughter?
Oshun is a Nigerian Yoruba Orisha, a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of God in the Ifá and Yoruba religions. She is one of the most popular Orisha's and the only female irunmole (primordial) sent to set up the world by Olodumare.
Who is Yemaya to Chango?
Yemaya is the only one who can keep Chango in check. He has to obey her because she is one of his two mothers. He is said to have two or three wives, his favorite being Ochun. This beautiful goddess is identifed with the Catholic La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, Cuba's patron saint.
Who is Aganju?
Yoruba religion In the Yoruba areas of Nigeria and Benin Republic, Aganju is known as a deified warrior king from the town of Shaki in the present-day Oyo State of Nigeria. He was said to walk with a sword and is said to fight by shooting fire, as opposed to Sango who fights with thunderstones and lightning.
What is Yemoja taboo?
For instance, a menstruating woman must not stay in Yemoja's shrine. This is the major traditional taboo (Eewo) that prohibits menstruating women from approaching the shrine or touching sacred vessels of Yemoja, but when they are not actively bleeding they can still participate fully in the religious ceremonies.
What was Yemaya's first gift?
According to legend, Yemaya's first gift to her beloved humans was a sea shell in which her voice could always be heard. To this day we honor Yemaya when we hold a shell to our ear in order to hear her voice, the ocean. Yemaya is a goddess of comfort and inspiration.
What do devotees send to the goddess Yemaya?
Devotees send gifts of jewelry, fabric, soap, perfume, and letters along with floating candles that are set adrift in the moonlit sea as gifts to the goddess Yemaya. Yemaya is a mother goddess, the goddess of home, fertility, love and family.
Where did the Yoruba travel?
She traveled with them from Yoruba to distant lands, comforting them in the holds of the slave ships that took them far away from their homeland in Africa. Known by other names, her traditions continue in the countries to which her people were dispersed.
Mad re and patron of seas
Yemayá is as old as Obatala and that from that marriage the other Orishas are born.
History of Olofi's mandate a Yemaya
The pataki tells that one day Olofin organized a very large party with food and drink and invited all the Orishas to participate, but one by one they arrived empty-handed.
Myths and Stories of Yemayá
Yemayá was born to Oludumare, the Supreme Being in the Yoruba religion. Oludumare tasked Yemayá with assisting the Orisha Obatala with the creation of humans. Leaving the dwelling place of Oludumare, Yemayá slid down a rope with sixteen other Orisha and engaged in the creation of mankind.
Yemayá: Characteristics
Yemayá serves as the patron of the Ogun river (in Nigeria), although she is not limited to that particular body of water. Her followers may worship Yemayá at any feature of running water. She is depicted as a mermaid, capable of venturing into any body of water freely.
Yemayá and Olokun
Yemayá has another deity associated with her. Olokun is another Orisha associated with water and androgyny. While Yemayá has dominion over the surface of the ocean and the life thereupon, Olokun is the Orisha of the depths. They complement one another. While Yemayá is the goddess of life, none may return from Olokun’s depths alive.
Worship of Yemayá
After slavers brought slaves to the New World via the Middle Passage, Yemayá’s presence increased in the Americas and the Caribbean. Again, Yemayá was originally known as Yemọja, with Yemayá being one of her names she came to be known by in the New World.
What is the meaning of Yemaya?
Yemaya is a mother Goddess. The Goddess of home, fertility, love and family. She also represents change and consistency - bringing forth life, protecting it, and changing it as is necessary. Yemaya is the daughter of a mortal god-human, Obatala, and his wife. Yemaya and her brother, Aganyu had a son together.
What does Yemaya like?
Yemaya likes sea shells, fish, net, sea horses, anchors and everything related to the sea. She is generally kept in a blue flowered porcelain soup tureen full of water. She is also associated with stars and the full moon, ducks and peacocks. Yemaya controls the parts of the sea that a human knows.
What is the difference between Olukun and Yemaya?
Yemaya statue www.amazon.com. Yemaya stays in the uppermost part of the ocean while Olukun is the orisha who resides in the dark depths. Olukun is respected for his ominous power that has no perceived limits or boundaries while Ye maya is associated with life, fertility and creation. Therefore, they balance each other.
How did Yemaya learn divination?
