Santeria is a fairly complex system, because it blends the Yoruba orishas, or . It doesn't appear in any feeds, and anyone with a direct link to it will see a message like this one. Notions of Afterlife: Clues from Mortuary and Funerary Rituals The notion that the body is integral to the human person also finds expression in the significance and even sacredness with which the body is treated particularly during funeral rituals in Africa. Death is depicted as "saying goodbye" to the living or "saying yes" (gwitika in Gikuyu) to a summons by God. Santera is a syncretic religion from Cuba that incorporates elements of Catholicism with the religion of the Yoruba people from West Africa. Each deity represents an aspect of nature, like thunder, and a human characteristic, like power." What can we do for our departed loved ones? Olodumar is our supreme being to whom we may eventually stand in judgement of. Sacrifices are performed for life events such as birth, marriage, and death. They are accompanied by their Guardian Orisha. - Wikimedia Commons by Susanne Bollinger / CC-BY-SA-4.. Santera developed in Cuba during the 19 th century and has continued to spread in America, particularly in large cities like Miami, New York, and Los Angeles primarily through Caribbean island immigrants. This process had a tremendous impact on all aspects of African beliefs, including notions of the afterlife, our immediate concern here. Santeria (The way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. We're supposed to evolve, not live like brutes. AFRICAN RELIGIONS Mortuary rituals also emphasize the integral connection between the "inner and outer person." The belief that the dead are not dead is expressed and dramatized through rituals designed to welcome and install the deceased back into the world of the living. The animal is sacrificed as food, rather than for any obscure mystical purpose. Many people are involved with Santeria to a lesser extent, without becoming members of an il. Mugambi, Jesse, and J. The slaves took each African god (Orisha) and renamed them after the . The Catholic Church criticized it as being folksy witchcraft, which was associated with criminality. The Gikuyu refer to such a persons as mwendwo ni iri (the people's beloved). Illness, they say, is a call from the Orisha, a crisis to a waken one to one's destiny as a servant of the Orisha. Having measured their moral worth against the feather of Maat (symbolizing truth and justice), he sends them "west," to the "abode of the righteous," or to "hell." In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Murphy, Joseph. One of the most basic features of Santeria is the orishas. The denigration of the body implicit in these songs is quite alien to indigenous understandings of the human person and the person's destiny after death. Santeria is one of the many African syncretistic religions created in the Americas. P'bitek, Okot'. Close suggestions Search Search Search Search Chapter 10 focuses on Gikuyu religious beliefs and highlights the place of ancestors (ngoma ) in this system. People are therefore encouraged to treat the body with suspicion because fleshly desires might derail their souls from the journey to heaven. My Faith as An African. This is a mutual process; the food is essential for the Orishas, who will die without being fed, and in return the Orishas are able to help the worshippers. Santeria also includes the Yoruba divination system called Ifa, which can only be performed by a senior male priest called a babalawo. What those heavens entail etc. Paradoxically, then, the dead are not dead, a paradox that led Mbiti to coin the phrase "the Living-Dead" (1969, p. 81). Slowly, the African religious rituals merged with Christianity. Rites of Passage in Contemporary Africa: Interaction Between Christian and African Traditional Religions. Sacrifices are conducted during important events such as death, birth, marriage, healing, and initiation (Lele, 2012). Nairobi, Kenya, 1992. Christianity does have an influence on the Yoruba in terms of the concept of heaven. One enjoys this status so long as there are people left behind to remember him or her. Drawing examples from across the continent, Mbiti offers a systematic account of African beliefs. 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. Especially about birth, life, death and the Afterlife. The Santeria faith teaches that every individual has a destiny from God, a destiny fulfilled with the aid and energy of the orishas. Santeria was created in Cuba by the mingling of Yoruba traditions brought by enslaved Africans from Nigeria and Benin with the Roman Catholic faith of the Spanish plantation owners. It emerged in Cuba between the 16th and 19th century. We also participate in becomealivinggod.com affiliate program. Nairobi, Kenya, 1989. I think you are too hung up on the "judgment" part. The AU is the su, After the Tsunami, A Drive to Reverse Tubal Ligations in Tamil Nadu, Afterlife: Australian Indigenous Concepts, https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/afterlife-african-concepts, Afro-theism, Cosmogonies, and African Notions of Afterlife, Concepts of the Human Person and Implications for, Notions of Afterlife: Clues from Mortuary and Funerary Rituals, The Living-Dead: Corporate Identity and the Destiny of the Individual, The Living and the Dead: The Status and Role of Ancestors, Change, Continuity, and Contestation: The Impact of Christianity and Other Religions. First, Africa is characterized by a tremendous ethnic and cultural diversity. Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. This period of religious history begins with the invention of writing about 5,200 years ago (3200 BCE). 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. Santeria, which came out in October, is one of three recent books by De La Torre, whose earlier works include the 2002 Reading the Bible from the Margins by Orbis Press. They are consumed by the community afterward. Voodoo can be traced to the Fon and Ewe in West Africa, currently known as Benin. Although Idowu presented this idea of afterlife in the context of traditional Yoruba society, it is important to note that some scholars have questioned this apparently theological explication of the Yoruba notion of afterlife. Today, Santeria has more devotees than do many mainline Christian denominations, he writes. Elements of Santera and its African roots permeate Cuban culture, including by Nairobi, Kenya, 1971. Sometimes my clients are also not comfortable dealing with the spiritual world on their own or lack the necessary items and solitude to even conduct these rituals. Animal sacrifice is integral in both Santeria and Voodoo since they use blood for initiations and cleansing. 1040 Words. Being an Afro-Cuban religion, Santeria is an adaptable tradition that has no central authority. Santeria incorporates elements of several faiths and so is what's called a 'syncretic' religion. It seems from this myth that the Tutsi understand happiness and immortality to be dependent on how well they maintain the link between themselves and God. The book, by Chalice Press, also distinguishes the differences and similarities between the U.S. theologies and their Latin American counterparts. (2020, August 28). We can choose how we want to interact with people, and with the world around us, and we can make good choices to bring more ir into our lives. Factsheet on the Santera Tradition in Cuba - This factsheet provides a brief overview of the traditions of the Santeria community in Cuba and highlights the religious freedom violations that community experiences. According to the myth, humans continue to suffer hardships in this world, until one day when, their expiation over, they will return to the sky. De La Torre calls for dialogue between Christianity and Santeria, which share both commonalities and fundamental differences. The religion is also known as La Regla de Lucumi or Lucumi or Lukumis Rule. Born in Cuba, he grew up in a home where both of his parents were santeros, or priests of Santeria. My clients tend to be ambitious people from all walks of life. Failure to perform burial rites properly makes the deceased unable to negotiate the postmortem phase of the life journey successfully. Meanwhile, communities like those of the Swahili of East Africa present a religio-cultural hybridity a result of years of blending indigenous African cultures with Islamic ones. Offerings to the lwa include fruit and the blood of sacrificed animals. In the minds of its members, the core function of the il is to honor the spirits and receive from them in turn guidance and assistance in all of life's endeavours. Santera is a Spanish word meaning "The Way of the Saints.". what would prevent people from doing whatever they feel like doing? Wigington, Patti. That vision includes angels, dogs, and an infinite library of books. African Religions and Philosophy. It is an example of the intersectionality of African . Revolutionary Cuba clamped-down on Santeria at first, but over the last 15 years or so the government tolerated it more and more and now allows it to flourish. https://www.learnreligions.com/about-santeria-traditions-2562543 (accessed March 2, 2023). "Afterlife: African Concepts 143ff). Contrary to popular belief, Vodou is a monotheistic religion, since practitioners believe in one all-powerful God who created the universe and everything in it. With Astrid Steel, Nellie Gonzalez, Nito Perez Jr., Genaro T. Perez. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. So the similarities between Santeria and Voodoo get many people thinking that theyre the same. Another concept that doesnt get discussed often enough is that judgement doesnt necessarily occur through Olodumare (at least not that Im aware of). I think the first incorrect assumption is assuming Orisha ever followed nature based religious paradigms in regards to the afterlife. 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. Santeria merges as a diversity of different faiths. We hope she's right. There is always something worth knowing even if you cannot attain its knowledge. Although census data are lacking, it is likely that initiated devotees number in the tens of thousands and that those who consult an orisha at one time or another may be counted in the millions. 