Omissions? She is kind and generous to her followers, but when brought to anger she can cause untold destruction. Orisha of medicine, healing, and comfort, physician to the gods. To achieve this degree of control and interdependence, the ancestors made offerings and sacrifices. Copyright Ancient Code. 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. Just as the physical head perches atop the body, the ori-inu stands over and rules, guides, and controls a persons actions. WebLooker Studio turns your data into informative dashboards and reports that are easy to read, easy to share, and fully customizable. 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). WebOshun, also spelled Osun, an orisha (deity) of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. Ogun is revered as a mighty god, called upon by warriors for strength in battle. Their number is usually given as 400 + 1 as a kind of shorthand for "without number" or innumerable. 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. Weborisha, also spelled orixa or orisa, any of the deities of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. Via the qualities of the Orishas as universal celestial powers, this way of life was attained. Orishas, like mortals, are supposed to devote themselves to developing a strong character that pursues what is good and shuns what is evil, but neither people nor Orishas are capable of doing so all the time, and personal weakness, desire, pride, spite, and arrogance often come between what the Orishas know they should do and what they want to do. 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. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Keep reading to know more about them. The males ignore her efforts and suggestions and wind up failing in their task. Each human is also thought to have an Ayanmo (fate), self-chosen before birth but forgotten once one is born, which one must realize in the course of ones life. Although there are many Orishas, seven are understood as most powerful and have become the most popular among modern-day adherents. WebOshun, also spelled Osun, an orisha (deity) of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. Mark, J. J. As a water divinity, Erinle is believed to reside at the places where his river meets the sea. 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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. In West African religions and in traditions that have been influenced by them, primordial divinities are those that existed long before the creation of the world as it is now known. Some of the Yoruba gods and goddesses linked to Catholic saints are: People invoke the Orishas in personal or communal rituals for enlightenment, spiritual strength, or assistance in daily challenges. Each caught powers that enabled them to participate in the creation and oversee different spheres of influence. orisha, also spelled orixa or orisa, any of the deities of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. In one, far back at the beginning of time, Olodumare created the Orishas and spread powers between them randomly. Orisha of iron, fire, hunting, politics, and war. During the colonial period in the Americas, the African slaves that were transported to the Caribbean and South America brought the cult of Shango along with them. Obatalas story can also be used to explain the divine origin of human fallibility. Two gods rule over both these primordial realms. Olorun by Sanjana Baijnath These masquerades are performed twice a year, as well as during funeral rites. It is the orishas who are the guardians and explicators of human destiny. Some in Oyo say s is female, Ogun's wife. This category comprises divine spirits that were initially associated with a natural force or phenomenon, but were later granted the status of orishas, for the significant role that their representative element played in Yoruba society. A collection of these objects, even if it is not permanent, constitutes an altar where the orisha is present and can be addressed through prayers and offerings. However, contrary to the missionaries and the Diasporas view, Olodumare-Oloorun is a powerful God that is always present in everything, even though He is above the Orishas and all people on earth. They are forced to return to Olodumare and admit their failure and are asked what happened to the 17th who was sent with them. Detail of the mural by Said Musa, presenting Yemaya, an Orisha Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The Nigerian scholar J. Omosade Awolalu divided the orishas into three categories: primordial divinities, deified ancestors, and personified natural forces and phenomena. The best examples of this are the stories in which the Orishas rebel against Olodumare in the belief that the supreme deity is too old to manage the maintenance of the world and they could do much better. This beautifully illustrated exploration of Afro-Brazilian spirituality introduces you to the gods of the African diaspora known as the Orishas. When associated with the latter, Eshu is the deity of mischief. The Orisha are said to be manifestations of an all-powerful God, (a belief known as Pantheism).Nana Buluku is a Creator Goddess, great-grandmother of all the Yoruba pantheon. This list includes the major Orishas honored in the United States, according to scholars and practitioners. Two gods rule over both these primordial realms. "Orisha." Top 10 Obas in Yorubaland: Interesting facts about the rulers. Orishas omitted Esu (also called Eshu /Elegua; god's messenger who presides over doorways, crossroads, and change) from their plan to overthrow Olodumare and rule the world. In the Yoruba tradition these were individuals who were able to establish control over a natural force and make a bond of interdependence with it, attracting its beneficent action toward themselves and their people while sending its destructive aspects onto enemies. They are ara orun, people of heaven. Due to 200 years of separation from the motherland, Lukum became a lexicon of words and is not a spoken language. 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 Ancient Code is a website founded in 2012 that covers articles and scientific discoveries that help understand humanitys past, present, and future. The history of the Yoruba religion started in the Stone Age. The Orishas travelled to America and the Caribbean during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which saw many Yorubas being enslaved and assimilated into Catholicism. World History Encyclopedia, 06 Oct 2021. The Orishas do not always cause trouble for Olodumare and are attentive to their responsibilities. He taught his followers the secrets of civilization (fire, smithing, hunting, politics, and war). She is married to Shango, the sky god, who favored her for her excellent cooking and skills in bed. All can be said to be transformative figures to greater or lesser degrees, and their responsibilities are far-ranging. Worship is directed at the orisha that dwells within the natural phenomenon, often at the site where the natural phenomenon manifests itself. The number of orishas varies among believers. Obatala then began to build a city, but after discovering alcohol (brewed from palm leaves) he became distracted from duties. 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). Eventually a local orishas cult might spread to other towns and become more widely known. Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! Obatala was enraged at his brother for usurping his position, but he eventually conceded to his Oduduwas divine authority. anting him with a profound wisdom. 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. Olodumare stopped the rains. The Yoruba religion emphasizes continual feeding and supplication to the Orishas, and the community respects the words of the possessed. The third king of the Yoruba Oyo Empire, Shango was considered a violent ruler, but also one with notorious military achievements. In their native areas, people formed groups that worshipped and venerated these orishas and secured a place for their cult group in the religious and social organizations of the towns where they lived. He was supposed to have lived at some point between the 12th and the 14th century AD. Its worth noticing that, in the case of certain Yoruba divinities, these categories can be overlapped. 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