She's also associated with the creative and nurturing forces of the sea. She learned how to do divination by watching her husband, Orula, do consults. Women weren't supposed to do consults but Yemaya was so good at it, her husband made a pact with her that she could use cowry shells to divine.
What does the tide represent in the story of Yemaya?
By rocking the world as a cradle, the tides represent Yemaya's desires to protect and nurture all her children. With Yemaya considered to be the greatest mother there is no surprise that she is very sexual. Since nothing can resist water, she is respected for her strength. Those who hurt her children, Yemaya drowns.
What do the seven seas represent in Yemaya?
Those who worship her wear necklaces of clear and blue beads as well as a blue dress complete with seven layers to represent the seven seas. In a ceremony for Yemaya, everyone dances in a circle and the altar is in the form of a circle. The circle represents the eternal cycle of life.
Who is the mother of Ochun?
Generally regarded as the older sister of Ochun. She's the mother, or foster mother, of almost all the major Orichas, low level gods. Yemaya is the patron of pregnant women. She is the spiritual mother to all those who feel lost and lonely. She'll always listen and offer maternal love to anyone who needs a mother.
Where does Yemaya live?
She gave birth to the stars, the moon, the sun and most of the orishas. Yemaya makes her residence in life-giving portion of the ocean (although some of her roads can be found in lagoons or lakes in the forest).
What is Yemaya's camino?
Some of Yemaya’s caminos are fierce warriors who fight with sabers or machetes and bathe in the blood of fallen enemies.
How do Oshun and Yemaya relate?
Yemaya and Oshun relate to one another like typical sisters; they love each other and also have a bit of sibling rivalry. Chango and Yemaya are inseparable. Some followers of Santeria say Yemaya is Chango’s mother. The two of them eat together and Chango shares his wealth with Yemaya.
What is Yembo's color?
Her color is navy blue. Yembo – this road of Yemaya is an orisha funfún (white orisha) that many consider in the court of Odudua. She gave birth to all of the orishas and in many ways is the cosmic mother of all things. She is the calm sea at the seashore. Her color is pale blue and white.
What are the colors of Yemaya?
Number: 7. Sacred Place in Nature: the ocean, lagoons and lakes. Colors: blue and clear .
What is the road called in Yemaya?
Yemaya has many caminos or “roads”. Each road has a slightly different temperament and is found in a different place in nature. All roads of Yemaya are called “Ibú” and each takes a slightly different shade of blue in her eleke. Here is but a sampling of her caminos.
What is the best addima for Yemaya?
Watermelon for Yemayá. A great addimú for Yemaya is a whole watermelon. Buy a large watermelon with seeds, and wash it clean. Place a grass mat (estera) on the floor, place Yemaya’s pot on the grass mat, and place the watermelon on a white plate beside her.
What was Yemaya associated with?
Yemaya was strongly associated with the sea, in which she lived. Like the sea, she was beautiful and filled with generosity but if anyone crossed the goddess by disrespecting her terrain or hurting one of her children, her anger knew no bounds.
How did Yemaya bring life to the world?
Some legends tell of how Yemaya brought life to the world by creating the first mortals. The story goes that her waters broke, causing a great deluge, creating all the streams and rivers on earth and then, from her womb, the first humans were created. Yemaya’s first gift to her children was a sea shell which contained her voice so that it could always be heard. Even today, when we hold a sea shell to our ear and hear the ocean, what we hear is Yemaya’s calm voice, the voice of the sea.
What was the name of the river that Yemaya was a part of?
Her benevolence and generosity gave her many devotees, equivalent to the fish in the sea (also innumerable). Originally, Yemaya was a Yoruba river Orisha and had nothing to do with the ocean. However, when her people boarded the slave ships, she didn’t want to leave them so she went along with them.
What is the Yoruba story called?
The Yoruba people often created stories to help them make sense of the world around them and these stories were known as the patakis. According to the patakis, Yemaya’s father was Olodumare, the supreme god. Olodumare was known as the Creator of the Universe, and Yemaya was said to be his eldest child.
Why was Yemaya angry at Olokun?
Olokun was angry because he thought he wasn’t being appreciated by humans and decided to punish all of mankind for it.
How many gods came out of Yemaya's body?
She jumped to her death from the top of a high mountain and as she hit the ground, fourteen gods or Orishas came out of her body.
