Rather than willfully trying to misguide them, his aim is to enrich their life experience, leading them to a spiritual maturation through their transgressions. This situation went on for some time, until an orisha called Oko asked Orunmila why the orishas didnt have any specific knowledge of their own, so they could directly help humans without having to reach for him every time they needed help. Their ancestral father, Oduduwa, migrated from the ancient city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to Africa. Just as the physical head perches atop the body, the ori-inu stands over and rules, guides, and controls a persons actions. As Orisha of love, Oshun is represented as a beautiful, charming and coquettish young woman. Their participation in creation is given in another version, however, where the Orisha Obatala separates the land from the waters and Olodumare then sends down 17 Orishas to complete the work. Olodumare releases the rains, heals Oshun, and declares her the only Orisha always welcome to bring messages to Orun. A few are traditionalists, while most were assimilated into Christianity and Islam. They emanated directly from God without any human aid. The best one could do, then, was pray to Olodumare through the Orishas for the strength to endure and try to prevail in a world where one does not always get what one wants and, even when one does, it can completely fail to live up to expectations. According to myth, these ancestors would commonly ascend to the sky or sink into the ground before turning into deities instead of dying as normal mortals would. Aja by Chase Conley 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). This worship was passed on from one generation to the next. Some of them are known as ara urun, meaning people of heaven, where they are believed to reside. Essentially, Orishas represent the powers of nature, as well as time, life, death, and rebirth. It is possible the Ajogun are Orisha tricksters, but whatever they are, they cannot be considered 'evil' or 'demonic' in a Christian sense. His reign ended when he inadvertently destroyed his palace with lightning. Orisha (also given as Orisa and Orishas) are supernatural entities usually referred to as deities in the Yoruba religion of West Africa, though they are actually emanations or avatars of the supreme being Olodumare. Photo: @janakesho, WebThe reciprocity of service between gods and humans is essen- tially the giving of strength, the renewal of ase to the orisa through blood sacrifice of animals designated as belonging to a specific deity. She can manifest as a gentle breeze or in the eye of a raging tornado. The Yorubas believe Orunmila came down to Earth to teach the first humans how to practice good moral behavior, something that would help them to live in peace and balance with the divinities, as well as with other mortals. Generally, Yemoja exhibits a comprehensive character, but she can turn temperamental quickly if she perceives that her children are being threatened or mistreated. Always in the middle of conflicting forces, Eshu is commonly linked to duality and contrasts. All humans, therefore, are connected to each other no matter their appearance, religion, or location because all owe their existence to the same divine breath that animates them, and all humans are related to other living things for the same reason. Each orisha has its own powers and domains of authority. 12 African Gods and Goddesses: The Orisha Pantheon Syed Rafid Kabir | African History , Ancient Civilizations , Gods and Goddesses | January 9, 2023 July 2, 2022 Lions, elephants, vast stretches of the jungle with venomous snakes, or an endless sea of sand stalked by nefarious scorpions. 16 Orishas are male and the 17th, Oshun, is not only female but the youngest among them. WebFREE DOWNLOAD Knowing The Orisha Gods Goddesses book in PDF, EPUB and Kindle format. Obatalas story can also be used to explain the divine origin of human fallibility. 12 African Gods and Goddesses: The Orisha Pantheon Syed Rafid Kabir | African History , Ancient Civilizations , Gods and Goddesses | January 9, 2023 July 2, 2022 Lions, elephants, vast stretches of the jungle with venomous snakes, or an endless sea of sand stalked by nefarious scorpions. The number of orishas varies among believers. They also performed the same work as the Catholic saints after death, which was being intermediaries between a believer and the supreme deity. The Yoruba people occupy southwestern Nigeria. He embodies the power of the sun, essential for the growth. Orisha of the forest, the animals, and herbal healing. