Their healthcare draws on Catholicism as well as African tradition; holy water is an ingredient in many Santeria medicinal formulas. 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. In the oratures, the fact of dying is often described using the metaphor of a journey. What most viewers didnt realize, says author Miguel De La Torre, is that the songs title referred to a deity of an Afro-Cuban religion called Santeria. The slaves permeated these beliefs into Christianity to avoid being persecuted, since their traditional religious expression was forbidden. 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. Murphy discusses the continuity of Yoruba religion in America, specifically in Cuba, discussing, inter alia, Yoruba notions about God and how these are linked with concepts of the person. Fans of the 1950s sitcom I Love Lucy will remember Ricky Ricardos signature song, Babalu-Aye, accompanied by a Latin beat from actor Desi Arnazs conga drum. Mortuary rituals also reveal that Africans consider death a paradox. Yes - the "did you leave the Earth a better place" thing? Nairobi, Kenya, 1971. Under the Yoruba babalawo, the Catholic calendar was wisely utilized for the veneration of African saints. Babaila leads a quintet, and coaxes African folk rhythms from his conga as 40 to 50 sweaty believers dance their entreaties to a succession of Santeria deities. Many dress in white to symbolize purity. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. This process had a tremendous impact on all aspects of African beliefs, including notions of the afterlife, our immediate concern here. The impact of historical encounters between cultures, and the ensuing dynamism, transformation, and fluidity of ideas will be recognized and factored in this analysis. Santera altar in Cuba. Thanks another story tho. "The religion is something you are part of and see on a daily basis. This ceremony invites the Orisha to join the community in drumming, singing and dancing. We believe in reincarnation. 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. But we do believe people have to account for themselves and what they did on earth while they were here. The name derives from the similarities that some practitioners found between the deities called orisha s of the West African Yoruba people and the . African Religions and Philosophy. In this time anyone caught in the worship of native gods would be punished and many times by death, Africans and the native Tainos. @Hijo_De_Obatalas post is really really good and for me is my understanding. Discord: https://discord.gg/Tg3Cbwft, Press J to jump to the feed. 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. . Since the body is integral to the person, a deceased's body is treated with utmost respect. Belief in Santeria can peacefully coexist with a belief in Christianity, and especially Catholicism. They are called upon by priests by a variety of methods, including trances and possession, divination, ritual, and even sacrifice. Based on Santera, people are born under a guardian Orisha, or saint, that must be worshipped throughout life. Wazobia, N.Y., 1994. Merced was pleased with the ruling, and said, "Now Santeros can practice their religion at home without being afraid of being fined, arrested or taken to court.". We can see African influences and also Christian influences. Women always held power in the culture as well as politics. African Synod: Instrumentum Laboris. Initiation is a solemn and life-changing event for the follower and unites them with their Orisha, and with other followers of that Orisha. Now available on Amazon. Divination can be done by casting palm nuts, interpreting the fall of shells, or using a divided coconut. Offerings to the lwa include fruit and the blood of sacrificed animals. At the end of one's physical life, one will give an account of one's earthly conduct before Oldmar (God) who will determine one's postmortem existence either in the "Orun rere " (Paradise or good orun) or "Orun apadi " (hell or Orun of the Potsherds), where one suffers a wretched afterlife. The slaves took each African god (Orisha) and renamed them after the . Santeria has no scriptures and is passed on by word-of-mouth. 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. Cubas government considered it ancient sorcery. When they die, believers are buried in the earth (never cremated) so that they can provide axe to all living things. Olokun also presides over meditation, mental health, dreaming, psychic abilities and water-based healing. 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. The Gikuyu refer to such a persons as mwendwo ni iri (the people's beloved). The tradition also spread to other Latino communities, African Americans, and white Americans. What does Santeria believe about the afterlife? Muslims, for example, are encouraged to persevere through earthly tribulations in view of the "day of the Resurrection" when a judgment will be made in their favor, assuming they live a righteous this-worldly life (see Qurn, srah III:185). For Ela, such a reclamation is not only doctrinally valid and acceptable but would serve as one possible antidote to "this worldly" problems that thrive on radical individualism (Ela, 1990, pp. 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. It marks the end of his physical life in the religious community that he's been part of, and it's important to make sure his Orichas are cared for in the proper way, to bring an end to his relationship with them on earth. The bottom line is that Santeria is not Voodoo, as many people believe, but they share a common history. In a landmark 1993 case, the Church of Lakumi Babalu Aye successfully sued the city of Hialeah, Florida. Santeria healthcare is often combined with conventional medicine. The il sets out a path of spiritual growth, a road en santo. Our bodies return to the earth when we die. 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. More clues regarding African notions of afterlife can be gleaned from an examination of African concepts of the person. After the possession, the individual claims not to have any memories of the event. I don't think this is limited to Christianity. 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 planned for them before they were born. Such Masses for the dead are routinely "bought," particularly around November 2, the Feast of All Souls in the Catholic liturgical calendar. This to me just reeks of Christian influence. Santeria is a fairly complex system, because it blends the Yoruba orishas, or . Training includes divinatory work, herbalism, and counseling. It is also for this reason that cremation is not a preferred method of disposal of the dead in the African context. Needless to say, Africans who have come into contact with Islam and Christianity have been influenced by the rather sharply defined eschatological notions featuring a final judgment, heaven and hell, and final resurrection as destinies of the soul. 