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). In the African worldview, then, notions about the "afterlife" and notions of "this life" complement and flow into one another. Affirmations are words or phrases that are repeated to affirm a single thought. Her faith is called Santeria or Regla de Osha/IFA, a religion grounded in African beliefs that were transported to the New World aboard slave ships and melded with Christian beliefs in Cuba. These theologians also argue that beyond the question of the status of ancestors in the hereafter, the ban on African beliefs in ancestors has far reaching implications in the here and now. It is well developed in Spanish-speaking people and colonies. The end result was that the practice of animal sacrifice within a religious context was ruled, by the Supreme Court, to be a protected activity. Doctrinally, to ban ancestral veneration, then, is to demand that Africans abandon this quite viable notion of family (Ela, 1990, p. 17). They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Today, roughly 70 percent of Cubans observe one or more Santeria or other religious practices based in an African tradition. It developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries during the Atlantic slave trade. 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. Rituals often take place in halls rented for the purpose, or privately in Santeria homes which are may be fitted with altars for ritual purposes. 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. 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. Santeria (Way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. The idea is to make positive statements about what you would like to see in your life and to repeat, Read More How to Create Positive Affirmations That ACTUALLY WorkContinue, Fellow occultists, I am happy to announce that my new grimoire, Goetia Rising, is now available on Amazon: This is a small book, as a proper grimoire ought to be. This article will factor in this palpable ethnic diversity in order to avoid sweeping generalizations. The religion emphasizes the here and now rather than the afterlife, and it focuses on natural forces. Although many people think that they are one and the same, Santeria and Voodoo have quite a bit of differences. There is one thing they all have in common: the desire for fast or immediate results through magical means, rather than having to practice for weeks, months or even years before receiving the results through their own practice. "What is Santeria?" The working document highlights the need for "inculturation" of Christianity, taking into consideration positive aspects of African religions including notions of death, ancestors, and the hereafter. Their encompassing Divinity is compiled of three facets; Olodumare, Olorun, and Olofi. In Voodoo, the possessed individual is known as. Santeria and Voodoo were both presented in the Western Hemisphere by slaves from North Africa, most likely Nigeria. Oldmar: God in Yoruba Belief. As early as the first century ce, most of North Africa was part of the Roman Empire and therefore part of Christendom. Having understood the fundamentals of Santeria and Voodoo, lets examine the main similarities and differences. Orishas are also nourished by other forms of worship and praise. Santera emerges as a thinly veiled reconstruction of Yoruba ancestor veneration as well as the devotion to the Yoruba divinities (orisha ) who are now referred to with names of saints from the Christian repertoire of the memorable dead (hence the name Santera ). The slaves permeated these beliefs into Christianity to avoid being persecuted, since their traditional religious expression was forbidden. Ils are independent but may join up for special occasions. In Voodoo, Iwa is a veneration of deities frequently identified as Yoruba gods and Roman Catholic saints. Under the Yoruba babalawo, the Catholic calendar was wisely utilized for the veneration of African saints. 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. Appropriate burial and "disposal" of the body is therefore important; otherwise, the person cannot make the transition into the other world. Many levels of heaven. Santeria and Voodoo are not witchcraft but a religious belief that is highly misunderstood . Furthermore, the deliberate invocation of ngoma or mizimu and fellowship with them through libations and prayer (Gikuyu, kurongoreria ) is in official Christian teaching outlawed because it is considered a breach of the First Commandment. The Cabildos were not only ethnic clubs but also religious organizations under the secret leadership of the babalawo - the religious functionary whose patron divinity was Orunmilla, the oracle divinity of the Yoruba. It's difficult to know how many people follow Santeria, as there's no central organisation, and the religion is often practised in private. Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens. During crucial moments of this life journey, special rituals (rites of passage) designed to mark, celebrate, and help the individual successfully negotiate the key turning points, including death, are performed. 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. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Santeria, Ancient Origins - A Unique Mixture of Afro-Cuban Religious Rituals or Witchcraft? Cynics say that this is because Santeria brings considerable hard currency to the island. Santeria developed among Afro-Cuban communities while Voodoo developed among Afro-Haitian communities. Belief that people can be possessed by spirits is more common among Latino evangelical Protestants (80%) than among mainline Protestants (63%), Catholics (56%) or the religiously unaffiliated (43%). Santeria means the way of saints, whereas the term voodoo meaning moral fiber has its origin in African-Haitian religious, traditional practices. The History of a Year and a Day in Paganism. 