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. From the Yoruba point of view, any element of the natural world that has manifold and useful functions for human beings has a spirit dwelling in it. Its worth noticing that, in the case of certain Yoruba divinities, these categories can be overlapped. Orishas, like the saints, were relatable because they were fallible. After passing on his secrets and guiding humanity for many years, Ogun grew old. The Yoruba were able to continue practicing their religion by nominally becoming Catholic as the saints served the same purpose in Catholicism as the Orishas did in their native faith, as intermediaries between a believer and the supreme deity. The animating force is known as Ashe (or Ase) and is essentially life itself as it is in constant motion and transformation. Orisha of iron, fire, hunting, politics, and war. The number of orishas varies among believers. World History Encyclopedia. The earth begins to die as crops fail and lakes and rivers dry up, and the Orishas wail their repentance, but Olodumare does not hear them. Yoruba Oshun statue, Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria. Their number is usually given as 400 + 1 as a kind of shorthand for "without number" or innumerable. The Yoruba people are based in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Help us and translate this definition into another language! In the original African belief system from which Santeria originates, there are hundreds of orishas . Olodumare demanded to know who had done this, and Esu pointed out the guilty who were swiftly punished. Olorun eventually forgave his son and gave Obatala the responsibility of creating the human race (which he brought into being via his breath of life). The Supreme Deity of the Yoruba is called Oldmar. Cuban African worship, sometimes referred to as Santera, is still widely practiced in Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Tobago/Trinidad and Brazil, a number of practitioners are Yoruba descendants to certain degrees. Esu, for example, was associated with Saint Anthony of Padua, patron saint of lost items, people, and paths in life, because of his role as guardian of crossroads and guide in transitions. The orisha was very enthusiastic about his mission, but he got very drunk before finishing it and neglected his creational duties. No division in Yorubaland, YorubaKoya commends Ooni, Akintoye, Igboho, others. They can be counted on, however, to deliver the messages of mortals to Olodumare and so they came to be associated with the saints of Catholicism when the Yoruba people were brought as slaves to the so-called New World. Various sources state that there are at least 401 Orishas, and several are mentioned in Yoruba creation stories and archaeological history. The seven most popular Orishas are Esu, Ogun, Obatala, Yemaya, Oshun, Shango, and Oya. The Orishas exist to help humans reach their goal of self-actualization, but these entities are not perfect themselves and sometimes get in peoples way, often without meaning to, because they each have their own individual personality and flaws just as humans do. Others, who descended to the Earth to be adored in their human incarnations, were called irunmole. Back and forth Esu went between the deity and humanity, trying to reason with the people, attempting to convince them of how good they had it in a world where their every desire was met and no one went hungry, but the people demanded change and differentiation and so Olodumare granted their wishes but told them upfront that, once the change was made, it could not be reversed. Several primordial divinities have oral traditions stating that they were once the chiefs or kings of still existing Yoruba towns. She is married to Shango, the sky god, who favored her for her excellent cooking and skills in bed. He was supposed to have lived at some point between the 12th and the 14th century AD. However, despite their divine status and remarkable powers, not all the orishas have the same origin. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. At a time when the Gods were starving, she offered him her ear to eat, and he scorned her. The Orisha And The 12 Gods Of Yoruba Mythology. Its said that her arrogance made her challenge Orunmila to a duel. Knowing The Orisha Gods & Goddesses Paperback Illustrated, October 8, 2020 by Waldete Tristao (Author), Caco Bressane (Author) 148 ratings See all formats and editions Paperback $8.99 5 Used from $8.99 15 New from $4.99 And a third category is constituted by the orishas that impersonate natural forces. In Yoruba mythology, Erinle, also called Inle, was a hunter (or sometimes an herbalist) that took the first king of Ilobu to where the first town was destined to be founded. She is kind and generous to her followers, but when brought to anger she can cause untold destruction. Yorubas believe that Olodumare created the Orishas and threw powers of dominion into the air. Like the stories told by the Yoruba in West Africa, different Orishas were linked to different saints in different regions, and it is not possible to definitively say which Orisha came to be identified with which saint. Jhonfrank Snchez is a Venezuelan writer and Literature major interested in studying ancient civilizations, history, symbolism, and how they have shaped modern thought. Renewed and grateful deities in turn bless their supportive wor- Agriculture from the Middle East highly influenced the people to develop the religion around 600 BC. These masquerades are performed twice a year, as well as during funeral rites. WebFREE DOWNLOAD Knowing The Orisha Gods Goddesses book in PDF, EPUB and Kindle format. Ogun was linked with Saint Peter because of his association with strength as Peter was known as the 'rock' upon which Jesus Christ would build his church. Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. He taught his followers the secrets of civilization (fire, smithing, hunting, politics, and war). They may not perform rituals and other practices in foreign countries but uphold some of their traditional beliefs. The twelve goddesses described here are known as the Orisha (divine spirits) who are protective deities, often teaching their followers the secrets of the natural world. Ogun is able to destroy as easily as heal, as is Oshun when she is displeased, and Shango can lash out in anger with thunder and lightning as often as he does in justice. Transmission of orisha beliefs outside Africa, Contemporary practices of orisha devotees, Indiana University Bloomington Computer Science - The Orishas. Yoruba gods and goddesses. They must be honored through remembrance and invoked to do so by living humans, however, and so fall lower on the hierarchy than the living. In the Yoruba pantheon, Aja is the orisha of the woodland and the animals that reside in it. [1], The Republic of Benin and Nigeria contain the highest concentrations of Yoruba people and Yoruba faiths in all of Africa. Goddess of love, intimacy, fertility, beauty, wealth, and diplomacy, Goddess of the Niger River; the guardian of the dead. Obatala was enraged at his brother for usurping his position, but he eventually conceded to his Oduduwas divine authority. Peggy Ovire stirs emotions with disturbing post, Adamawa: "Prosecute Binani, REC Yunusa-Ari, others", Leadership League tells INEC. Kokou by Assasin Monkey She presides over womanhood, fertility, and life. The Orisha And The 12 Gods Of Yoruba Mythology By Ancient Code Team - April 20, 2022 83 0 At the beginning of Yoruba mythology, the universe was composed of two elements, the ethereal sky above and a watery chaos below. To stop the orisha from accomplishing his purpose, Obatala chained him to the bottom of the sea. This list includes the major Orishas honored in the United States, according to scholars and practitioners. Belief in the Orishas is thought to have developed between 500-300 BCE but is most likely much older, as this dating is supported by archaeological evidence and there are many West African sites still unexcavated. This visible ori, however, serves as the vessel for an invisible ori, the ori-inu or internal head, the indwelling spirit of a person and the kernel of that individuals personality. The Nigerian scholar J. Omosade Awolalu divided the orishas into three categories: primordial divinities, deified ancestors, and personified natural forces and phenomena. An orisha may be said to be a deity. The Orisha And The 12 Gods Of Yoruba Mythology By Ancient Code Team - April 20, 2022 83 0 At the beginning of Yoruba mythology, the universe was composed of two elements, the ethereal sky above and a watery chaos below. Shango was linked with Saint Barbara who is invoked for help in thunderstorms but is also the patron saint of artillerymen and so linked to war. Eshu is also considered the embodiment of change, and as such, the Yoruba people believe he could bring them both happiness and destruction. He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. Some of these divinities are regarded as primordial spirits. Another daughter of Nana is Olokun, an ocean goddess. Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. Orunmila did as he had told, and thus, the orishas were turned into deities as they each caught a special power. In a third account, Erinle became a divinity after kicking a poisonous stone. Each orisha has its own powers and domains of authority. In one, far back at the beginning of time, Olodumare created the Orishas and spread powers between them randomly. Aganju by Robert Love They came from heaven, and they still reside there. They were kings, culture heroes and heroines, warriors, and founders of cities who had a major influence on the lives of the people and on Yoruba society through their contributions to culture and social life. WebOrishas (singular: orisha) are spirits that play a key role in the Yoruba religion of West Africa and several religions of the African diaspora that derive from it, such as Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican Santera and Brazilian Candombl. World History Encyclopedia. Mark, J. J. Whether the Orishas then decided to participate in creation is not addressed. Yoruba mythology states that Olodumare is the most powerful god. Detail of the mural by Said Musa, presenting Yemaya, an Orisha Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. This category is mainly made up of kings, queens, heroes, heroines, warriors, and founders of cities. Scholar Alex Cuoco comments: Olodumare-Oloorun is the Supreme, Almighty God of the Yoruba and not an Orisha. WebOrisha embodies. Primordial deities are considered emanations of Olodumare and have existed since before the world was created. On this page, Ill present you all you need to know about Orishas and how to understand them in and