Transcript Santeria A Religion of African Origins.

Santeria
A Religion of African Origins.
Presented by:
Lester A. Bolanos
Introduction and Origins of
Santeria
Santeria is a syncretistic religion of
Caribbean origin. Santeria or La Regla
Lucumi originates in West Africa in what is
now Nigeria and Benin. It incorporates the
worship of the Orisha (literally "head
guardian") and beliefs of the Yoruba and
Bantu people in Southern Nigeria, Senegal
and Guinea Coast.
These are combined with elements of
worship from Roman Catholicism.
Its origins date back to the slave trade when
Yoruba natives were forcibly transported
from Africa to the Caribbean. They were
typically baptized by the Roman Catholic
Church upon arrival, and their native
practices were suppressed.
They developed a novel way of keeping
their old beliefs alive by equating each
Orisha of their traditional religions with a
corresponding Christian Saint. Santeria is
not a 'primitive' religion. On the contrary,
the Yorubas were and are a very civilized
people with a rich culture and deep sense of
ethics.
Santeria’s Beliefs
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Deities: God is referred to as Olorun, or
Olódùmarè, the "owner of heaven". He is the
supreme deity, the creator of the universe.
Ashe motivates the sacred world of Santeria.
Ashe is growth, the force towards
completeness and divinity. Ashe is the absolute
ground of reality. All the things that we are
accustomed to call beings are, in reality, ways
of Ashe that can be liberated and perceived by
those who understand them.
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Ritual Sacrifices: These form an integral
part of many Santerian religious rituals.
Communication between orishas and
humankind is accomplished through ritual,
prayer, divination and ebó or offerings
(which includes sacrifice). The animal's
blood is collected and offered to the Orisha.
Chickens are the most common animals
used. Their sacrifice is believed to please
the Saints, and to bring good luck,
purification and forgiveness of sins.
Major Orishas of Santeria
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Eleggua ( Elegbara, Elegba Eshu)
Ausar (Osiris,Obatala, Oxala)
Sekhert (Babaluaiye, Omulu)
Chango
Oggun
Ochosi
Maat
Oshun
Yemaya
Ajagun (The Warriors)

Eleggua, is the
Yoruba Orisha
(Neteru, Angelic
Force) of Possibility.
Eleggua is the owner
of the roads and doors
in this world.
According to Molloy,
Eleggua has
knowledge of destiny
and is therefore the
first Orisha to be
prayed to in any
ritual.
His symbol is a clay head with eyes and
mouth made of shells and his number is 3.
His colors are red and black or white and
black and these colors codify his
contradictory nature.
His favorite foods are white chicken, rooster,
and rum. His dance posture during a ritual is
buffoonery. His Catholic parallel is Anthony
of Padua. In particular, Eleggua stands at the
crossroads of the human and the divine, as he
is a childlike messenger between the two
worlds. In this role he has a very close
relationship with the Orisha of divination,
Orunmila. Nothing can be done in either
world without his permission. He is the
messenger between God and Man.

