Author of. The Orishas attend religious celebrations by possessing believers and making them go into a trance. These West African faiths may also have the most intricate theologies. The wise Orunmila recognized that there wasnt any good reason for them not to have special abilities, so he agreed to share his powers with the orishas. Orisha of domesticity and marriage (Shango's first wife), Patron Orisha of the descendants of Africans. She presides over womanhood, fertility, and life. 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). Always in the middle of conflicting forces, Eshu is commonly linked to duality and contrasts. The Orishas travelled to America and the Caribbean during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, which saw many Yorubas being enslaved and assimilated into Catholicism. Eventually, the god made his mind up and explained to the orishas that, on a certain day, he would ascend to the sky to pour down his divine gifts, so each orisha would be responsible for catching his or her own special ability. Orunmila - spirit of wisdom, divination, destiny, and foresight He reigned for seven years, constantly waging battle against other nations, bringing prosperity to the Oyo Empire. 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. 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. Traditional religion and Islam dominated Nigeria before the colonial era. Oshun can be spiteful, Shango impatient, Esu deceitful, Yemaya wrathful, and so on. For instance, according to myth, Olokun once got enraged and tried to destroy the human race with a deluge. 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. World History Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. She used these magical tools to create the cosmos, including the human race. Keep reading to know more about them. Age, which is priority in time, is highly valued and respected, and it is also an important aspect of status and ranking. She resides over the Ogun river, whose waters are said to cure infertility. 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. WebLooker Studio turns your data into informative dashboards and reports that are easy to read, easy to share, and fully customizable. Rituals invoking his spirit require the rapid beating of drums, which often cause his followers to fall into a deep trance. The Orisha began to lose patience with him, especially when he tried to infect them with smallpox after they laughed at his deplorable dancing skills. The general idea of the orisha as a deified ancestor whose descendants perpetuate the ancestors practices is reflected in the self-identification of the members of an orisha cult groups priesthood as that orishas children. This idea also undergirds a practice of secrecy that excludes from some part of an orishas ceremonies people who have not been initiated into its priesthood. Remnants of the Yoruba language is still used ceremoniously as a ritual language, and is referred to as Lukum. These categories are not rigid, and in some cases they overlap. Some of these divinities are regarded as primordial spirits. She is the mother of Yemaja. Metaphysical personifications or spirits. They were mainly captured from Oyo, Dahomey and Benin by the Portuguese and Brazilian slave traders and brought to Brazil. Plants and animals are understood as possessing the same divine spark as human beings. In the Yoruba pantheon, the orishas are divine mediators between Oludumare, the Creator of the world, and humanity. (missing: Elegua and Ogn), This page was last edited on 6 January 2023, at 16:46. Ogun is revered as a mighty god, called upon by warriors for strength in battle. Orisha of the Earth (strongly associated with. 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. Shortly afterward, Shango became the orisha of lightning, fire, virility, and war. They include her daughters Ayao and Oya. Her followers often hold festivals in her honor to commemorate the dead. Orunmila - spirit of wisdom, divination, destiny, and foresight Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ayao by Navate Yoruba Oshun statue, Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria. Others, who descended to the Earth to be adored in their human incarnations, were called irunmole. 2023 All Rights Reserved. A fourth version of the myth suggests that Erinle was turned into the first elephant (its unclear by whom), and only after he had spent some time living like this, was the hunter granted orisha status. Mark, Joshua J.. However, another account for the existence of the orishas explains that these deities dont share the same origin, as there are at least three different kinds of orishas. The understanding is that, even if one thought one knew every Orisha and could name them all, there would always be one more one had missed. Weborisha, also spelled orixa or orisa, any of the deities of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. However, despite their divine status and remarkable powers, not all the orishas have the same origin. Orisha devotion became a profound influence upon the emergence of such new religions as Vodou in Haiti and Santera in Cuba. She possesses an unfathomable wisdom and governs over an esoteric world of dreams, psychism, meditation, and healing. Yoruba mythology states that Olodumare is the most powerful god. World History Encyclopedia. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. She holds the secrets of botany and is a master of potions and healing herbs. 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. Sign up now for weekly facts, the latest blogs, and interesting features. Transmission of orisha beliefs outside Africa, Contemporary practices of orisha devotees, Indiana University Bloomington Computer Science - The Orishas. On the same level as the Orisha are the Ajogun, who are difficult to define but are often associated with the Western concept of a demon. Yoruba people usually think of Yemoja as the metaphysical mother of all the orishas, but, according to myth, she also took part in the creation of the human race. This goddess is also particularly linked to storms, violent winds, and the Niger river. The Yoruba creation story, like many others, has different versions. 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. 