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. 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. He corresponds to the Catholic Saint Lazarus. Some of the most popular orishas include: It is estimated that about a million or so Americans currently practice Santeria, but it's hard to determine whether this count is accurate or not. The city claimed "animal sacrifices jeopardize public health and violate its slaughterhouse and animal cruelty ordinances." This book by Miguel De La Torre offers a fascinating guide to the history, beliefs, rituals, and culture of Santera a religious tradition that, despite persecution, suppression, and its own secretive nature, has close to a million adherents in the United States alone. Iwa is an intermediary of the distant and magnificent figure that does not involve itself with humans, Bondye (God). Eating the sacrificed animal is considered a sharing with the Orisha, who only consumes the animal's blood, while the worshippers eat the meat. Thus, this is a status clearly linked or even dependent on one's place in and relationship to the corporate group, particularly the family. What happens when there is no community? There is a Spanish influence in Santeria, whereas in Voodoo religion the French influence is more prominent. Our bodies return to the earth when we die. Dressed in a loose white gauze shirt, white pants and white hat, the red-bearded drummer Babaila taps out the same beat he has played for 35 years. Santeria: The Soul Possessed: Directed by Benny Mathews. 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. A second essay, titled "The Unveiling of Tombstones among African Independent Churches," by L. L. Pato, discusses how Christianized Africans have seemingly reconstructed the rituals of reinstating the dead among the living, ukubuyisa, through the practice of "unveiling the tombstones. The world without photography will be meaningless to us if there is no light and color, which opens up our minds and expresses passion. Though these two different belief systems are seen reflected in Santeria, Santeria is its own religion. When Yoruba were taken to the Caribbean islands as slaves between the 1770's . Now, I present you with the opportunity to REQUEST A RITUAL directly on this website. There is no strict orthodoxy on this issue and thus interpretations differ. Based on Santera, people are born under a guardian Orisha, or saint, that must be worshipped throughout life. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Rather, it depends on how well one conducted oneself in this life as a member of the corporate group. These actions inspire Iwa to possess one of their members with a spirit. These powers are thought to allow them to predict the future. Material for use in Santeria rituals can be bought in specialist outlets called botnicas. We can see African influences and also Christian influences. Santera: An African Religion in America. The difference between religion and spirituality is that religion has a rigid set of tenets while spirituality encourages the spiritual elevation and development of the person. Ancestors are therefore to be dreaded and rejected as part of the demonic forces in the "netherworld" that Jesus "dismantled" through his death and resurrection. Drawing largely on his experiences as an African Catholic priest, Ela asserts the compatibility of African beliefs with Christianity and argues for their reclamation as both doctrinally viable and socially relevant for Africans' quest for beliefs and practices that enhance and nurture life in the here and now. Santeria worshippers have a constitutional right to use animal sacrifice in their ceremonies, and the animals are usually well cared for prior to sacrifice. What are the beliefs of Santeria? Margarite Fernandez Olmos and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert), 1997, The understanding of death and dying as seen by different religions. The word syncretistic means to "draw together" or "combine." In a religious environment, this involves the mixing of elements from different or independent religious traditions to create a new belief system. Women always held power in the culture as well as politics. Secretly the practitionres prayed to their ancestors gods as they hid behind Christian saints. The process not only brings the worshipper closer to their Orisha, but makes them more aware of the presence of the Orisha within them. Magesa, Laurenti. It is popularly known as Lucumi in Cuba where traditions are maintained by Lucumi priests and priestesses who were slaves during the end of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. I've never heard the good go to heaven and the bad go to hell though. Open Document. For this reason, even when a wild beast devours a body, leaving only a few shreds or pieces, these are carefully collected and accorded a full and respectful burial. The religion is also known as La Regla Lucumi and the Rule of Osha. These commonalities in worldview despite cultural ethnic differences will be assumed in this article. Image courtesy of Jacob Tabo/Unsplash. The first mention of tarot divination dates back to 1540 when one of the earliest treatises on divination with playing cards, Read More Tarot Vs. Oracle Cards for DivinationContinue, Daily positive affirmations are a great tool for creating the life of your dreams. Santeria incorporates elements of several faiths and so is what's called a 'syncretic' religion. 