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." Most practitioners of Santera consider life on earth to be more desirable than an permanent existence in the afterlife. 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. 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. Through the guidance of the ach, Santera believers find . Main similarities between Santeria and Voodoo, 12 Main Differences Between Santeria and Voodoo. This entry presents a brief, general picture of Africa's traditional religious heritage, focusing on the major beliefs because these underlie the, Pan-Africanism is an internationalist philosophy that is based on the idea that Africans and people of African descent share a common bond. Secretly the practitionres prayed to their ancestors gods as they hid behind Christian saints. The one thing that is for sure, both Santeria and Voodoo have mysterious, occult practices. 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. 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. Explains that santera is a sensible religion that focuses on helping individuals live more in harmony with themselves and the world around them. By at least one survey now a decade old, there were about 22,000 register active Santeria practitioners in the United States. Failure to perform burial rites properly makes the deceased unable to negotiate the postmortem phase of the life journey successfully. Maryknoll, N.Y., 1997. Rituals for summoning the, Read More My New Grimoire Goetia Rising is Now Available!Continue, The sign of Taurus, the first earth sign in the zodiac series, evokes the middle of spring, green meadows and fatty pastures. Its roots are in the Yoruba traditions of present-day Nigeria, but through the influence of Catholicism, it exists as one of the most syncretic religions in the world. https://www.learnreligions.com/about-santeria-traditions-2562543 (accessed March 2, 2023). Santeria has few buildings devoted to the faith. Paradoxically, then, the dead are not dead, a paradox that led Mbiti to coin the phrase "the Living-Dead" (1969, p. 81). All these markers shape the way Africans conceptualize both this life and the hereafter. The essays discuss the contested interface between African religions and Christianity regarding rites of passage. 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 ). 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." Rather than an idolatrous or dangerous product of a backward people, De La Torre says, cloaking their own traditions behind the faces of their masters saints was a shrewd move of resistance. The basis of the Santeria religion is the nurture of a personal relation with the orishas, and one of the principal forms of devotion is an animal sacrifice. Conversely, those who fail in their worldly obligations, or those whose actions are subversive to rather than nurturing of life, are quickly forgotten and "excommunicated" after death. What does Santera believe about the afterlife? Margarite Fernandez Olmos and Lizabeth Paravisini-Gebert), 1997, The understanding of death and dying as seen by different religions. Voodoo followers also believe in the afterlife. Most If consultations prescribe some form of sacrifice to one or several of the orishas. Santeria is a syncretic religion that grew out of the slave trade in Cuba. In the African worldview, then, notions about the "afterlife" and notions of "this life" complement and flow into one another. The basis of the Santeria religion is the nurture of a personal relation with the orishas, and one of the principal forms of devotion is an animal sacrifice. If we tried to live in harmony with our Ori and the world around us, we didn't destroy the planet or harm other people, our energy gets "recycled" for lack of a better word back into the universe so we can continue to be a part of the physical world. There is a Spanish influence in Santeria, whereas in Voodoo religion the French influence is more prominent. The "orishas are the representatives of the supreme God, and . . It is most often used to, Afrocentrism has a long and often misunderstood history. Between 1940 and 1960, the immigrants from Cuba spread Santeria in the United States. Download Full Image. De La Torre traces the roots of Santeria to the Yoruba people of Africa, who were brought from Africa to colonial Cuba as slaves and forced to embrace Catholicism. That vision includes angels, dogs, and an infinite library of books. Regardless of your primary motivations, you can now hire me for a consultation and to do the difficult part of the equation for you, while you reap the rewards. 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. Murphy, Joseph. I think the first incorrect assumption is assuming Orisha ever followed nature based religious paradigms in regards to the afterlife. 24ff). Lets start with an elucidation of Santeria and then Voodoo before jumping into the list of similarities and differences, or feel free to skip ahead. 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. The religion is also known as La Regla Lucumi and the Rule of Osha. In this regard, we note for example that ancient Egyptians held very clear eschatological ideas featuring notions of heaven and hell and a final judgment. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/afterlife-african-concepts. 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. Beginning in the 19th century, the enslaved Cuban. To put it simply, Santera is a religion for and by women. Oya is a warrior, and the guardian of the dead. There is no central organisation in Santeria. Once the spirit comes into the member, it can speak to the god (Bondye), dead people, heal, protect, and even do magic. She is associated with Saint Theresa. 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. Ancestorhood is therefore a status of honor reserved for the exemplary dead. In Cuba, the practice became known as Santeria, while in Haiti, it started being referred to as Voodoo. For this reason, too, death is also vigorously, collectively, and publicly mourned. Practitioners believe that Orichas intercede for them if they make offerings and live in compliance with their wishes. A study of indigenous education system of the Chagga from Tanzania. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Mohawk Native Americans are an Iroquois people with origins in Ontario, Quebec and New York State. 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. "Afterlife: African Concepts (M'passou in Cox, 1998, p. 28). 143ff). 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