What is the meaning of the name Yemaya?
Yemaya was known by many names including Yemalla, Yemoja, Yemaja, Yemalia and Iemanja. Her name, when translated means ‘the Mother Whose Children are Fish’ and this could have two meanings. She had innumerable children. Her benevolence and generosity gave her many devotees, equivalent to the fish in the sea (also innumerable).
What does Yemaya do?
Yemaya gives life and offers support to all who inhabit the Earth. Her generous and protective nature endears her to those who worship her. Yemaya works with the Orisha Olokun to rule the sea and all of the oceans. Olokun guards the tumultuous depths of the ocean, while Yemaya protects the upper surfaces of the ocean where ...
What is the meaning of the Yemaya necklace?
Present a Yemaya statue with offerings of watermelon and yams. Wear a Yemaya Camino necklace to invoke her strength and protection or present one to a loved one who is preparing to have a baby.
What is the difference between Olokun and Yemaya?
Olokun guards the tumultuous depths of the ocean, while Yemaya protects the upper surfaces of the ocean where the light reflects and living things thrive. She oversees the waves and the myriad of life forms that call the ocean their home. Together, these two Orishas create a balance that ebbs and flows as naturally as the tides.
How to make yemaya offerings?
It is traditional to make Yemaya offerings and set them afloat on the water in a small boat. Write a note with your desires and thoughts on a small piece of paper. Anoint the paper with Yemaya perfume and place it on the boat. Focus on your intentions as you send your boat out to sea for Yemaya to find.
How many Orishas are there in Yemaya?
The daughter of Oddudua and Obatala, Yemaya is mother to 14 Orishas, as well as Obafulom and Lyaa, the first human male and female and the ancestors of all humans.
Who is the goddess of the ocean?
The Orishas: Yemaya. Known as the goddess of the ocean, the mother of all living things and the guardian of mothers and children, Yemaya is one of the most powerful Orishas worshiped in Santeria. She is a nurturing caretaker who watches over all things with a keen eye.
Does Yemaya cure infertility?
It is said that Yemaya can cure women of their infertility. As she creates life, she also protects it during all of its happiness and despair. She reminds women to nurture their needs and celebrate their many gifts and strengths.
How beautiful is Yemaya?
Whether manifesting as woman or mermaid, Yemaya is always spectacularly beautiful. She can be sexually provocative with a rolling, hip-swaying walk that evokes the sea. Her traditional costume includes seven skirts. Her hair, clothes, and body may be ornamented with crystals, pearls, coral, or tiny bells.
What is the meaning of the name Yemaya?
Yemaya. Yemaya. Holy Queen Sea. Yemaya, Queen of the Sea, epitomizes motherhood and rules all issues pertaining to women. She is among the most powerful and beloved of the Seven African Powers, the sexy matriarch of the Yoruba spirits known as orishas. The translation of her name, “The Mother Whose Children are Fish ” has dual implications:
What is the name of the Red Sea Queen?
The Red Sea is her official hideout, but she sails where she chooses. (To complicate matters further, Yemaya and her daughter, love goddess Oshun, may be alter-egos of Lady Asherah, another Red Sea Queen and her daughter, love goddess Astarte.) She is also known as Yemaya Ibu Okoto.
What is Yemaya Okoto's crown?
Yemaya Okoto, the Pirate Queen, causes shipwrecks and drags ships and treasure down to the ocean floor. Her name means “the one who lives amongst the seashells.”. Her crown is a shark’s jawbone. She clenches a dagger between her teeth.
What color is Yemaya's path?
Yemaya’s different paths are symbolized by different shades of blue (and sometimes by unique attributes). The particular hue represents each path’s specific natureand home. Thus the aspects of Yemaya who live closest to land or the water’s surface are represented by paler shades than those dwelling in the depths.
How to decorate Yemaya's shrine?
Yemaya’s shrine should evoke the sea. Decorate it with nets, seashells, sea stars, and sea horses. Add salted water to a crystal glass containing small seashells.
What does Yemaya eat?
Yemaya’s favorite food offerings include wet seedy fruits like pomegranates and watermelon plus fish, duck, and lamb dishes. She likes to snack on pork cracklings, plantain or banana chips and pound or coconut cake.