Ausar, the Khametic
(ancient AfricanEgyptian) Neter (Orisha,
Angelic Force) is the
divine representation of
God's Omnipresence (the
Divine presence in all
living things) He is
associated with
intelligence, because at
God’s command he
formed the Earth and
humankind.
Therefore He is the orisha of Creation,
wisdom and spiritual clarity.
He is in charge of the mind and the head,
and his symbol is the horsetail whisk, which
symbolizes authority. His number is 8 and
his favorite foods are female goats and
pigeons. Obatala is also the only Orisha that
has both male and female paths. Since
Obatala is associated with purity, his color
is white. His Catholic parallel is Our Lady
Of Mercy.
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In the altar, multiple
white cloths communicate
Oxala's purity, honesty
and peace. An immaculate
altar conveys the glory
and purity of
Oxala/Obatala, god of
creativity and custom.
Clean white cloths,
flowers metals, and
ceramic tiles are
evocations of his spotless
reputation. Before the
altar is a bed in white
linen where devotees may
knell and meditate before
his inspiring presence.
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Sekhert, the Khametic Neter is
the Divine representation of
God's Omnipotence (divine
power to do anything). Sekhert
is imagined as a compassionate
old man with a crutch, dressed
in rough cloth, carrying a bag.
He is usually called on to heal
serious bodily diseases such as
cancer, leprosy, etc. Sekhert’s
symbol is a crutch. His colors
are white and blue, his numbers
are 17 and 13, his favorite foods
are tobacco, rum doves and hen,
and his parallel is Saint
Lazarus.
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Chango is the orisha of
music, dance, drums,
fire, thunder, and war.
He is brave and
intelligent and loves the
ladies. Chango’s foods
are rooster, sheep, goat,
pig, and bull. His dance
postures are aggression
and violent acrobatics.
His Catholic parallel is
Saint Barbara.
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Altar to Shango, once the fourth king of Yoruba, and immortalized as
the thunder god, Shango is legendary across the African Atlantic
world. Shango's storms and lightning bring a purifying moral terror
encapsulated by the boldness and immediacy of his art and altars.
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Oggun is a metal worker whose
symbols are the knife and the
pick. His colors are black and
green, his number is 9, and his
favorite foods are roosters and
dogs. He is the patron of barbers,
butchers and all who work with
knife and metal. Because Oggun
is rough and dangerous, he is
considered to be responsible for
war and vehicle accidents. His
Catholic parallel is Saint Peter.
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Ochosi is the third
member of the group
known as the Guerreros or
Warriors. Ochosi is the
hunter dressed in purple,
his favorite color. His
symbol is the crossbow.
His number is 7 and his
favorite foods are doves,
rum, and guinea hens.
Since he spent time in the
woods, he knows plants
and herbal medicine.
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Maat, is the Orisha of
Universal Balance,
Truth and grants all
great health and wealth
through the observance
of the Divine Law (not
man-made laws) and by
living a balance, holistic
life. With the ability to
see the whole, Maat
brings balance to any
situation.
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Oshun is the goddess of
love, fertility, and
marriage. Oshun is
associated with rivers,
and her symbols are
boats and mirrors. Her
colors are yellow and
white. Her number is
5, and her favorite
foods are white hen,
goats and sheep. Her
Catholic parallel is Our
Lady of Charity.
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Yemaya is the goddess of
the sea and the moon. She
is the mother archetype and
the provider of wealth. As
the one who gives life and
sustains the Earth, she is
extremely generous and
giving. She is the nurturing
energy that sooth anyone.
But like the ocean, when
she is angry, she can be
implacable. Therefore, she
represents the mother who
gives love, but does not
give her power away.
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Yemaya is also the owner of
the collective subconscious
and ancient wisdom, since
she holds the secrets that are
hidden in the sea. She is
often invoked in fertility
rituals for women and in any
ritual concerning women's
issues. Her Catholic parallel
is Our Lady of Regla.
Yemaya: Our Lady of Regla,
is one the three of the
"Supreme Trilogy" of the
Yoruba gods: Chango,
Obatala, and Yemaya.
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Ajagun is comprised
of Eleggua, Oggun,
Ochosi and Oshun.
These Orishas
protect their
devotees from
destruction and
opposing spiritual
forces.
Santeria’s Practices
Ritual
 Tradition
 Priesthood
 Botanicas
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A ritual typically begins with the invocation
of Olurun. Drums provide background
African rhythms. The Oru or rhythm
changes to that associated with a specific
Orisha, who is then invoked as well.
Animals, most commonly chickens, are
sacrificed during many rituals. Dancing is
another main component of the ritual. The
traditions of Santeria are fiercely preserved
and full knowledge of the rites, songs, and
language are prerequisites to any deep
involvement in the religion.
Initiates must follow a strict regimen and are
answerable to Olorun and the Orishas for
their actions. As a person passes through
each initiation in the tradition, this
knowledge deepens and their abilities and
responsibilities grow accordingly. In fact,
during the first year of their initiation into
the priesthood, the initiate or Iyawo or
'bride' of the Orisha must dress in white for
an entire year. The Iyawo must not look into
a mirror, touch anyone or allow themselves
to be touched, and they may not wear
makeup, or go out at night for this year.
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One of the rituals is known as the Warriors,
which is the first step in opening up the path
into becoming a Santo, as in saintliness, in
the way of the orishas. The person’s
godfather, who is the initializer in the
Santeria religion, has to make the
fundamental symbols of the warrior orishas,
Eleggua, Oggun, Ochosi, and Oshun. The
godfather also has to prepare the symbols of
the babalawo’s protection, which is a
beaded necklace and bracelet, as well as the
staff of the herbalist, the osun.
Then, the godfather takes the person to the
altar where he lays a reed mat before the
canastillero, the large wooden armoire that
holds the stones of the godfather’s orishas.
Then, the person kneels on the mat, hands
on the floor, and repeats after the godfather
the Lucumi greeting to Ifa: iboru iboya
ibochiche, “may Ifa accept the sacrifice.”
Afterward, the fundamental symbols of the
warrior orishas are placed in front of the
person: the concrete bust of Eleggua,
Oggun’s cauldron of tools, Oshosi’s iron
bow and arrow.
Next to these are added the bird staff of
Osun and the beaded necklace and bracelet.
The warriors are mainly given to men. Only
a babalawo can give you warriors. They are
hard and they give you strength. There are
other rituals fashioned similarly to that one.
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Tradition: Santeria is not a religion of a
book, like Judaism, Christianity, or Islam.
Like most Aboriginal religions, it is
preserved by an oral tradition.
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Priesthood: Priests are called Santeros or
Babalochas. Priestesses are called Santeras
or Iyalochas. Olorisha can refer to a priest
or a priestess. Above the priests are the
High priests called babalawos. Only men
can become high priests. They are trained
for many years in the oral tradition of the
faith. This is followed by a period of
solitude before being initiated. They learn
dance, songs and healing methods.
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Botanicas: These are stores that specialize
in providing Santeria supplies. They sell
charms, herbs, potions, candles, musical
instruments, and other materials used by the
followers like intricate capes to dress up the
images of the saints. They also sell live
animals used for the sacrifices like
chickens, etc.
Bibliography
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Molloy, Michael. “Experiencing the World’s Religion” 2nd ed.
California:Mayfield, 1999.
Murphy, Joseph. “Santeria:Africa Spirits in America” .
Boston:Beacon, 1993.
“Santeria: From Cuba to New York, and back…” 16 Feb. 2002
<http://archive.nandotimes.com/prof/caribe/santeria.html>
“Santeria, a syncretistic Caribbean religion”
ReligiousTolerance.org. 5 Mar. 2002
<http://www.religioustolerance.org/santeri.htm>
“Traditional Afro-Cuban (Santeria) Divination for Spiritual
Transformation” 20 Feb. 2002.
<http://www.lukumi.nu>