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. Between 1940 and 1960, the immigrants from Cuba spread Santeria in the United States. It originated in Cuba and was historically practiced by descendants of West African slaves. The Yoruba traditional worshiped egun in the home as that is where the deceased were buried. Priesthood and Initiation Santeria (Way of the Saints) is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, with some Roman Catholic elements added. Wigington, Patti. The Chagga of Tanzania believe that this journey to the world of ancestors takes nine days. Spiritual guides working to pay off karmic debt for elevation. In a Supreme Court Case in 1993, Justice Kennedy in his decision said: Orishas can be perceived in the physical universe by initiates, and the whole community can share in their presence when they possess a priest during some rituals. Mosha contextualizes this education within the African theistic worldview with its emphasis on wholeness and interconnectedness of life as well its unfolding nature. The religion emphasizes the here and now rather than the afterlife, and it focuses on natural forces. Secondly, African beliefs are dynamic rather than static. Today, the pyramids where the pharaohs, ancient Egyptian kings believed to be immortal, were entombed remain an enduring testimony of the ancient Egyptians' preoccupation with life after death. In the early 18th century, practitioners combined their masters pantheon of Catholic saints with their own spirits, the Orisha. During their ceremonies, both use dancing, singing, and drumming to connect with and worship their deities. Santeria became a way to keep their old culture alive, in a way that did not threaten or attract undue attention of their oppressors. A monograph on the beliefs and cultural system of the Agikuyu of Kenya. Against this background then, and drawing examples from the vast pool of diverse African cultures, this article discusses the topic under several interrelated headings, namely: The African worldview is decidedly theistic. The notion that the body is integral to the human person also finds expression in the significance and even sacredness with which the body is treated particularly during funeral rituals in Africa. The Heartbeat of Indigenous Africa. In August 2009, the 5th U.S. Syncretism is the combining of different, often seemingly . We offer a safe space to ask questions, share religious experiences (positive and negative), learn and grow. I.e. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Thus, for example, one Gikuyu Christian funeral song bids the deceased farewell and expresses the hope that the person will be met at the gates of heaven by "multitudes of God's angels" (Kikuyu Catholic Hymnal, 1992, hymn 101). Nine year-old Ricky Banda is given a cursed Eucharist, and returns home only to be locked in by an evil force, along with his Aunt and Cousin. We try to cultivate good character while on earth because it helps us in our spiritual evolution, and it also makes society a more pleasant place to live in. Sickness was not known, and when people died, Imana brought them back to life after three days. While Christianity emphasizes beliefs and preparation for eternal life, he says, Santeria focuses almost entirely on rituals and life in the here-and-now. Each deity represents an aspect . Santera altar in Cuba. ladot commuter express 573; how to become a crypto asset manager. Many people describe death as "a going home" (in Gikuyu, kuinuka ) or simply, a departure (Gikuyu, guthie ). Voodoos paranormal ancestral connection is passed from generation to generation by rituals and spiritual practices. Ela, Jean Marc. Candombl is not focused on the afterlife, though practitioners do believe in a life after death. ", Ray, Benjamin. It is practiced differently in rural and urban areas and also in Haiti and other locations such as New Orleans, a very popular center. Both spirits Orishas and Loas are sometimes identified with Catholic saints. And although most people are appalled by the animal sacrifices offered during ceremonies, the most important thing is respecting other peoples religious beliefs and faiths. Discord: https://discord.gg/Tg3Cbwft, Press J to jump to the feed. They believe that through this possessed individual, they can communicate directly with a lwa. Does Santera believe in the afterlife? Idowu, Bolaji. But we are conscious living beings with the ability to know right from wrong, and to make choices. Updates? Voodoo is a word originating from Western Africa, and it means moral fiber. It blends elements of French Catholicism and traditional religions of West Africa. Ancient KMT/ Egypt says your heart will be on a scale vs the feather of Maat. Encyclopedia.com. That a person is considered a composite and integral whole is also evident in that often, when people claim to encounter the dead through visions and dreams or when they communicate with them through ritual, they claim to have met or spoken with "so and so," a person identifiable by name, rather than the "ghost" of so and so. Once the spirit comes into the member, it can speak to the god (Bondye), dead people, heal, protect, and even do magic.
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