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. An Orisha is a God or a Goddess from the Yoruba Religion and Mythology. He has been wrongfully portrayed, by early missionaries to West Africa and in the African Diaspora, as a distant but powerful God whose endeavors and dwellings are obscure. Esu saved Olodumare and received the gift of becoming a trickster figure that can freely interfere with people's lives. Elegua, Yemay (Yemja), Oshn (un), Shang (Sang), Obatal, Oya, and Ogn etc. Download Knowing the Orisha Gods and Goddesses Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle. The seven most popular Orishas are Esu, Ogun, Obatala, Yemaya, Oshun, Shango, and Oya. In the Yoruba pantheon, Aja is the orisha of the woodland and the animals that reside in it. Oshun is the goddess of love, intimacy, and marriage. The Orishas then huddled by the great baobab tree that provided them with everything they needed and refused to use their powers for creation, preferring to satisfy their own needs. The Orishas wailed in repentance in vain. Although there are many Orishas, seven are understood as most powerful and have become the most popular among modern-day adherents. At a time when the Gods were starving, she offered him her ear to eat, and he scorned her. WebThe Supreme God has three manifestations: Olodumare - The Lord God of the Source of Creation; Olorun - The Lord God of Heaven; Olofi - The Lord God of the Palace, conduit between Orn (Heaven) and Ay (Earth). His reign ended when he inadvertently destroyed his palace with lightning. (2021, October 06). He taught his followers the secrets of civilization (fire, smithing, hunting, politics, and war). This is why today Shango is widely worshipped in other religions, including Cuban Santeria, Haitian Vodou, and Brazilian Candomble. He created the Orishas to be mediators between himself and the people. 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. Each caught powers that enabled them to participate in the creation and oversee different spheres of influence. In some myths, the orishas were a race of primogenial divine beings, who lived among mankind but didnt yet have any powers. The Yoruba people believe that there is a Supreme God, called Oludumare, and that he governs the Earth through a series of minor deities, known as the orishas, that work as his assistants. Finally, there is Eshu, a trickster God, and patron of crossroads. Some in Oyo say s is female, Ogun's wife. 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. Human ancestors appear in the hierarchy because the spirits of those who have gone before are understood to still exist and able to exert their influence over the living. Renewed and grateful deities in turn bless their supportive wor- Deified ancestors are people who lived in this world after it was created and had such a profound impact upon it that their descendants have continued to promote their memory. The number of orishas varies among believers. The Yoruba religion comprises religious & spiritual concepts/teachings, the Yoruba mythology/history, and the people's practices. 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. Download Knowing the Orisha Gods and Goddesses Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle. Cite This Work During the gods drunkenness, his brother, the orisha Oduduwa, completed the job. Detail of the mural by Said Musa, presenting Yemaya, an Orisha Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. 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. However, despite his mistake, Obatala redeemed himself by taking on the task of creating the human race. He is said to live in the forest with his Orisha brothers part of the time. Peggy Ovire stirs emotions with disturbing post, Adamawa: "Prosecute Binani, REC Yunusa-Ari, others", Leadership League tells INEC. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. However, since most Yoruba beliefs are based on oral traditions, there are many different accounts regarding how the orishas came to be. In some, the supreme being is referenced as Olodumare, in others, it is Olodumare-Oloorun, in still others, Olofin, but all refer to the same entity neither male nor female who both created and is the universe. carried away during the Atlantic Slave Trade. 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. The history of the Yoruba religion started in the Stone Age. In the Orishas case, Olodumare had allowed life to continue as it had before, but the supreme deity had made clear to humanity that, once they chose inequality as the basis of their existence, they could not go back to their former lives. WebLooker Studio turns your data into informative dashboards and reports that are easy to read, easy to share, and fully customizable. 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. Orisha of volcanoes, the wilderness, and rivers. Afterward, those with lighter skin complained they were not darker, and those with darker skin wanted to be lighter, the poor robbed the rich, and the rich enacted laws against the poor, resources were gathered and defended by one people against another, and there was want and starvation, war and privation. He was supposed to have lived at some point between the 12th and the 14th century AD. It is the orishas who are the guardians and explicators of human destiny. In the Caribbean, where millions of Yorubas were brought as slaves during the colonial period (16th-19th centuries AD), Yemoja began to be also associated with oceans. Oshun is commonly called the river orisha, or goddess, in the Yoruba religion and is typically associated with water, purity, fertility, love, and sensuality. Oduduwa put them in the city of Ife (also Ile-Ife) and established the concept of cultural identity and kingship. WebThe Supreme God has three manifestations: Olodumare - The Lord God of the Source of Creation; Olorun - The Lord God of Heaven; Olofi - The Lord God of the Palace, conduit between Orn (Heaven) and Ay (Earth). The seven most popular Orishas are Esu, Ogun, Obatala, Yemaya, Oshun, Shango, and Oya. [1], The Republic of Benin and Nigeria contain the highest concentrations of Yoruba people and Yoruba faiths in all of Africa. Another daughter of Nana is Olokun, an ocean goddess. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Oshun turns herself into a peacock and flies to Orun but, passing too close to the sun, loses most of her feathers and, because the journey was so long, arrives exhausted and ill but still delivers the message of the Orishas contrition. Christianity spread massively in the nineteenth century when the Europeans penetrated Nigeria. Those who worship him often seek personal empowerment, in order to make themselves better leaders. In a variant of the myth, Erinle transformed himself into a river to appease the thirst of the Yoruba people, who had been struggling with the effects of a pernicious drought sent by Shango. Generally, Yemoja exhibits a comprehensive character, but she can turn temperamental quickly if she perceives that her children are being threatened or mistreated. 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. 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. As a guardian of the earth, she has been known to take the guise of a formidable warrior when necessary to protect those she loves. During his lifetime, he was married to three wives (Oshun, Oba, and Oya). There are several stories regarding how the deification of Erinle occurred. Who is the strongest Yoruba god? (2). 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