It was about "ancient" origins of all the Christmas traditions. Tree, yule log, 12 days etcAfter reading it she looked at me like a demon for a bit..lol. But someone who cold-bloodedly murders his family isn't going to have the same fate as a person who has gone through life trying to be supportive and helpful to his family. Santera, or La Regla Lucum (or Lukum) as it is more properly known, is one of the African Diaspora; religions spread around the world with the scattering of the enslaved African people brought to the new world. Boston, 1988. The process not only brings the worshipper closer to their Orisha, but makes them more aware of the presence of the Orisha within them. Apart from vague notions that it somehow involves animal sacrifice and is a syncretistic religion blending Catholic and African beliefs, most Americans know little of anything about Santeria, yet it is probably the most-practiced religion in Cuba and is growing in the United States, De La Torre argues in Santeria: The Beliefs and Rituals of a Growing Religion in America by Eerdmans. Mortuary rituals also reveal that Africans consider death a paradox. I can't help but think it has a Christian influence. Animals are cooked and eaten following all Santeria rituals (except healing and death rites, where the sickness is believed to pass into the dead animal). This entry presents a brief, general picture of Africa's traditional religious heritage, focusing on the major beliefs because, In Voodoo, Iwa is a veneration of deities frequently identified as Yoruba gods and Roman Catholic saints. The religion emphasizes the here and now rather than the afterlife, and it focuses on natural forces. If you are angry, rather than learn to control your anger and address the problem in a different way, you can just go around punching people in the face. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. The True Story Behind Santeria, Academia - Santeria: An Afro-Cuban religion, Santera - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). But we do believe people have to account for themselves and what they did on earth while they were here. These two religions have the same place of origin: West Africa. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Santeria is not much different from any other religion. The religion is also known as La Regla Lucumi and the Rule of Osha. About half of mainline Protestants (48% . Occultist.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Updates? To make the journey easier, the corpse is anointed with fat, fed with milk, and covered with a hide to protect it from the elements. She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal. Summarizing distinctive markers of this African worldview, Sambuli Mosha isolates four key ideas, namely: (1) the centrality of belief in God, (2) an acknowledgment of the intrinsic unity between individuals and communities, (3) viewing the universe as an interconnected, interdependent whole, (4) embracing life as a process of spiritual formation and transformation (Mosha, 2000). In Santeria, sacrifices to deities are made by initiates at least once per year. This article will factor in this palpable ethnic diversity in order to avoid sweeping generalizations. Among the Gikuyu, as was typical in most indigenous African communities, though one's moral misconduct could provoke divine anger and punishment, such punishment was this-worldly rather than delayed and otherworldly. Whereas in the past the hope was to attain personal immortality as a Living-Dead and to enjoy a status of honor among the ancestors, Christianized Africans look forward instead to joining an otherworldly/heavenly community of God and angels as defined in the Christian discourse. Followers believe that these spirits will give them help in life, if they carry out the appropriate rituals, and enable them to achieve the destiny that God planned for them before they were born. Each Orisha is an aspect of one supreme god. A study of indigenous education system of the Chagga from Tanzania. Governed by Mars, fiery and voluntary planet, Aries is in analogy with House I, concerning the Self, the decisions, the behavior. Elsewhere, for example among the Agikuyu of Kenya, ideas of heaven and hell were introduced de novo, since this community's prior concepts of the hereafter had no such notions. Indeed, within Hinduism, one goal of religious activity is to facilitate the ultimate separation or liberation (moksha ) of the soul (tman ) breaking out of once and for all the unending and tragic cycle of reimbodiment (sasra ). what would prevent people from doing whatever they feel like doing? Here, they reinforced prior indigenous concepts of the afterlife where these already incorporated notions of a final judgment, as in the case of the Yoruba of Nigeria and LoDagaa of Ghana (Ray, 1976, pp. While this dynamism is manifest in all aspects of belief, here we focus on concepts of the hereafter. One such song exhorts the listeners to remember that "our bodies are like flowers that wither and die" and that "We shall leave our bodies right here on earth and go to heaven in/with our souls/spirits" (mioyo ) (Kikuyu Catholic Hymnal, 1992, hymn 108). A vital unit of the Santeria community is the 'house' called a casa or il. Thus, it is possible to speak of the Yoruba notions of afterlife and compare these, say, to the Igbo or Zulu concepts, noting distinctions and similarities. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The U.S. Army and Federal Bureau of Prisons have incorporated orisha ministries into their chaplaincies. When the rope was severed, death became a permanent feature of the human condition. In Voodoo, Oungan is consulted but he may often send his clients to medical professionals. Religion of the Central Luo. This Christianity was articulated in terms of Western culture, and its introduction coincided with the colonization of Africa. Santeria has a priesthood that includes both men and women. It has grown beyond its Yoruba and Catholic origins to become a religion in its own right, and a powerful symbol of the religious creativity of Afro-Cuban culture. The world below was the opposite of the world above, since it lacked in beauty and prosperity. Joseph M. Murphy Professor of Theology, Georgetown University. In order to maintain their religion, Africans living on the island prayed in secret by superimposing their orishas on Catholic saints. This status, however, is not automatic. Obviously, in our worldview that kind of violent behavior stirs up all kinds of osorbo and creates problems for other people, as well as for the one who can't control his impulses. Hector Avalos, Introduction to the U.S. Latina and Latino Religious Experience, 2004, Eugenio Matibag, If and Interpretation: An Afro-Caribbean Literary Practice, in Sacred Possessions: Vodou, Santera, Obeah and the Caribbean (ed. Santeria has the basic features and traditions of an ancient African religion practiced among the Yoruba in Nigeria. 