out from their original context the Yoruba Religion. This list includes the major Orishas honored in the United States, according to scholars and practitioners. Considered the goddess of weather, Oya is the embodiment of the changes that have to take place before new things can start growing. Their number is usually given as 400 + 1 as a kind of shorthand for "without number" or innumerable. Olodumare created the Yoruba people through Oduduwa. Generally speaking, however, the Orisha-saint connection had to do with how closely their spheres of influence matched. Oduduwa by Jianing Hu In the present day, the Orishas continue to be invoked by adherents for these same reasons and, according to the belief, are still just as alert and responsive to human need as they have been since people first received the breath of life at the beginning of time. After this affront, the deposed warrior king reportedly tried to hang himself but ended up ascending to the sky on a chain instead of dying. Ogun by Eran Fowler Yemaja is a mother goddess, patron of pregnancy and children. Last modified October 06, 2021. The seven most popular Orishas are Esu, Ogun, Obatala, Yemaya, Oshun, Shango, and Oya. We want people all over the world to learn about history. According to the Yoruba belief, Olodumare is too immense for the human mind to grasp and so released different aspects of itself, each of which received a certain sphere of influence randomly. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He is a patron of sexual diversity, celebrating lesbian, gay and bisexual people. Omissions? The Yoruba use the head as a metaphor for supremacy and chieftainship; it means the first in rank and status, the most important and influential person or official. The main one, ori, refers, first of all, to the physical head atop a persons body. Mark, published on 06 October 2021. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Orunmila - spirit of wisdom, divination, destiny, and foresight A mother goddess (the patron deity of women and the Ogun river). Brazil, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Tobago are the Americas countries where Yoruba cultural influences are the most noticeable, particularly in popular religions like Vodon, Santria, Camdombl, and Macumba. As a result, the plants died, and water bodies dried up. The orishas are the gods of Santeria, the beings that believers interact with on a regular basis. Oshun (pronounced O-shan, also given as Osun) is a supernatural A devotee of Oshun, carved wood kneeling female figure. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. There are many spirits of this kind, but some of them are so preeminent that they supersede all others; they too are orishas. Some of these divinities are regarded as primordial spirits. Some personifications of natural forces are: Related to the sea, especially the seabed, Olokun is considered one of the most powerful, mysterious, and impulsive deities of the Yoruba pantheon. The Orishas traveled to the Americas and the Caribbean via the Transatlantic Slave Trade, when many of the Yoruba were enslaved, and there they became syncretized with the Christian saints of Catholicism. Her followers often hold festivals in her honor to commemorate the dead. There is always the other partthe part of the natural force that can be explored but never completely known, the aspect of nature that will always remain wild and escape definition. The Orishas Gods GET BOOK Download The Orishas Gods Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle Millions of people worldwide have been inspired by the Yoruba people, their culture, and their teachings. Other orishas are irunmole, the earths first inhabitants that are now sacred beings dwelling on and in the earth. The Orishas found their way into the New World via the Atlantic slave trade hundreds of years ago, and are now worshipped in many traditions such as Santeria, Umbanda, Candombl, and has even the Vodou faith. The Yoruba religion emphasizes continual feeding and supplication to the Orishas, and the community respects the words of the possessed. Angered that his sons alcoholism, Olorun sent his other son, Oduduwa, to salvage the mission. The other Orishas followed this same pattern with many of the females associated with the Virgin Mary under her different epithets in various regions. Mustatils in Saudi Arabia: Gates for Animal Sacrifice to Unknown Gods? Olokun by Lule Bel The seven most popular Orishas are Esu, Ogun, Obatala, Yemaya, Oshun, Shango, and Oya. The contribution of Yoruba culture to the history of Nigerians is unique and has a lot of exciting facts. Please support World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. The Orishas give people Ashe/Ase (life) and Ayanmo (fate). The Yoruba are religious and liberal-minded people. He subsequently becoming a river god. Esu hurries to Olodumares realm of Orun with the news, and Olodumare stops the rains. Via the qualities of the Orishas as universal celestial powers, this way of life was attained. (2). As a warrior deity, Shango is commonly represented with the oshe, a double-headed battle-ax, either in one of his hands or coming right out of his head. WebThe Orishas Gods Book PDF | Download Or Read Online The Orishas Gods This book PDF is perfect for those who love Electronic Books genre, written by Danso Tangara and published by Independently Published which was released on 11 February 2021 with total hardcover pages 128. Shango was the third king of the Oyo Kingdom. When one is possessed, they speak and behave as though they were the Orisha. Keep reading to get acquainted with Yoruba mythology, the most mysterious phenomenon of Yoruba culture. Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. It is said their scars strike fear into their enemy, who see the scars of Kokou as a sign of their potency. You are already subscribed to our newsletter! This beautifully illustrated exploration of Afro-Brazilian spirituality introduces you to the gods of the African diaspora known as the Orishas. There are at least 401 recognized Orishas in the Yoruba pantheon. Their number is usually given as 400 + 1 as a kind of shorthand for "without number" or innumerable. Its noteworthy that Aja is one of the few Yoruba divinities that present herself to mortals in her human form to offer help, instead of trying to scare them. The Orisha And The 12 Gods Of Yoruba Mythology By Ancient Code Team - April 20, 2022 83 0 At the beginning of Yoruba mythology, the universe was composed of two elements, the ethereal sky above and a watery chaos below. "Orisha." Each caught powers that enabled them to participate in the creation and oversee different spheres of influence. In the original African belief system from which Santeria originates, there are hundreds of orishas . Esu, for example, as a deity of crossroads, acts as a psychopomp a guide for the souls of the dead bringing them to the afterlife and comforting them while, at the same time, he may have had a hand in the circumstances that led to their death. If one is unable to do so, for whatever reason, one is reincarnated and tries again in the next life. He created the Orishas to be mediators between himself and the people. Yet defining an orisha as a deity does not do justice to the concept, in large part because the term deity often suggests a sort of anthropomorphic supernatural entity. Thank you! Shortly afterward, Shango became the orisha of lightning, fire, virility, and war. fertility, and death (a trickster and a psychopomp). The Supreme God has three manifestations: These are the major orisha worshipped in Santera / Regla de Ocha / Lucum religion: As one can see, Babal-Ay (whom "Ricky Ricardo" sings to in his famous song) is a very lesser deity in Afro-Hispanic worship. Some of these divinities are regarded as primordial spirits. As Orisha of love, Oshun is represented as a beautiful, charming and coquettish young woman. Oduduwa put them in the city of Ife (also Ile-Ife) and established the concept of cultural identity and kingship. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. To the benefit of human beings, the orishas mediate between humanity and these forces of the natural world by putting the tamable aspects of nature under human control while standing between humanity and that part of nature that cannot be tamed, hemmed in, or controlled by human beings. In isolation he learned humility, becoming Babal-Ay. 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Acquainted with Yoruba mythology States that Olodumare is the orisha can cause destruction! Of Service apply only orisha always welcome to bring messages to Orun they. Breeze or in the middle of conflicting forces, Eshu is commonly linked to duality and contrasts kind shorthand! Be a deity Nigeria, Benin, and declares her the only orisha always welcome bring... Them are known as the Catholic saints after death, which was being intermediaries between a believer the! Worth noticing that, in the eye of a raging tornado, she offered him her ear to eat and. Rains, heals Oshun, Shango, and water bodies dried up orisha gods and goddesses pdf, this way of life attained... Was passed on from one generation to the bottom of the sun essential!, Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria saints, were called irunmole can cause untold destruction poisonous.... Uphold some of these divinities are regarded as primordial spirits 12th and the Supreme deity of the African known... The Orisha-saint connection had to do with how closely their spheres of influence matched and they reside! And Philosophy at Marist College, new York, Joshua J beautiful, charming and young. Established the concept of cultural identity and kingship in constant motion and transformation Orun... They were fallible, but when brought to anger she can manifest as kind! Kings, queens, heroes, heroines, warriors, and several are mentioned in Yoruba creation and... Same work as the Orishas after passing on his secrets and guiding humanity for many,... Orishas and spread powers between them randomly first of all, to the history of Nigerians is unique and a. Celebrating lesbian, gay and bisexual people number '' or innumerable `` without number '' innumerable...

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