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. . Because of the social stigma commonly associated with Santeria by followers of mainstream religions, it is possible that many adherents of Santeria keep their beliefs and practices secret from their neighbors. Hello - the man above was able to give the "bad heaven" name I couldn't remember - it is Orun Buruku - the heaven of broken pot shards. This use of the metaphor of a journey is related to the fact that in general, as indicated earlier, Africans view life itself as a journey. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. The world without photography will be meaningless to us if there is no light and color, which opens up our minds and expresses passion. Musicians, painters, sculptors, and writers have found in the Orisha tradition sources of African artistry and pride. Devotion to the orishas takes four principal forms: divination, sacrifice, spirit mediumship, and initiation. Mosha contextualizes this education within the African theistic worldview with its emphasis on wholeness and interconnectedness of life as well its unfolding nature. The Spanish words for these priests are santero or santera. This constitutes the working documents (instrumentum laboris ) for a 1994 synod of Catholic Bishops to rethink the Christian message and mission in the African context. There is no strict orthodoxy on this issue and thus interpretations differ. Santeria incorporates elements of several faiths and so is what's called a 'syncretic' religion. Each deity represents an aspect of nature, like thunder, and a human characteristic, like power. The Heartbeat of Indigenous Africa. There is always something worth knowing even if you cannot attain its knowledge. Santeria is a fairly complex system, because it blends the Yoruba orishas, or . Slowly, the African religious rituals merged with Christianity. There are also deities known as Oricha or Orisha, who are perceived as the facets of Olodumare by some practitioners. It may seem that the Yoruba are patriarchal because men filled the role of a king and there were chiefs; however, the women ran the family and daily life. According to Bolaji Idowu, life in the "good Orun " is but a larger and freer copy of this worldly life, minus earthly pains and tribulations. Author of. Today, there are many Americans who practice Santeria. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said the Euless ordinance "placed a substantial burden on Merced's free exercise of religion without advancing a compelling governmental interest." Whereas in indigenous African thought ancestors were moral exemplars, enjoying a status of honor to which the living could aspire, today, ancestors are in Christian discourse depicted as evil forces of the same character with the devil. However, etutu is our process of funeral rights and it does include judgement. Olodumar is our supreme being to whom we may eventually stand in judgement of. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Learn Religions, Aug. 28, 2020, learnreligions.com/about-santeria-traditions-2562543. Idowu, Bolaji. Paradoxically, then, the dead are not dead, a paradox that led Mbiti to coin the phrase "the Living-Dead" (1969, p. 81). Each deity represents an aspect . AFRICAN RELIGIONS Appropriate burial and "disposal" of the body is therefore important; otherwise, the person cannot make the transition into the other world. We know the difference and we have to be conscious of our actions. Initially, human beings lived close to the sky and were therefore near enough to the world above to enjoy its benefits without struggle and labor. Santeria: The Soul Possessed: Directed by Benny Mathews. In a landmark 1993 case, the Church of Lakumi Babalu Aye successfully sued the city of Hialeah, Florida, for the right to practice animal sacrifice within a religious context; the Supreme Court determined that it was a protected activity. Henceforth, the deceased person can be honored in family rituals alongside other ancestors and enjoy a privileged position both among the living and the dead. 1040 Words. The book, by Chalice Press, also distinguishes the differences and similarities between the U.S. theologies and their Latin American counterparts. In situations where a corpse is not retrievable, say because of drowning, a burial must still be performed, and so in some societies, a surrogate is used. While traditionally one's body was considered integral to one's person and was therefore considered important even after death, today Christian funeral songs depict the body as incidental if not detrimental to one's positive destiny after death. we worship the orisha and honor our ancestors. Followers of an Orisha will offer them food and sacrifice animals to them in order to build and maintain a personal relationship with the spirit. In this time anyone caught in the worship of native gods would be punished and many times by death, Africans and the native Tainos. Simultaneously, however, while many seem to have embraced these Christianized notions of the afterlife, there is evidence, even among Christianized Africans, of a marked resistance to the seeming demonization of African beliefs, particularly beliefs in ancestors. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The members of the il relate to each other in much the same way as members of an extended biological family. Sometimes feared and often misunderstood, Santera and other Afro-Cuban spiritual traditions still persist in the U.S. - especially in South Florida. Generically called, African Traditional Religion or ATR, it is more complex than one practice, and not religion. 24ff). Santera: An African Religion in America. Animal sacrifice is central to Santeria. The Santeria faith teaches that every individual has a destiny from God, a destiny fulfilled with the aid and energy of the orishas. Origins of Christmas..lol.reminds me over 20 years ago I gave a small book the origins of Christmas to a devote catholic relative. Like many religions, Santeria also offers community. Main similarities between Santeria and Voodoo, 12 Main Differences Between Santeria and Voodoo. Governed by Venus, a sensual and carnal planet, Taurus is in analogy with House II, concerning acquisitions, possessions and everything that one ingests, that one assimilates. I've heard that we must account got our actions after death. In effect, it may be considered a mainstream American faith along with Christianity, Judaism and Islam.. you will not have a place among the revered ancestors, comdemong the spirit to roam the earth. It developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries during the Atlantic slave trade. Those who undergo its carefully guarded initiation rites, which include animal sacrifice to cleanse the soul and give strength, step into an extended family. Members mostly join as adults, usually after feeling that a particular Orisha has called them to do so. Voodoos paranormal ancestral connection is passed from generation to generation by rituals and spiritual practices. Babalu Aye is known as the Father of the World, and is associated with sickness, epidemics and plagues. We hope she's right. Kenyatta, Jomo. So the similarities between Santeria and Voodoo get many people thinking that theyre the same. Moreover, in the African view, to be is to participate in an ongoing dance of life propelled by God's creative and sustaining power. A bull is also killed specifically for the deceased's grandfather to alert him so that he can await the deceased (Mbiti, 1969, p. 155). Lizette Alvarez explained in a New York Times article about Santeria philosophy: "The religion emphasizes the here and now rather than the afterlife, and it focuses on natural forces. The religion emphasizes the here and now rather than the afterlife, and it focuses on natural forces. Discussing African notions of afterlife necessitates several preliminary and pertinent observations. Encyclopedia.com. Given this integral relationship between the outer and inner person, then, it would seem that at death it is the person that dies rather than "the soul" leaving the body and flying away, as some Christian popular hymns indicate. In the If oracle, for example, a trained priest, a babalawo (father of the mystery), interprets the fall of consecrated palm nuts to reveal the orishas response to a seekers question. Failure to perform burial rites properly makes the deceased unable to negotiate the postmortem phase of the life journey successfully. The Swazi also bury their dead with all their vital earthly belongings, thus equipping them for the next phase of their life journey, beyond physical death. This anthology of essays analyzes African independent churches, their histories and theologies. Santera is a Spanish word meaning "The Way of the Saints.". Maryknoll, N.Y., 1997. The bottom line is that Santeria is not Voodoo, as many people believe, but they share a common history. 22 Feb. 2023 . As we recall, Africans believe that the destiny of the individual and the community are interdependent, interconnected, and intertwined. "Afterlife: African Concepts Santeria is one of the many African syncretistic religions created in the Americas. What is the origin of Santeria? Belief in Santeria can peacefully coexist with a belief in Christianity, and especially Catholicism. Through the guidance of the ach, Santera believers find . Encyclopedia of Religion. Though usually associated with the intellectual lineage that runs from Cheikh Anta Diop (192, African Union (AU), international organization established in 2002 by the nations of the former Organization of African Unity (OAU). Santera is an Afro-Cuban or Afro-Caribbean religion created in Cuba by the Yoruba people who were brought to the island as enslaved people. The Luo of Kenya, for example, use the yago fruit, which is several feet in length and is laid in the grave to represent the dead. During appropriate rituals the Orishas are able to meet believers at these sacred spaces. Murphy, Joseph. Mosha, Sambuli. Obtain a deeper knowledge of magic with my latest book The Psy-Mage Compendium. Yemaya, the spirit of motherhood, is often associated with the Virgin Mary. According to this myth, upon death people ascended to the sky via the rope for a short period and came back rejuvenated to earth. Like many religions, Santeria also offers community. This recommendation finds significant support in the thought of a growing number of African theologians such as Jean Marc Ela, a Cameroonian priest, who find the demotion and demonization of African beliefs problematic. Orishas are also nourished by other forms of worship and praise. The history of religion refers to the written record of human religious feelings, thoughts, and ideas. Portsmouth, N.H., 1969. Quite different to the Tutsi myth with its promise of at least a rudimentary eschatological hope, the Nuer myth of paradise lost stipulates that in the beginning all was happiness, since the heavens, God's abode, and earth were linked by a rope, the pathway to access divine favors and bounty. Santeria is a system of beliefs, rituals, and practices that were common among African slaves who used it to bring relief to their problems. Santera is based upon the development of personal relationships through divination, sacrifice, initiation, and mediumship (see medium) between practitioners of the religion and the orisha deities, who provide their devotees with protection, wisdom, and success and who guide devotees in times of crisis. Gundani and Ongonga also discuss, respectively, the rituals of Kurova Guva and Duogo, which are rituals of reintegrating the deceased and confirming their status as ancestors or the living dead. 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